For the first time in almost a week, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault is going to be able to use his coveted four-line rotation.
At least that’s the plan now that the team has Boo Nieves up from AHL Hartford to center a speedy fourth line between Michael Grabner and Pavel Buchnevich for Thursday night’s Garden match against the winless Coyotes.
“I want to get back to that four-line rotation,” Vigneault said after two straight games in which he dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. “I feel like we get a better pace, a better tempo. Hopefully [Nieves will] be able to help us do that.”
Nieves made his NHL debut with the Rangers last season, playing just one game. But he had a solid training camp and was one of the last players cut. According to Vigneault, he began the season well at Hartford and the Rangers are desperately in need of help down the middle.
“That natural centerman that can skate fits into the team we’re trying to build,” Vigneault said.
Nieves, a 23-year-old native of Syracuse and a product of the University of Michigan, was drafted by the Rangers in the second round (No. 59 overall) of the 2012 draft. A left-handed shot, he had two goals and one assist for the Wolf Pack in seven games.
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“I feel like my speed is definitely something that always catches [the coach’s] eye,” Nieves said. “I’m a pretty big guy, and I feel like guys like me that can move like that are pretty unique. So I just have to play with speed and everything else will come.”
Forward Adam Cracknell cleared waivers and was assigned to Hartford. The Rangers had claimed Cracknell off waivers from the Stars on Oct. 9 and he played four games with the Blueshirts.
After speaking with general manager Jeff Gorton, the explanation from Vigneault about sending defenseman Tony DeAngelo to Hartford on Tuesday was pretty simple.
“We both felt a young player has to play,” Vigneault said. “We see a tremendous amount of upside there and we see that offensive right-handed defenseman. But a young player needs to play, needs to develop, and wasn’t getting enough ice time here. So we’re going to send him there, and when we feel he’s ready to help us, we’ll do what we have to do at that time.”
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After missing Tuesday’s practice to rest his left leg, which he twisted in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Sharks, goalie Henrik Lundqvist returned to practice Wednesday just as expected.
“Pretty confident I’d feel better,” Lundqvist said.
Lundqvist is set Thursday to back up Ondrej Pavelec, who was focused on himself going into his second start of the season.
“I don’t look around at what’s going on right now, where we are in the standings or something like that,” Pavelec said. “It’s a game and I want to win, and that’s pretty much it.”
Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider both returned to practice. Kreider was on a new line with David Desharnais and Mats Zuccarello, while Mika Zibanejad centered J.T. Miller and Rick Nash.