Most NHL teams carry a spare forward for two reasons. The first is the most obvious: a spare body in case of injury. The second is to stir competition and force players to come to play game in and game out. It is John Tortorella’s style to keep a spare player around.

That spare player right now is Wolski, whether we like it or not. Wolski’s $3.8 million cap hit is not that appealing to many teams, but team control for his next contract might be –Wolski is a RFA.

For the next two weeks, Wolski will be playing with the CT Whale in what is likely an audition for a trade or a future NHL job. But with Christensen gone, the Rangers are less likely to just dump Wolski like they did with Christensen. Wolski fits the “spare forward” role well, meaning that he is not a prospect that the Rangers need to groom and he is not someone who appears to be a key cog in the immediate future of the organization.

Maybe Wolski should be calling Christensen and thanking him, because with Christensen gone, Wolski has that roster spot as the spare forward.  For now.

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, February 3, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Albany Devils, 3-2, Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford to snap an eleven-game winless streak. Kris Newbury, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Wojtek Wolski all scored for the Whale, while Mats Zuccarello and Brendan Bell added two assists apiece.

“It’s a good feeling in here right now, the guys are happy,” said Newbury. “The good news is we get to get right back at it and try to have a good weekend.”

Albany staked themselves to an early 1-0 lead, as Eric Gelinas’ shot from the right point was ripped past Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (20 saves) just 1:39 into the opening period. Stephane Veilleux and Darcy Zajac each assisted on the goal.

The Whale would strike back just over a minute later, as Newbury tied the game in his return to the lineup after missing the last two games due to injury. The puck hit off the end boards to the left of Albany goaltender Keith Kinkaid (21 saves) and out to a streaking Zuccarello, who hit Newbury with a quick one-time pass. Bell would also assist on the equalizer.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault would give the Whale a 2-1 lead that they would carry into the first intermission with a power-play goal, his 16^th tally of the season, at 18:30. Audy-Marchessault managed to sneak a bad angle shot past Kinkaid, as the Whale All-Star had gathered the puck up and fired at the Devils’ goal line to the right of the cage. Bell recorded his second assist of the game on the score, with Andre Deveaux earning the secondary assist.

The Whale would extend their lead to 3-1 with 3:47 remaining in the second period, as Wolski tallied Connecticut’s second power-play score of the night for the eventual game-winner. Wolski fed Zuccarello for a quick give-and-go passing play, depositing the return pass in the top right corner of the Devils’ net. The goal came in Wolski’s first tilt with the Whale after he joined the team from the New York Rangers on a conditioning assignment, with fellow assignee Jeff Woywitka notching the secondary assist.

Joe Whitney would close the Albany deficit to 3-2 5:21 into the third period, as he stuffed a loose puck past Johnson. Zajac and Veilleux both collected their second assists of the night on the goal, Whitney’s team-leading 12^th.

The Whale, however, would hang on in the third period to preserve their first win since Dec. 31.

“We need to build off of this win and keep it rolling in here for tomorrow,” said Newbury.

Connecticut now heads to Hershey to face the Bears Saturday night at the Giant Center (7:00 PM).

The Whale will return home on Tuesday, when they host the Syracuse Crunch in their only visit to the XL Center this season (7:00 PM).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

The Whale and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will partner to hold a CT Hockey Hall of Fame night at the Whale’s home game at the XL Center Saturday, March 10 vs. the Norfolk Admirals.  That night will mark the enshrinement of a new class of 2012 inductees into the CT Hockey Hall of Fame, which has adopted eight members from the storied Hartford Whalers Hall of Fame.  The new inductees are: Connecticut-bred Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, ex-Hartford Whalers 56-goal scorer Blaine Stoughton, former Whalers goaltender Mike Liut, former Whalers captain Pat Verbeek, Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack franchise icon, long-time captain and current head coach Ken Gernander, three-time Olympic medalist for Team USA and all-time NCAA women’s leading scorer Julie Chu, and one of the founders of the New England Whalers, William E. Barnes.  There will be an induction ceremony before the game, which faces off at 7:00 PM on March 10, and the new inductees will also be recognized on the ice during the first intermission.  Fans can take home a special souvenir of the March 10 night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts.  There will also be a special meet-and-greet event on March 10, details of which will be announced soon.  This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, and further details are available at cthockeyHOF.org.

College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

Albany Devils 2 at Connecticut Whale 3
Friday, February 3, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Albany 1 0 1 – 2
Connecticut 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Albany, Gelinas 8 (Veilleux, Zajac), 1:39. 2, Connecticut, Newbury 16 (Zuccarello, Bell), 2:57. 3, Connecticut, Audy-Marchessault 16 (Bell, Deveaux), 18:30 (PP). Penalties-Tedenby Alb (interference), 9:46; Erixon Ct (hooking), 15:03; Palmieri Alb (interference), 17:24.

2nd Period-4, Connecticut, Wolski 1 (Zuccarello, Woywitka), 16:13 (PP). Penalties-Bell Ct (holding), 1:24; Zalewski Alb (high-sticking), 14:29; Parlett Ct (cross-checking), 16:37.

3rd Period-5, Albany, Whitney 12 (Zajac, Veilleux), 5:21. Penalties-Bouchard Ct (high-sticking), 17:40.

Shots on Goal-Albany 5-6-11-22. Connecticut 9-11-4-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 4; Connecticut 2 / 3.
Goalies-Albany, Kinkaid 11-12-1 (24 shots-21 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 11-9-5 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-4,028
Referees-Ryan Hersey (46).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Jim Briggs (83).

This past summer Smyth requested that the Los Angeles Kings (a team on the rise) trade him back to Edmonton, so he could finish his career as an Oiler. It seems peculiar that a 35 year old nearing retirement, who chose to go home over competing for the Cup, would want to be traded back to a contender.

Now don’t get me wrong. The net presence of Ryan Smyth is a big part of the Oilers power play and I’m sure he could provide some secondary scoring off the forecheck. But what do you give up for a 35 year old who will likely return to Edmonton this summer? If the rumor is true, my offer would obviously be Wolski.

Of course the Oilers are rebuilding, so I imagine they would also want someone younger like a Mats Zuccarello or perhaps a prospect. Gun to my head I wouldn’t move a prospect for a rental, but I’d consider moving Zukes, as I’m sure he sees the writing on the wall.

Anyway, Brooksie is probably just trying to sell papers, but I thought I’d break this one down for ya anyway.

He can be happy with his overall play because Boyle is above all else, invaluable to the penalty kill. One of the league’s very best penalty kills let us not forget. It is one of the units that have made this team one of the leagues’ best as they head in to the stretch. Boyle was dominant on the penalty kill against the Sabres and his goal against Martin Brodeur a game earlier hinted at his (decent) offensive ability. He didn’t panic, he waited out Brodeur and calmly finished. It wasn’t a play of a guy that has such meagre goal totals this season.

Brian Boyle may not be worthy of his contract when he doesn’t provide a 15+ goal season but he’s certainly a great asset on this team. For all the rants people go on about his lack of physicality – given his size – it’s a fact that this Rangers team is much better with Boyle than they are without him. Boyle is the kind of player that succeeds in the post season. He plays through pain and never – at least voluntarily – gives up on a play.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, what Boyle has been lacking this season is what the team most sorely needs – offense. If players such as Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Brad Richards were performing better Boyle’s lack of offense may not be as widely discussed as it has been. That said, Boyle has been playing better, getting chances and consistently providing great special teams play for his side. He’s offering a lot more than some other members of the roster and on a first placed team that’s not such a bad start.

Christensen had been a spare part for the Rangers for a long time, and hadn’t played in a NHL game since December 17. The enigmatic and inconsistent center had once shown some chemsitry with Marian Gaborik, but that was short lived. His inconsistent effort quickly made him an afterthought in the Rangers organization.

Wellman is a 24 year old center who has played 41 games at the NHL level over the past three seasons, totaling four goals and nine assists for 13 points. Wellman was an undrafted free agent signed by the Wild after his senior season at UMass-Amherst, where he was a point-per-game player. Per Hockey Wilderness, it doesn’t appear that Wellman got a legitimate shot at the top six in Minnesota, and spent most of his time playing with Brad Staubitz on the third and fourth line.

Christensen was in his last year of a two year contract that paid him $925,000 per season. Wellman is in the final year of a two-way contract that pays him $850,500 at the NHL level. Wellman will be a RFA at the end of his contract.

Gaborik has a high level of hockey intelligence; he’s not’ just’ all speed and shot. A few weeks ago his cross-ice pass to set up a Rangers goal was spectacular while during the Devils game on Tuesday Gaborik had two assists, primarily because of his ability to carry the puck and create offense himself.

Gaborik has a high level of vision on the ice which aids his line mates as well as himself. As talented as they may be let’s not overlook the fact that Gaborik is having a great season playing with a rookie call-up and a second year 21 year old as his line mates. Not the same proven supporting cast the likes of Giroux or Malkin enjoy.

During his subpar second season with the Rangers it was widely assumed Gaborik needed a quality center to fulfil his talent. While he is certainly no Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin or Claude Giroux in regards to creativity, the assumption Gaborik couldn’t create offensive himself does Gaborik a disservice. A quality goal scorer with defensive-first teams in Minnesota Gaborik has produced without ever having an elite line-mate for an extended period of time.

It’s not all offense with Gaborik though. He’ll never win a Selke trophy but you had to have a defensive ability to play for Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota and while he’s had his share of mistakes in New York, particularly this season Gaborik has shown a willingness to back check and help out defensively. There are not many elite ‘finesse’ players that buy into the team concept the way the Slovak has done in New York. Just look at the list of gaffes Ilya Kovalchuk has on his resume since moving to New Jersey; a classic example of talent isn’t everything.

It was nice to see Gaborik get the All Star Game MVP this season. It was reward for a player that is more than often not given the credit he deserves. Rangers’ fans should appreciate they have a quality goal scorer and a quality player on their club with Marian Gaborik.

Woywitka and Wolski are the second and third Rangers to be assigned to CT on a conditioning stint. Erik Christensen was assigned last month and has since completed his stint.

No one does more with so little than Lundqvist. It’s this lack of support and margin for error why the Swede should be a front runner for both the Vezina and the Hart Trophy. Everyone knows the Rangers goalie has been spectacular but it’s the reliability and consistency that set him apart from his peers.

Lundqvist leads the lead in shutouts. He is fifth in wins but has played at least 6 games less than everyone ahead of him in that statistic. Of goalies who have started more only one in the league has a better GAA than Lundqvist’s 1.82 and that is Brian Elliot who has played in 14 games less. Of goalies who have played 20+ games no one has a better save percentage than Lundqvist’s .939.

All of the above are incredible numbers, especially when you consider the injuries the Rangers blue line have sustained and the difficult pre-season and start to the year the Rangers had to endure. With only one player (Malkin) on course for a 100 point season it seems reasonable to suggest a goaltender could win the Hart and that has to make Lundqvist the front runner.

Like so much else, a lot could hinge on Marc Staal finding his old form in the next few weeks. With Staal back to full match sharpness the Rangers defense promises to be stingier, not to mention if they get Sauer back this year at some stage. It all bodes well for the King.

Lundqvist has been more aggressive this season. Whether it is a greater level of confidence or a change in approach Lundqvist has challenged shooters more than he ever has and the results have been brilliant. Could it be the extra rest that has seen Lundqvist (somehow) go up a level in his play? Ironically, the season Lundqvist plays his least games in several years could be the season when he bags a host of hardware. No Ranger deserves the recognition more.

The Rangers loss to the Devils; there was still a lot to like. The way they conceded the tying goal hurts, but ask the Phoenix fans about Brad Richards’ game winner a few weeks back and it just shows that luck comes and goes.

The thing that most stood out for me in the Devils game was the amount of high quality chances the Rangers created/had. Credit Brodeur for making several top quality saves but it’s been a while since the Rangers had this many quality chances in one game. Again though it comes down to one thing: conversion.

It’s time to start worrying about Brad Richards. He had a few peaks and valleys through the season but he’s probably playing his worst hockey of the year at the moment. Some people suggest an injury but I’m not sure what to think. One thing is sure though, there’s not a single aspect of his game that’s firing right now. He needs to be better and quickly.

That stag weekend I’m attending? Anarchy is planned. Sunday night will be the peak; Cuban’s, whisky and Superbowl all in abundance. I’m the only Giants fan amongst Miami, Packers, Bears, Buccs and Chiefs fans. Luckily there is no Pats fan although I’m pretty confident my friends will be rooting for the Pats to spite me. And yes, there really is a Chiefs fan here in the UK.

Carl Hagelin has played 15 games less than Brandon Dubinsky this season and is only 3 points behind his considerably richer teammate.

You want an example of how Del Zotto is improving defensively this year? In the first period against the Sabres, his positional play on Kassian was excellent. He kept Kassian out of Lundqvist’s line of sight and allowed Lundqvist to see the shot all the way, making it an easy stop for the goalie. Subtle but solid play from Del Zotto.

How can the Rangers survive subpar seasons from the likes of Anisimov, Richards and Dubinsky? 13 different players have game winners for the Rangers this season. Clutch contributions all over the roster.

Someone had a great statistic on twitter during the All Star game: Marian Gaborik has scored on 8 of his last 17 shots on Henrik Lundqvist. Wow.

Derek Stepan is going through a period recently where he simply cannot get on the score sheet, much like Anisimov. The difference? Stepan is still making plays as evidenced by his great chance in the overtime period against the Devils. How often have you noticed Anisimov make such a notable offensive contribution (regardless of end result). You don’t. I’ve always worried about the influence Anisimov’s fragile confidence has on his game. When he’s on he looks like a potential star but when he’s off, well he’s almost a waste of a roster spot. If this poor stretch goes on much longer his Rangers career may be in threat.

Sometimes it’s the little things that tell you about a player. During the Devils game Ryan McDonagh got to the puck before a Devil to get the icing call. His body positioning was exceptional and there was no way the Devil was getting to the puck first despite coming in quick. McDonagh rarely makes mistakes, is a very heady player and simply put, is a revelation, although you already knew that.

It’s amazing the Rangers haven’t missed Mike Sauer more. Huge credit has to go to the team’s overall commitment to defense– the team wide mindset, as well as the blueline corps. One of the THN writers questioned this week whether this ‘inexperienced blueline’ can keep it going. I have no concerns especially when you factor in Marc Staal getting back to his best.

Mats Zuccarello had a 3 point game in the AHL All Star game. Just saying…..

• Rangers & Sabres are pretty evenly matched. They play the 2-1-2, they dont regroup much, defenders are given free reign to join the rush, they both collapse to the net, etc. First period was pretty evenly matched as a result.
• The only tilting happened when the Rangers took two lazy penalties and had to kill off a 5 on 3. The Rangers were able to do just that by coming up with key blocks, aggressive puck pursuing, and clearing the crease. Hank saw every shot pretty cleanly from the looks of things.
• Our defense’s recovery speed never cease’s to amaze me. They keep up with some of these small elusive forwards so well. A lot of their rushes are negated by just keeping up with these guys and forcing them wide.
• Both teams were pretty strong in their own end and we’re able to keep shots to the perimeter.
• Richards skated circles around the Sabres to open the second. He probably had the puck for a solid 20 seconds, disrupted coverages, fed an open Cally for a terrific chance, but Miller made a spectacular save. We need to see more of that.
• Anisimov had a three good opportunities on the next shift. Need to see more of that too.
• Random commercial break thought…The promos for the NHL w/ Hank & Richie in their hotel room watching highlights is interesting. I can never find the NHL on in any hotel.

Midway through the second, this is where I would have had my review, but work things got in the way. I apologize for that, but at least the Rangers got the win.

Update***

Suit actually caught most of the third period on from the rink (those late night games are a killer), here’s some additional thoughts:

• The Rangers were afforded a power play several minutes into the third period and after the Sabres killed it off pretty easily, the Rangers play went south.
• For a solid ten minutes or so the Sabres just dominated the Rangers in pretty much every aspect of the game.
• We couldn’t win a d-zone faceoff, our defensemen couldn’t make an outlet pass, just rimming everything around the boards, and our forwards lost pretty much every battle at the half wall to pinching Buffalo d-men. It was ugly.
• Thankfully Hank stood on his head and was able to fight off some pretty tough shots.
• During OT the Rangers were finally got some space thanks to a power play that was afforded due to a boarding call from Tyler Ennis on Dan Girardi.
• The Rangers 4-on-3 power play looked much better than their 5-on-4. They cycled well, they made the right reads, got shots on net from the point, etc. Unfortunately Miller was there to make the saves.
• During the coin toss that is the shootout, the Rangers won on an excellent top corner snipe from Ryan Callahan.