Asham is finally back on the ice today. All active Rangers skating. I'm not sure who you scratch to get Asham back in the lineup if he's good to go. Our bottom six has actually been putting in really good shifts lately with Haley in there and Boyle playing a little better. They just don't score, and Asham isn't going to do much to change that (I'm pretty sure he just has one point on the season).
Nash-Richards-Gaborik skating as a line this morning. Looks like Lundqvist is in goal tonight.
If we're going to make the playoffs, this week is where it's going to have to happen. Pretty much make or break this week, now that we've lost 3 straight and are 1-4-0 in our last 5. We've got 3 out of 4 at home starting tonight, and two of those games are very winnable games against the Panthers and Caps, and the other two games are against playoff position teams missing their number 1 goalies. It's just that those two are a tough back-to-back starting tonight. If we can take at least 6 of the available 8 points this week, we're right back in playoff position again and in good shape to make a push towards the end of the season. If we don't get it done this week, though, I think we're done. 11 of our final 17 are on the road, and this team isn't going to be able to claw back from 9th/10th/11th on the road if it can't even get the job done at home.
More trade buzz this morning. Larry Brooks is saying the Rangers are actively shopping Gaborik around now, and I've seen a bunch of places talking about interest in Martin St. Louis over the last couple of days.
I don't think either is likely to happen. Also been seeing talk that the Rangers are interested in Columbus C Derick Brassard. Meh.