Blue Notes

OK, more from Raleigh, the first day---and gut check---of the rest of the season....

The two 21-year-old Rangers who played and excelled in the Young Stars game in Atlanta came away with slightly different feelings. For Marc Staal, the trip turned into a family affair; for Brandon Dubinsky, it was a thrill---and a break from the grind of the NHL schedule.

Staal, who had a goal and assist on Saturday, said the experience of playing and then watching his brother Eric, a center for the Canes, score twice and be named that game's MVP, was "awesome" and would give him some extra juice for the rest of the schedule. "Just being there was an honor in itself, growing up I always watched those games and to be a part of it was very cool."

Staal had dinner last night at Eric's house about 10 minutes away from the RBC Center; he had also been there at Christmas. "He (Eric) played a good game... a couple tap-in goals, but you've gotta finish. He told us whoever was nicest to him in the next few weeks would get it (the vehicle awarded to the MVP), but I don't know if I can do that for a minivan...He has kids, he could use it."

Dubinsky, who was awaiting delivery of his MVP trophy for his three-point effort, said the four days away from New York were fun---and worthwhile. Last night, he said, when he checked into the team hotel here, "I rode the bike a little while and just relaxed, ordered room service and a movie...I used it more as a break, even though I was playing hockey, I just relaxed and re-energized my body to get ready for the last 30 games of the season. I feel good here, ready to go for sure. That was the main thing, it's behind us now."

Dubinsky, who has three goals and three assists in the last seven games, said "you improve playing with these guys at this level; but I'm not doing anything diftferent or approaching it any different now, just taking it every day and trying to help this team win."

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The Rangers' power play (1-21) versus Carolina's penalty kill (10-for-10) could be the difference tonight. What does Rangers coach Tom Renney want to see? "Hunting down loose pucks, continuing to get pucks to the net in traffic and then looking for the second chance off that," he said. "We do put a lot of shots on goal in general, but the function is making sure to get to the rebounds. Beyond that it's quick puck movement; we need to bring a little more vigor to that part of our game."

Asked about the need to be physical against the speedy, skilled Hurricanes, Renney said, "From my point of view, for the next 31 games, we're going to have to see an element of that no matter who we play. We have to make sure we're engaged physically, that we're engaged emotionally, that we understand within the structure of how we want to play that you need to tap in to that part of yourself."

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Former Rangers center Matt Cullen makes his first appearance against the team since Dec. 26, when his jarring, helmet-to-helmet, blue line collision with Colton Orr in the second period left him with the first concussion of his career and a broken nose.

"It hasn't been a fun stretch," said Cullen, who has no lasting effects from the hit in that 4-2 loss, during which Sean Avery broke a bone in Andrew Ladd's face. The Canes were 5-9-1 aftet that game, and Ladd is wearing a full cage/visor.

Cullen, on pace for a career year in points, was 1-1-2 in the last four games before the break after missing nine of ten. "I think it's the same story as two years ago, we're a skating and skill team and we, as a group, need to match that physicality."

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The lines:
Avery-Gomez-Jagr
Dawes-Dubinsky-Shanahan
Straka-Drury-Prucha
Hollweg-Betts-Orr

Avery by the way, was giving Scott Gomez some grief in the post-skate dressing room because on a conference call before the All-Star Game, Gomez mentioned that Avery's taste in music included "every new crappy album" and that he critiqued everyone's wardrobe. And yes, Jagr was kidding about Belichick's ancestry ; he follows the NHL, and he knows Belichick isn't Czech... Rangers fly direct to Philly, (so do I in the a.m.) and will practice at the old Spectrum at noon tomorrow.

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One travel sidebar. Not only is gasoline $2.97 in the area, there were some quality listens on XM in the rental Hyundai while driving around last night and today: Willy Porter's "Rita", the Dead's "Tennessee Jed'', Ryan Adams' "Carolina Rain", a cut from Dan Wilson's (formerly of Semisonic) latest, "Free Life", the Band's "Across the Great Divide", and "She Heightened Everything", with its Byrds-like guitars, from the underrated Pernice Brothers.

Definitely swing by later for more pre-game and in-game thoughts...