On a side note, in my reading, I found this on a blog and figure that it saves me the effort of typing it out myself. I am trying to see the pattern of who plays when and why, with the carousel-musical chairs-roulette 3rd line I spoke about last week, but I really can't. I can say though that with the way guys like Petr Prucha, Dan Fritsche, and Patrick Rissmiller are shuffled in and out and find themselves playing one game and then not another for three or four at a time, can anyone really blame them for being a step behind when they finally do see game action?
I don't think Rissmiller had a good game last night, as people keep saying, but come on. The guy played 6:53 of ice time in one game on 10/11 before having his ankle injured. In his first game back, five later, he is saddled with Chris Drury and Markus Naslund, the inconsistency twins. I'm not saying he's my favorite on the roulette wheel at all, but poor Rissmiller had no shot in hell of impressing last night. Sorry. And I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I actually almost feel as bad for him as I do for Prucha in this (almost. . .). He signs a contract but he really never had a shot here at all. Players better than him who have been here longer never had a shot either. But it was wrong to give this guy a contract here when he could have signed elsewhere and could actually be playing right now.
But if you look at the below, it shows that Fritsche got to play a game - a good game in my opinion against Toronto on 10/17, only to be benched the next game. Prucha played his best game, in my opinion, against the Sabres on 10/15 and he was benched the next 3 games. Way to build on their efforts, right? What can they possibly do to build any sort of momentum - from the locker room? And what about the mental games it plays with their head. They have to know they gave their all and that, for the most part, it was better than their teammates.
Dawes, on the other hand (and no, no, I'm off my Dawes rant for now), he got to play against Toronto on 10/17, and he had a so-so game. (Because, face it, he looked dreadful in his first three.) But for what reason did he get to play the following night in Detroit? Because he potted a non-decisive goal in the shootout? Okay. Fine. But that gave him a chance to get his legs, get momentum, and feel a part of the team. He's, consequently, looked better and better. Not great, but better.
So Fritsche, Prucha, and Rissmiller are not going to be given the same chance? Obviously not. I mean, really, the fairest thing to do is to, as promised, give guys like Prucha a five or so game stretch to play and get their heads and legs into the game.
But who do you bench? Well, if I were the coach I'd bench the worst player on the ice for the last nine games. Oh...what, I'm sorry. The Rangers made him captain and paid him $7 million a year. So he has to play every night even though right now he's doing nothing but wasting a roster spot for someone who did look ready to play to start the season.
Hmm. Okay. Can't argue there.
Dan and Patrick - welcome to New York.
Petr - I'm praying for you buddy. I hear California is beautiful all year round.
All - I feel sorry for whichever of you becomes the utility guy here. It's going to be a long year. 9 down and 73 to go.
Prucha:
10/4 – 1 shot, 15 shifts, 10:14 ice time
10/5 – 1 shot, 13 shifts, 9:57 ice time
DNP
DNP
DNP
10/15 – 3 shots, 15 shifts, 11:59 ice time
DNP
DNP
DNP
Dawes:
10/4/08 – 0 shots, 19 shifts, 14:00 ice time
10/5/08 – 3 shots, 17 shifts, 16:09 ice time
10/10 – (-1), 17 shifts, 14:01 ice time
DNP
DNP
DNP
10/17 – 2 shots, 12 shifts, 10:34 ice time (SHO goal)
10/18 – 1 goal, 3 shots, 22 shifts, 14:36 ice time
10/20 - 4 shots, 14:00 ice time
Fritsche:
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
10/13 – 0 shots, 15 shifts, 9:38 ice time
DNP
10/17 – 4 shots, 11 shifts, 9:26 ice time
DNP
DNP
Korpikoski:
10/4/08 – 0 shots, 19 shifts, 11:03 ice time
10/5/08 – 0 shots, 14 shifts, 10:37 ice time
10/10/08 – 0 shots, 18 shifts, 12:43 ice time
10/11/08 – (-1), 1 shot, 13 shifts, 8:18 ice time
10/13/08 – 0 shots, 18 shifts, 13:01 ice time
10/15/08 – 0 shots, 14 shifts 10:54 ice
DNP
10/18/08 – (-2), 0 shots, 17 shifts, 12:08 ice time
DNP
Rissmiller:
DNP
DNP
DNP
10/11 – (-1), 2 shots, 14 shifts, 6:53 ice time
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
10/20 - (-1), 0 shots, 11:32 ice time
Callahan:
10/4/08 – 3 shots, 20 shifts, 11:58 ice time
10/5/08 – 2 shots, 18 shifts, 14:19 ice time
10/10/08 – 3 shots, 19 shifts, 12:03 ice time
10/11/08 – (-1), 0 shots, 18 shifts, 12:12 ice time
10/13/08 – 1 goal, 4 shots, 21 shifts, 15:47 ice time
10/15/08 – 1 assist, 1 shot, 18 shifts, 13:04 ice time
10/17/08 – no shots, 16 shifts 12:52 ice time
10/18/08 – 1 goal, 2 shots, 24 shifts, 15:41 ice time
10/20/08 - 4 shots, 16:58
***Updated 10/21/08- 1:40pm east***
Well the carousel-roulette-musical chairs charade has lost it's first member:
Patrick Rissmiller has been placed on waivers, TSN reports, as of 12:30 east today:
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=253310&lid=sublink02&lpos=headlines_main
I can't say anything more than I just said above. He really never had a chance.
And for the record: I predicted on Sept 11th ("With apologies in advance. . .") that out of Aaron Voros, Patrick Rissmiller, and Andreas Jamtin, only one would play on the Rangers this year.
So far, with only Aaron Voros in the lineup consistently, I guess I was right.
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