A Few Friday Evening Ranger Tidbits (Updated)

****Updated - 8:08****

Darius Kasparaitis has signed on to play over in the Russian Elite League with the SKA St. Petersburg. It is a welcomed move by the Rangers as now they have a free spot to give to a youngster down in Hartford. There was virtually no chance that we were going to see Kaspar with the Rangers again, and he has stated that he is happy with the move and feels "appreciated" where he is going. Best of luck to Kaspar, who was among my favorite pre-lockout Rangers.


Finally got enough free time to get to the computer. Some observations from last night's game to start:

- The offense wasn't bad, but there are still some improvements to be made. The Rangers had a 4 on 2 at one point and made one too many passes. In that instance, one pass, shoot low, bang in the rebound. Same goes with the power play. Shoot the puck whenever the opportunity is there. Moving around the defense is great, but simple is sometimes better.

- Nigel Dawes played well, and will continue to cash in if he is given playing time. Really needs no further explanation.

- The defense was solid again. They were positioned well, took away passing lanes, blocked shots and cleared the crease. It was a solid effort all around.

- Hollweg didn't look too out of place on the third line. It was obvious that he does not have the skill set required of a top 3 liner, but as a temporary fix, I don't mind it. Same with Strudwick. He's not an offensive player, but he played hard and was a grinder for the 8 minutes he played, which is all you really need from the 4th line.

- Lundqvist might never allow another goal. Ever.

Some other quick things:

- The Rangers might be going with the same tomorrow night against Toronto. No call ups are imminent.

- Sean Avery wants to play Monday. It might not happen but he wants it to. Straka and Callahan were being re-evaluated today, Straka to see if he needs surgery and Callahan to see exactly how long he's out. More when I find out about it.

- When all of these players come back from injury, the Rangers should ask for a 5th line. If they don't get it, they will face some really hard roster decisions.

Enjoy the Friday night. I'll be here for tomorrow's game.