N.Y. Rangers: Devils Cleared to Resume Play

From the desks: THE BRICK CITY STYX & RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

BATTLE of the HUDSON

TUESDAY

DEVILS

vs.

RANGERS

FROM

Eighth Ave Ice Hut

Brick City hadn't played since Jan. 31, when they defeated the Sabres at Buffalo.  After which, their next five games were postponed.  Upwards of nineteen players were placed into COVID protocol.  Eight more players have recently been cleared to play.  If any of the remaining five players tests negative on Monday, they will be made available to play Tuesday night.  Jack Hughes is cleared to play as it presently stands, but Nico Hischier and Travis Zajac are not.  Through nine games, the Devils established a 4-3-2 record.  The rest of the league to date has generally played anywhere from 13 to 17 games.  New Jersey defeated the Rangers on Jan. 19 at Madison Square Garden.

After practice, Coach Quinn listed Artemi Panarin as out for Tuesday's game.  Sure, that puts Coach in a bind, but his decision to start Colin Blackwell on the first line with Mike Zibanejad and Chris Kreider is somewhat questionable.  We'll see in the next few games to come whether or not this decision is in reaction to recent slippage from Pavel Buchnevich.  Meanwhile, the teenagers Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere will be joined together and centered by Ryan Strome - that's intriguing.  But I still need more Brendan Lemieux on the ice.  Let him play this game with Buchnevich and perhaps Brett Howden or Kevin Rooney.  

Of course, I won't get my way.