MIX & MATCH
Playing-time decisions loom
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — This is shaping up as the most challenging decision of Alain Vigneault’s fouryear tenure in New York, for now that the Rangers’ seven core defensemen are ready to go, the coach is going to be charged with sitting out one of them every night as a healthy scratch.
That means maybe Kevin Klein, maybe Nick Holden, maybe deadline acquisition Brendan Smith, maybe Dan Girardi, maybe Marc Staal, maybe even Brady Skjei if the coach takes that path of least resistance (Ryan McDonagh is exempt).
Regardless, these final eight games beginning with Saturday’s match against Kings will feature a competition within the Blueshirts’ competition against their opponents.
“Do I think internal competition is good? Yes, yes I do,” Vigneault responded following his team’s practice ahead of their Saturday game in Los Angeles. “[The defense] is an area where I think there’s room for improvement. I’ve always felt that internal competition is good.”
Girardi, sidelined for 12 straight games since Feb. 28 tending to the ankle injury he originally suffered blocking a shot Feb. 7, is returning Saturday. Klein, who has missed 15 straight starting Feb. 23 with a back issue, won’t play in this one, but will get the call either Sunday in Anaheim (in which Henrik Lundqvist will make his return) or Tuesday in San Jose.
“Kleiner is ready to go and he will play in the next couple, I’m not sure which one,” Vigneault said. “I didn’t want to have two defensemen in their first games back in the same one.”
Girardi will skate with faithful companion McDonagh on the matchup pair for 48th game of the 57 in which they have both been healthy while Staal teams with Holden and Skjei partners with Smith. Holden and Staal have played together in 41 games while this will mark the first time Skjei and Smith skate together.
“Danny and Ryan have played together for a long time,” Vigneault said. “I think it makes sense to have them together. Plus, I think it will help us on our penalty kill.”
The Staal-Holden pair played well through the first few months of the season, but struggled through January. Vigneault likely will use the pair as he has most of the year as the second matchup tandem while Skjei and Smith get the thirdpair rotation and matchups.
Until last year, the 32-year-old Girardi had played 759 of a possible 764 games (regular season and playoffs) since joining the Blueshirts during the 2006-07 AllStar break, missing only four because of injury. He missed eight last season with a kneecap injury and concussion.
So quite obviously this represents the longest stretch Girardi, who has missed 18 overall this season, has been idle.
“I don’t want to overthink it. I’ll just go in and play my natural game and try to fit in,” said Girardi, the Rangers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Award, which signifies dedication and sportsmanship. “I’ll try to keep it simple and not try to do too much, get in a body check or block a shot on my first couple of shifts to get into the game.”
Well, maybe it wouldn’t be such a fine idea to block a shot with the inside of his right ankle.
With eight games remaining in the regular season, Girardi said he wouldn’t expect conditioning to be a factor upon his return.
“I’ve kind of been doing three-adays the last little while,” he said. “It’s been kind of like being back in training camp. But I feel good. I’m ready to go.”
They are all ready to go. But they all can’t go in the same game. Girardi a healthy scratch? Staal? Smith? Klein, in whom the coach seems to have implicit trust? Skjei, the rookie who has had such a good season and is second only to McDonagh in his ability to move the puck and contribute on the offensive end?
The decision will belong to Vigneault.
“That,” the coach said, “is why they hired me.”