Blue Notes

Leaving for Tarrana, er Toronto and Bay Street tonight, will be at the skate in the morning at the ACC as the Leafs---with Ryan Hollweg sporting a scary black eye from his sparring match with Mike Rupp of the Devs---prepare to spook the 10-2-1 Rangers. I've got this suspicious feeling....

"We're going in against a team in Toronto that is quite the high-octane team," coach Tom Renney said. "They've done a very good job of making sure they've come in under the radar. They're much better than they're suggesting they are. They put a lot of pucks on goal. They come hard....We beat them here (1-0 in a shootout) and they're going to want revenge in their own rink."

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As predicted, Steve Valiquette (3-0 vs the Leafs in the last two seasons) gets the nod over Henrik (six straight) Lundqvist....Renney is vowing changes of the 26th-ranked power play. We'll see. I still think, and I know I'm in the minority, that Michael Rozsival will shoot more. He knows he has to; he's just picking his spots....

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With Scott Gomez (soreness) resting today---he told me he'll play against the Leafs---Petr Prucha skated between Ryan Callahan and Nigel Dawes...Nik Zherdev was back with Dubinsky and Voros...The other top line was Naslund-Drury-Fritsche...I'll have a piece in the paper and on here on Naslund emerging from his scoring funk (3-4-7 in his last five) and how he did it...

Perhaps I'll check in from the airport...

The disappointing 6-foot-6 right wing, who was the Rangers first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in the 2003 draft, was shipped to the Predators for future considerations.

Jessiman, who grew up in Darien, Conn. and played at Dartmouth, never lived up to expectations, although he did have 18 goals and 24 assists for the Wolf Pack last season.

More from the Garden later...

Hmmm. Anybody out there enjoying this season and not fretting over next year's cap already? Long way away. I'll chime in once and let it simmer for awhile.

It's an issue, sure, but jeez, it's 12 games into THIS season. Zherdev and Dubi will be expensive to keep, sure, but there's no room on this squad for a $7-8 million Ilya Kovalchuk anyway (unless Atlanta wants Rozy and a prospect or two and a pick). And that would mean waving goodbye to Zherdev.

Among the folks who will/could be off the books this summer: Kalinin, Prucha, Betts, Sjostrom, Dawes, Mara, Valiquette, Rissmiller, Fritsche. That's $9.6 million or so. And the cap could go up by a million or more.

There are inexpensive possibilities with upside in the minors: Artem Anisimov (1-5-6 in 8), Dane Byers (4-1-5 in 8), PA Parenteau (3-2-5 in 8), D Corey Potter, G Miika Wiikman, D Bobby Sanguinetti, and D Mike Del Zotto and F Evgeni Grachev in junior...

Four or five bits of news today:

1. The New York era of Brendan Shanahan, who has told his agent to explore other options than the Rangers, was recapped by coach Tom Renney as "excellent. Very good leader, really helped Jaromir (Jagr) I thought, with the communication required in preparing to play, whether it's an off day, a practice, in between periods or whatever, I thought he was excellent that way. He brought a lot of wisdom to our dressing room, the bench, the ice surface; he certainly helped me a lot as a coach, with just anecdotal things that brought life to a scenario, to a hypothetical. He certainly played well, I think there were moments with some injuries that he had some tough times, but that happens with 18, 19-year-olds too, that's part of the game. But he made an investment in himself and this organization and I think we're all better for it. And I think we know a little bit better through Brendan what it takes to win...and we'll see what happens."

2. Dan Fritsche will dress for the fourth time, in place of Petr Prucha. "Danny has had a little more luck scoring at this point in time, their games are similar, maybe he can pot one for us," said Renney. Although he appeared to be at center on some line rushes, Fritsche told me afterward that he wasn't and would be on the wing.

Renney said he will start with the same lines as against the Islanders, although Chris Drury moved to wing briefly in a reunion with with Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund. Nik Zherdev also skated a bit with former mates Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros. "It's something I know I can do," he said.

In that case, expect:

Naslund-Drury-Zherdev
Voros-Dubinsky-Fritsche
Dawes-Gomez-Callahan
Sjostrom-Betts-Orr

And then some mixing...

3. As predicted yesterday, G Henrik Lundqvist will start his sixth straight, but Steve Valiquette will get his third start soon, perhaps in Toronto on Saturday. "We've got a bit of a plan in the next five days. He's (Henrik's) playing well, he's rested, he feels great," said Renney.

4. "I think there's a psychological growth happening with our team in-game," Renney said. But there's a sense of concern when a team, such as Atlanta, comes in after a drubbing, like the 7-0 pasting by the Flyers. "Maybe I'm giving this city too much credit in that way, but I think they would love to right themselves in this city, at MSG, in the biggest market in the game. We're going to have to be the harder-working team, we're going to have to be the more disciplined team."

Come on now, is anybody out there really surprised?

The Post confirmed that the Hall of Famer finally got the message that seemed clear to me for a month: look around. Great job in New York, thanks, you can tryout, work out in Westchester, no guarantees, because we've moved on.

I had the day off yesterday (well, technically: hosted the live chat, researched some stories and did a radio interview last night) and in the interview, was asked about Shanahan (40 in January) and basically repeated what we've written here for weeks: There really was no room for him on this retooled, getting-younger, cap-strapped team. Just business, not personal.
(Rangers are still liable for his $2 mil-plus deferred bonus.)

I guess if the Rangers had stumbled out of the gate, maybe there would have been rumblings, second thoughts. Didn't happen.

Hope Shanny (who definitely sagged in the second half last season) catches on somewhere though, and ends his long, distinguished career (650 goals, tons of toughness) on his own terms, without an injury.

The skate today is at 10:30 (thanks to Artie Stapes for pinch-hittin' yesterday), and we'll provide some notes from there.

Later, gang...

Lauri Korpikoski, caught in a numbers game at forward, was shipped to the Wolf Pack after practice. He was scratched for five of the last six games and did not record a point in the seven games he played (one shot, one penalty.)

Korpikoski, 22, can be recalled without passing through waivers. During the media gathering after the morning skate before the Islanders game, I asked coach Tom Renney if Korpikoski would be better served by playing regularly in Hartford. He indicated that Korpikoski would stay with the club in the near term.

It's clear that he was being evasive for public consumption or that things changed in the past two days. "It's a dilemma," the coach did concede on Monday. "He's worked hard and he's proven that he's an NHL player."

***
Dan Fritsche may play tomorrow against Atlanta. Korpikoski, (who averaged 11:14 a game at center and wing and was a minus-3), Petr Prucha and Pat Rissmiller were together on a line today.

The Rangers are rolling and Steve Zipay is here to answer all of your questions today in a live chat at 1 p.m.

Get here early with your questions and comments. We expect a huge turnout, much like in the polling places next Tuesday.

Practice today at 10:30. Thrashers come to town tomorrow off a 7-0 rout at the hands of the Flyers as the Rangers seek to post win No. 10 of the young season.

***
Would you start Steve Valiquette or have the King stay on the throne?
I'm riding Lundqvist. Next game isn't until Saturday in Toronto and no game Sunday. I'd roll the dice with Lundqvist again, put your stars out there and try to pile up the points. Carpe diem. The January and February sked is brutal, plenty of road games and back-to-backs.

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I'm wondering when Korpikoski will play. You don't want him to rust. And what about Prucha? Didja like his play against the Isles? Appears that there's no market for him right now at his salary, so why not let him play? Give him one more shot at the PP on the second unit. A goal might improve his confidence and make him valuable here---or elsewhere.

More comin' up....

Coaching, like managing workers in an office or elsewhere, takes a balance of courage, patience, psychology and a sense of how to get the most out of individuals. You press different buttons depending on the the situation and the personality for the benefit of the collective target.

That said, I have no problem with Rangers coach Tom Renney benching Brandon Dubinsky for part of the first period Monday after an admittedly weak start with two penalties by the sophomore center. I consider that a mild lesson. Scratching someone for lousy play is much stronger punishment.

Should Nik Zherdev have ridden pine for that horrendous blind pass that Okposo almost cashed in? Zherdev knew he had blundered, expected an earful and hid near the end of the bench. Probably not. He's just starting to fit in and learned his lesson. Different player. If it happens again, different story. I think both players got the message.

****
Weekly live chat tomorrow at 1 after practice.

Wonder if the same lines will skate? Renney did mix things up in the late second and early third on Long Island. Here I am preaching again: Gotta work on the PP: 1-for-8 against Isles. Liked many of the suggestions from earlier posts. Rangers are third in the league in goals, but have played more games than anyone.

Wrote an assessment of Lundqvist's start for Wednesday paper. Welcome to the Kingdom.

Staple here to take you through the first Rangers-Isles game of the season. It's the marquee goaltending matchup you've all been waiting for: Henrik Lundqvist vs. Joey MacDonald.

Of course, we could have said that about Wade (Moby) Dubielewicz last season, and the Isles backup played just fine.

On with the show between the NHL's top-ranked and bottom-ranked clubs in a bit...

UNIONDALE----Many teams on the road kick a soccer ball around in the basement corridors of arenas, as you probably have read here and elsewhere.

A little while ago, Nik Zherdev placed a ball on the ground about 15 or 18 feet from a wall with a ladder leaning against it and a trash can close against it.

Zherdev stood back and tried to kick the ball off the wall above the can and into the can. I watched about five attempts. He just missed on four, with several hitting the rim of the can; the fifth time he hit the ladder.

****
Odd that the Isles unveiled their third jersey tonight, but aren't wearing it. They're waiting until Nov. 1...

****
Coach Tom Renney expects a two-man, aggressive forecheck from the 2-5-0 Isles, who won five of eight against the Rangers last season...In the three wins, Jagr, Avery and Gomez scored the deciding goals...Eight of the 16 goals for the Rangers came from players no longer on the team: Jagr 4, Marty Straka 1, Avery 2, and Shanahan 1....Chris Drury was 3-3-6 in the eight games...Henrik Lundqvist played all eight games and had a 1.97 GAA

....as the Rangers try to "lift their game to the next level", coach Tom Renney said after an optional workout at the Nassau Coliseum.

It'll be the same lineup as Saturday, with Petr Prucha in and Lauri Korpikoski, Dan Fritsche and Pat Rissmiller healthy scratches. Joey MacDonald will start for the Islanders.

My sense is that with no game until Thursday, Renney wants to use Lundqvist, who is fresh, to secure as many points as possible. The Rangers face the Thrashers Thursday at home.
.
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Renney shot down an inquiry as to whether Korpikoski would be better served playing in Hartford rather than sit, suggesting that because the season was 11 games old, no move would be forthcoming, that the forward had earned a spot on the team and would be in the lineup soon.

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Wade Redden was among the 14 players who skated and said although his right elbow had a touch of tendinitis, he would dress tonight.

****
Fredrik Sjostrom said his right foot, which appeared very swollen after the Columbus game, was fine. "I've just got fat feet, Flintstone feet," he said.

****
Chuckle of the morning: Trainer Jim Ramsey scooted by a pile of wrapped bubblegum in the locker room, grabbed one and immediately fumbled it into a wastebasket. "Kasparaitis hands," he muttered.

More later..

A year ago on Oct. 27, I was considering my Halloween party costume, the Rangers were 3-6-1 and needed a 6-1 streak to reach the 19-point mark by Nov. 10, their 17th game.

Alas, I'll be in Toronto for Halloween this week.

And the situation is different for the Rangers as well.

Tonight at the Coliseum, in the first of six meetings with the Islanders, the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers can hit the 19-point mark in their 12th game of the season with a win in regulation, overtime or a shootout.

So the arrow is certainly pointing up compared to last season, and that's without players such as Chris Drury really contributing on offense.

Yes, the power play is a concern, although two units---once they are set---should help, rather than the Jagr-led one last season.

So, before I tango out to the Island for the Rangers morning skate and some other errands, the first topic for the day is: Give us your two PP unit suggestions.

Newsday will have a sizeable contingent in Uniondale tonight, with yours truly, Greg Logan, Mark Herrmann, a live game blog, video, etc., so check in later and stay tuned all day...

Yeah, yeah, we all fall into the trap of comparing these teams based on last year's playoffs:

But...

Tonight’s rosters are very different than the teams who squared off in the playoffs. The Pens are without Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone (gone via free agency), and defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney (injured), who compiled a total of five goals and 10 assists in the five games. The Rangers are without Jaromir Jagr (Russia), Martin Straka (retired), Sean Avery (Dallas), and Brendan Shanahan (unsigned), who connected for six goals and eight assists in the series.

Throw in Naslund and Zherdev, Satan and Fedotenko....

The standbys: Lundqvist and Fleury

****

A night after receiving a sharp blow to the head from Rostislav Klesla’s stick midway through the second period in Columbus that knocked him unconscious momentarily, Rangers coach Tom Renney was back in his usual spot at the Garden.
“I saw the docs this morning,” said Renney, who flew back with the team last night. “They just asked the appropriate questions and determined I could do it.”
The 53-year-old coach, who was clubbed on the visitors’ bench by Rostislav Klesla’s stick, said that despite a headache this morning, there was no reluctance to come back so quickly. “Not on my part,” he said. The expecting ribbing, once it was determined that he would be okay, took “about 30 seconds,” he said. GM Glen sather brought him a helmet and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire “put the name tag on, so I’d know who he was.”

***
Petr Prucha, who had yet to record a point, is dressed for his fourth game of the year and is skating with Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros in the right wing spot that Dan Fritsche occupied against Columbus, his former club. “When I look at those three names as a line, I like the look of it,” said Renney. “I hope Petr has a good night and we can build on it.” Fritsche, who played 8:35 against the Blue Jackets, was scratched, along with Lauri Korpikoski.

***
The defense pairings unveiled Friday night remained in place. “We felt that in our own end we could be more assertive, that we needed to have more of a physical presence, that we had to play with some more urgency, it wasn’t to single anyone out,” Renney said. So it was Paul Mara-Marc Staal, whom Renney described as “our most consistent pair night after night”, Michal Rozsival-Dmitri Kalinin and Wade Redden-Dan Girardi.

More soon...

The Rangers coach, who was briefly knocked unconscious by a wayward stick in the second period in Columbus last night, is planning to be at the rink for his pre-game chat with the media at 5 today and behind the bench at the Garden for the Penguins game...

More later...

In front of the crease, Brandon Dubinsky turned his right skate on a Nik Zherdev shot to deflect the puck past Pascal Lecalire at 12:11 for a 2-1 lead on the power play. A video replay supported the on-ice call that the goal was legit and not kicked in.

Dan Girardi, who has scored a goal on a skimmer from the right point just 11 seconds after coach Tom Renney was felled by a stick in the head on the bench, received an assist on the Dubinsky goal as well. It was Girardi's first goal and Dubinsky's fourth of the season. Wade Redden also came close, hitting the post.

With 11:38 left in the second period, Rangers coach Tom Renney was clipped on the left side of the head by Rostislav Klesla's stick during a scrum at the bench.
He went down to the floor, an official said between the second and third period, may have lost consciousness, was assisted off the ice and was being X-rayed. Assistants Mike Pelino and Perry Pearn took over. Renney did not return before the end of the period.
A Rangers spokesman said during the intermission that Renney "was OK. He was hit on the top of the head."

Stats of the period:

Michael Peca and Manny Malhotra won seven of eight faceoffs.

Zero shots for homecoming fellas Zherdev and Fritsche

One big turnover from Dmitri Kalinin that led to Voracek's goal...

Oops, they just gave assists to Backman and Brassard on the goal

.
COLUMBUS---...well, no you're not, Brent.
We're looking live at the Nationwide Arena ice from very cool glass-sided booths, not press row. The visiting writers are assigned to separate booths, which I just now remembered from the last visit here in 2006.
I'm in one with the Post's Mr. Brooks; The Record's Andrew Gross and Mike from the News are to the left. Down to the right on a lower deck is a Civil War-style cannon...Not aimed up here, so the fourth estate is safe for the moment
Warmups just began.
Typing slower than usual, badly jammed my wrist playing squash the other night. Iced it earlier today now I hope the Aleve kicks in.
MSG crowd whipping boy Christian Backman wearing No. 5...AC/DC on the sound system.
Here's what Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said about No. 5 earlier:
"Quite frankly, Backman’s been a surprise. I don’t think his New York experience was great. (Let me jump in here: Understatement?) We knew what we were getting from watching him play in our games against St. Louis. He’s been on the third pair five on five, but he’s helped us on the power play. When we had Hainsey, Ron was more of a shooter; Backman’s not afraid to make a play, so it’s a different element again."
OK, live again.
Gomez, as he often does, flipped a puck to a a young fan by the glass.....Orr just fired a slapshot through Vally's legs...Voros' scruffy beard is gone, clean-shaven... Fritsche is the last guy on the ice and looks as if he doesn't want to leave..
Uh oh, the Chipotle Boogie for a Burrito contest is coming up...
I'll be back when the puck drops...Enjoy

CHANGE ON D ---Rozy and Kalinin, not Redden...

COLUMBUS-----Seen and heard....

Nice little Russian summit in the small area just before the visitors locker room widens here at Nationwide Arena. Former Ranger Fedor Tyutin, already changed into his street clothes, speaking happily in the native tongue with the Rangers' Nik Zherdev and Dmitri Kalinin.

****
Dan Fritsche, upon returning to his condo last night where three of his pals are living. "It was way too clean," he said. "You can tell they had just finished working on it. The floors were washed..." Fritsche then went to dinner with his dad; "my mom was working," he said.
Fritsche, from Parma, Ohio, said he expect 25 to 30 friends and relatives at the game.
"When you're here, you never really think that someday you might be on the other bench."

****
Fritsche, who has played just two of the first nine games, will skate with Dubinsky and Voros; Zherdev with Drury and Naslund, Dawes with Gomez and Callahan, and Betts with Orr and Sjostrom...Lundqvist, as expected, is in net..But the coach made no commitment for tomorrow, saying he would see how his No. 1 goaltender felt after tonight. My guess? Lundqvist plays tomorrow as well and Valiquette starts against the Isles on Monday...Wade Redden had his right elbow wrapped in ice...Korpikoski and Prucha are scratched

****
Ken Hitchcock, as usual, met with the players for about 20 minute before reopening the locker room to the media and holding court himself. Hitch said that here in Columbus, Zherdev played best when given more responsibility. Then he dished up a great line when a reporter reminded him that coach Tom Renney said that after the summer trade, Hitch had told him that Zherdev was a 200-point player. "I didn't say for how many seasons," he said.

****
Manny Malhotra and Michael Peca---in his first game back from a five-game suspension for touching an official---are in the Jackets' lineup...The Rangers are 1-4 here and haven't won here since Feb. 12, 2001, a 4-3 victory... The Rangers, who host the Pens tomorrow, have played three back-to-backs and have won all of the first games in the set

Columbus---During the summer, Nik Zherdev bade goodbye to Columbus, but here he was today, standing in the sun outside the downtown Renaissance Hotel speaking on his cell phone.
At practice earlier today in New York, the talented right wing said hello to a new center: Chris Drury. Markus Naslund was on the left.
In his former spot on The Playstation Line was Dan Fritsche, the player who came to Broadway with Zherdev in the trade for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman.
So, if the status stays quo, the two former Blue Jackets will face their old mates tomorrow night.
The Dawes-Gomez-Callahan line remained intact (although I'm wondering if Drury and Gomez should swap places) as did Sjostrom-Betts-Orr.
I don't know the d-pairs (Newsday's intrepid Barbara Barker was subbing for me in Westchester today), but down the road, could there be a shuffle there as well?
Rozsival and Redden were paired immediately to get to know each other's game and perhaps bring some of that chemistry to the power play. After a few more games, perhaps Rozy-Staal, Redden-Girardi and Mara-Kalinin is worth an experiment, no?
Thoughts?
As for me, no switching up. Dinner at Mitchell's and stretching out early. Beauty sleep, ya know.
I'll be at the skates first thing tomorrow and be sure to file a dispatch on Tyutin, who was 5-15-20 last year in New York.

***
Before I forget, we really appreciate yet another enormous response to yesterday's live chat; tune in again next Wednesday at 1. And many thanks for the kind reviews and increasing sales for "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Rangers History," my little project on the or-gan-eye-za-shun from Triumph Books.

We're firming up some signings at Cosby's, for the Rangers fan club at their November meeting in Manhattan, and at some Borders and Barnes & Nobles in the tri-state area. Will keep everybody posted with times and dates, so you can stop in if you're nearby. Remember, the holidays are just around the corner....

As surmised on our just-concluded weekly soiree known as a live chat, Patrick Rissmiller cleared waivers and presumably will be assigned to Hartford. Can't see someone making a trade for him unless he''s part of a package, though, but ya never know. More later

My error...
Our weekly rendezvous is at 1 p.m., so rush back from lunch or bring your soup and sandwich to the keyboard and join in....
Limbering up the fingers and wrists right now....need to anyway, dragging my bones onto the squash court tonight.
Hope I have the speed dial set for 911 after 45 minutes of scrambling and my usual array of shot-making (er, missing)...
Back just before 1...

Steve Zipay answers your Rangers questions today in a live chat at 1 p.m.

"I think based on the last month, we've gone as hard as any team in the NHL---harder than any other team, quite honestly. And I think it's maybe catching up to us a bit. Over time, your game starts to deteriorate."

----Tom Renney

With back to back games in Columbus Friday----did anyone notice their D is pretty big 1 thru 6?---and the Pens arriving for their first visit on Saturday---the Rangers have the day off.

Not me. (Although the critics say my game deteriorated right after Prague. Hey, just because I lobbied for the Rangers to open every season in Europe....)

So, sipping the french roast, listening to Wolfgangsvault.com, hitting the phones and preparing for the fabulous weekly live chat at 1 p.m., right here.

I believe noon or 1 is the deadline for Patrick Rissmiller to be claimed off waivers, so that's certainly a topic. And I imagine, so will the play of Drury and Naslund and Rozsival, etc. and here's a sneak preview of my answer: It's only nine games....About one-tenth of the season.

But we soldier on...

See all you loyal Blue Noters later..

So we know Sean Avery and Steve Valiquette aren't going out for dinner, thanks to some bad vibes last season...

Then last night, as you may have first read about in Mr. Weinman's blog (I didn't hear about it until sometime later in the evening and wasn't able to call anybody involved), it was Avery and MSG Network’s John Giannone who were engaged in a heated, profanity-laced confrontation between the first and second periods Monday night near the officials’ room.

Two eyewitnesses today vouched for some of the details that were whispered last night.

With at least half a dozen onlookers nearby, Avery emerged from the Stars locker room with about four minutes remaining in the break and unleashed a barrage of obscenity at Giannone. Unclear what lit the fuse.

During his tirade, when Avery reportedly made a remark about Giannone's wife, the broadcaster fired back.

No bumping though. At that point, presumably somebody nearby would've jumped in.

When the officials emerged from their room, they told the pair to cool down and move on, and Avery and the player who was with him, Krystofer Barch, went toward the ice.

Giannone declined to comment today and referred questions to MSG. “There was a verbal exchange between the two last night,” an MSG spokesman said. “It’s over and we won’t have any further comment.” The league is not expected to discipline Avery, who (surprise!) wasn't available for comment.

The Rangers roster is down to 22.

Pat Rissmiller, the former Sharks winger, who signed a three-year contract at $1 million per season last July, has been waived. If no one claims Rissmiller, who skated in a green jersey today as a spare forward after playing in just two of the first nine games, he would be assigned to Hartford. At that point, the remainder of his annual salary does not count under the cap, only the days during which he was on the 23-man roster

More to come...

at 6:23 for the warmups was greeted by a smattering of cheers and boos....He wore no helmet, something I don't recall him doing as a Ranger...for a while, he linger at the red line near where Steve Valiquette was stretching and ignored hin....Then appeared to be saying something to Brandon Dubinsky, who had his back towards the Dallas end. and then later, from a distance, at a stretching Lundqvist. But he didn't wave to the fans in the lower seats or throw pucks to them ---as some players do...

I saw only one No. 16 jersey coming in; I'm sure they're will be plenty more...

Sean Avery arrived early, ducking into the visitors' locker room trailed by one camera. In baggy shorts and high knee socks, he worked on his stick out of range of the media... Hey, he said he didn't want to talk, so I'm okay with it...

Here's Tom Renney's best pre-game comment on the Avery situation:

“We have to be professional and really understand this is about two points and nothing else, and do whatever it is we have to do to secure them,” Renney said. “I would suggest strongly against us retaliating or getting caught up in this whole circus, which is pretty much what it’s about outside of our dressing room. We’re a pretty focused team.”

To some extent, Aaron Voros has filled the Avery role, without the chirping, a bigger presence in front of the net, and five goals.

"I don’t know that we’ve really had our toughness tested yet," Renney said. "I look forward to that, I think we’re team tough in our own way, I don’t know if that means dropping the gloves…I do believe we are a team that can play a physical game, finish checks…I don’t know that we’re scary, but I think our speed, our quickness, our tenacity, which I hope will become our benchmark, will suggest that teams will have to play the Rangers a certain way and stay out of the penalty box."

Patrick Rissmiller is in, as reported this morning....

Tune in later...

It's clear Tom Renney is taking the high road when discussing Sean Avery, the media and fan focal point for Game 9 of the season.

After a light skate today, he said the Avery issue had been addressed with the team.

"We've addressed it, we talked about it already....This (Dallas) is a very good hockey team of which he's a part of. We've talked about it, the strengths of their team...He was a good hockey player for us, plain and simple. He chose to go somewhere else."

As far back as Saturday, at least publicly, the players have been saying that they've moved past Avery and don't really give much thought about facing him. That's the right on-ice approach, as the Sabres and other teams have discovered in the playoffs: Ignore his remarks as an opponent.

I have a feeling there will be some skirmishes, though. Avery won't be able to resist being back on The Big Stage. Especially if the Stars fall behind.

For Henrik Lundqvist, who expects to see Avery in front of the net, he looks forward more to seeing his twin brother Joel, a Stars forward.

Patrick Rissmiller will dress for his second game of the year after missing four straight as Renney continued to rotate his spare forwards. Rissmiller, the former Shark who had been suffering from a sore ankle, skated in Lauri Korpikoski's place at left wing on a line with Chris Drury and Markus Naslund.

"He's ready to go. He's been healthy," Renney said..."Lauri (wrist) can play, he's made it very clear he's ready to go. It's a coach's decision." The scratches: Korpikoski, Petr Prucha, Dan Fritsche.

One last note before we depart: This week's live chat is Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Welcome one and all: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greenies, Libertarians, Disney characters, second-graders....

Blink hard and set it to ink
These items fade faster than you think
Feelin' low in a major key
Do they remember me now that it's one year A.D.?

---Feist

As I wrote for today's paper, New York hosts Fashion Week, Fleet Week, Restaurant Week and now, the Sean Avery 08' Tour, in which the former Rangers left wing goes face to face---and perhaps belly-to-belly---with Henrik Lundqvist, the D, Colton Orr, Aaron Voros, etc tonight, and his old pals Martin Brodeur and Rick DiPietro on Wednesday and Thursday.

Although Avery (a Feist fan, he once told me) is trying to keep the writers at bay for the pre-game pub, he'll probably be back the gossip pages today or tomorrow. Off day and night Tuesday, ya know.

Avery, who has created a soap-opera character for himself, played hard here, scored some timely goals, disrupted and distracted. Covering him was uniquely entertaining, and at times, annoying, especially when he deigned to speak only when it fit his agenda...

Anyhow, I'll be on the case today and tonight, with Newsday's erstwhile Mark Herrmann...

Swing by later for a report on the morning skate...