1) Chicago Blackhawks (27-5-3, previous No. 2) – The Blackhawks regain the top spot since they’ve won two games in a row and most importantly, they have less injuries to key players than the Penguins. Patrick Sharp could return this week, which will only help Chicago’s NHL-best goal-differential of plus-43.

2) Pittsburgh Penguins (28-9-0, previous No. 2) – Pittsburgh’s 15-game winning streak ended on Tuesday against Buffalo but more importantly, Sidney Crosby (who would be the NHL MVP right now) is out indefinitely after breaking his jaw on Saturday. We’ll have to see how the Penguins play with newcomer Jarome Iginla in the lineup, but no Crosby.

3) Montreal Canadiens (23-7-5, previous No. 4) – The Habs didn’t make any real moves at the trade deadline which signifies confidence in their current group. They’ve won their last three games and they are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Montreal is 2-1 against Boston this season and they have a chance to wrap up the season series on Saturday at the Bell Centre vs. the Bruins.

4) Anaheim Ducks (24-7-5, previous No. 3) – The Ducks haven’t been themselves lately (4-4-2 in their last 10 games), or perhaps they are finally regressing to the mean after an incredible start. The Ducks begin a five-game homestand tonight (tied for their longest of the season) which is bizarre since they played Dallas on Monday then they play them Wednesday and Friday (three games in a row).

5) Boston Bruins (23-8-4, previous No. 5) – Other than Iginla and Marion Gaborik, the B’s made probably the biggest acquisition of the trade deadline by getting Jaromir Jagr. After playing listlessly for a few weeks, they’ve won their last two games thanks to backup goaltender Anton Khudobin, who earned back-to-back starts (allowing two combined goals). Their concern is Patrice Bergeron’s health after the do-everything center left Tuesday’s game with a possible concussion.

6) Minnesota Wild (21-12-2, previous No. 6) – The Wild are in a dogfight for home ice with Vancouver but they made a nice move by trading for Buffalo captain Jason Pominville (10 goals, 15 assists) before the deadline. He should help create more balance between their lines that are very top heavy.

7) Vancouver Canucks (19-11-6, previous No. 7) – The Canucks were another winner from the trade deadline since they got Derek Roy (18 assists) from the Stars for a prospect and second-round draft pick. Vancouver tried to flip Roberto Luongo to Toronto but his albatross of a contract held them back from getting it done.

8) Los Angeles Kings (20-13-3, previous No. 10) – The Kings obtained defenseman Robin Regehr from the Sabres but other than that, the defending Stanley Cup champs are healthy and still loaded with talent. Thanks to Jeff Carter (20 goals, 4th in NHL), the Kings have scored more goals (104) than expected.

9) Toronto Maple Leafs (20-12-4, previous No. 12) – Toronto has won its last three games but it is weird that they didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline since their situation in goal is still muddled at best. It looks like they’ll make the playoffs which is a big deal for them, but advancing is another story.

10) San Jose Sharks (18-11-6, previously No. 14) – The Sharks are the hottest team in the NHL with five straight wins. It has taken them this long, but they have finally started to live up to their abilities – although it is interesting that they traded one of their emotional leaders, Ryane Clowe, to the Rangers for draft picks.

11) Ottawa Senators (18-11-6, previous No. 8) – If the Senators make the playoffs, they have to hope they don’t play the Bruins. Boston has won all four games against Ottawa this season (they meet once more) and making that more painful, they have all been by one goal. Craig Anderson is close to returning which is why they flipped backup goaltender Ben Bishop to Buffalo for rookie winger Cory Conacher.

12) Detroit Red Wings (18-13-5, previous No. 9) – The Red Wings didn’t make a single trade around the deadline which is interesting since this underachieving team hasn’t played nearly well enough to earn that respect. They are the only team currently in the top eight in the West without a positive goal-differential (zero).

13) New York Islanders (18-13-6, previous No. 19) – Nobody could have imagined this, and we’re still four weeks away from the playoffs, but at this moment the Islanders are the best team in the New York area (Islanders, Rangers, Devils and Sabres). Their next three games are against teams outside the top eight in the East: Washington, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia so they need to rack up the points there.

14) St. Louis Blues (18-14-2, previous No. 13) – Now that the Sharks have gained their skating legs, the Blues have to be called the most underachieving team in the West. Still, they are hanging on to the eighth spot so they haven’t been a complete train wreck. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who they obtained from Calgary, should help them right away.

15) Edmonton Oilers (15-13-7, previously not ranked) – People have been waiting for years and it looks like the Oilers have finally put together enough good players to get to the playoffs. They have their work cut out for them since the West is better than the East but they’ve won their last four games and are playing well when it counts.

16) New Jersey Devils (15-12-9, previous No. 16) – The Islanders, Devils and Rangers are likely battling for the last two spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Of those, I like the New York teams better since New Jersey is treading water (3-3-4 in last 10 games) and their goal-differential is minus-11.

17) Nashville Predators (15-14-8, previously No. 17) – Pekka Rinne isn’t himself, although it’s not all his fault since the Predators are one of the lowest scoring teams in the West with 92 goals. Getting a goal-scorer seemed obvious at the deadline but apparently the front office felt otherwise.

18) Columbus Blue Jackets (15-14-7, previous No. 20) – The race for the eighth seed in the West is going to be one of the NHL’s best heading into the postseason and the Blue Jackets honestly have a decent chance to make it. The lowest scoring team (87 goals) in the West should receive a huge boost from Marion Gaborik (9 goals, 10 assists) who was having a poor season with the Rangers but he scored 41 goals last season and 40-plus two other times in the NHL.

19) New York Rangers (17-15-3, previous No. 15) – I have no idea why the Rangers traded their best goal-scorer when they have scored the fewest goals in the NHL (82) … and if they miss the playoffs, that will be the main reason why. Forwards Derick Brassard (7 goals) and Derek Dorsett (3 goals) along with defenseman John Moore (zero goals) better fit their trapping defensive style, but none of them can put the puck in the net.

20) Winnipeg Jets (18-18-2, previous No. 2) – The Jets are free-falling and they are only two points ahead of the Capitals for first place in the Southeast Division after losing four straight games. They are 3-7-0 with a goal-differential of minus-22 … not the resume of a playoff team in anybody’s eyes.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

The post NHL Power Rankings: Crazy trade deadline shuffles the lineup appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 27

1) Pittsburgh Penguins (26-8-0, previous No. 3) – It’s hard to have a much better week than the Penguins. They are riding a 13-game win streak and they’ve acquired Brendan Morrow, Jarome Iginla and Douglas Murray. The only things to worry about for them is the health of Marc-Andre Fleury (who left Tuesday’s game) and Kris Letang who went back on IR after returning for a game.

2) Chicago Blackhawks (25-4-3, previous No. 1) – No longer on their epic win streak, the focus and pressure has been taken off the Blackhawks. Chicago has an NHL-best goal-differential of plus-37 while they have the best home record (12-2-1) and road record (13-2-2).

3) Anaheim Ducks (22-7-4, previous No. 2) – There is bad news in Disneyland as the Ducks have lost four games in a row, twice to Detroit and twice to San Jose. The surprising part is that the first three were at the Honda Center where the Ducks were 13-1-0. Anaheim scored one goal in each game against the Red Wings and were blanked by the Sharks on Wednesday, shocking for a team that has scored the second most goals in the Western Conference (104).

4) Montreal Canadiens (21-7-5, previous No. 4) – The Canadiens proved their resiliency by rallying twice in the third period  in Boston on Wednesday. This was after pulled Carey Price after the second period plus lost 1-0 in Pittsburgh the night before. Montreal and Boston will have a great battle for first place in the Northeast Division.

5) Boston Bruins (21-7-4, previous No. 5) – The B’s are understandably reeling after a brutal loss to the Canadiens on Wednesday followed by them losing out on the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes when it looked to be a done deal that he’d joined the spoked ‘B.’ Boston gets two days without a game for the first time in over a month which should do wonders for the banged up team that’s currently missing three regulars (Chris Kelly, Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk).

6) Minnesota Wild (20-10-2, previous No. 7) – The Penguins understandably are getting most of the publicity but the Wild are the hottest team in the Western Conference, having won their last seven games in a row. Minnesota is 9-1-0 in their last 10 games and 12-3-1 at the Xcel Energy Center. The crazy part is that a team that is so reliant on its top lines has scored 90 goals.

7) Vancouver Canucks (18-9-6, previous No. 12) – Similar to the Wild, the Canucks have really found their game in the last few weeks. They’ve won five straight games to tie Minnesota atop the Northwest Division. Vancouver is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and 9-4-3 on the road which are both good trends

8) Ottawa Senators (18-9-6, previous No. 8) – Head coach Paul MacLean and his comical moustache is close to wrapping up the NHL coach of the year award with this remarkable run his team has turned in. They might not do anything in the playoffs but with 15 games left in the regular season, they look like a lock to make it (barring a major collapse) which for them is still very impressive.

9) Detroit Red Wings (17-11-5, previous No. 11) – The Red Wings began their four-game road trip with two excellent wins in Anaheim then they won in Phoenix last night. If they can grab two points in San Jose tonight, you’ll know that the Red Wings are truly back after a uncharacteristically slow start to the season. The ironic part was that Detroit was under .500 (5-6-2) on the road before the trip.

10) Los Angeles Kings (18-12-2, previously No. 6) – It was a strange week for the Kings who lost two in a row at home, where they are great (12-4-1) but then won 5-4 at Chicago on Monday. They are 6-8-1 on the road this season but that victory against the NHL’s best team could go a long way to giving them confidence during the stretch run.

11) Winnipeg Jets (18-14-2, previous No. 13) – Up six points now on Carolina and seven ahead of Washington, the surprising Jets are in good shape for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and 10-6-2 on the road this season which are good signs, unlike their goal-differential of -11 which is the worst mark of any team in the top eight of either conference.

12) Toronto Maple Leafs (18-12-4, previous No. 15) – The Leafs are treading water (3-3-4 in their last 10 games) but they are still in good shape to make the playoffs for the first time in nine years which in Canada is magnified tenfold. Toronto has identical 9-6-2 records at Air Canada Centre and on the road but they are 0-4 in shootouts. Good news for them is that if they make the postseason, they won’t face a shootout.

13) St. Louis Blues (17-13-2, previous No. 9) – The Blues have lost their last two games to drop into seventh place in the Western Conference. Anything can happen in the NHL playoffs as we see every spring but St. Louis really doesn’t want to face Chicago or Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs. Their next three games are really tough: vs. Kings, at Wild and at Blackhawks.

14) San Jose Sharks (14-12-2, previous No. 17) – The Sharks are hanging on for dear life to the eighth seed in the Western Conference but they are coming off their best two wins of the season: sweeping a home-and-home series with Anaheim. It’ll be interesting to see what they do at the trade deadline (April 3), they’ve already shipped defenseman Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh.

15) New York Rangers (16-13-3, previous No. 14) – If they make the playoffs, the Rangers are still a team that nobody in the Eastern Conference wants to face since their games always tend to be such physical grinds. New York’s margin for error is so small since they’ve scored a conference-low 78 goals. Up next, they play the three Eastern Conference Canadian teams (Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg) who would all be in the postseason if it started today.

16) New Jersey Devils (15-11-7, previous No. 16) – Ilya Kovalchuk is out with a shoulder injury for 2-4 weeks which means the Devils could drop out of the playoff picture if they’re not careful. This team hasn’t had any luck this season since Kovalchuk’s injury followed quickly in the footsteps of Martin Brodeur’s injury. Getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year seems highly unlikely.

17) Nashville Predators (14-13-6, previously No. 13) – The Predators haven’t been themselves for most of the season but they are turning it on (3 consecutive wins) when it matters most. Nashville needs to a find a way to win more on the road (5-11-2) since they are fine at home (9-2-4), otherwise they could miss the playoffs.

18) New York Islanders (15-15-3, previous No. 19) – One of the sneaky storylines in the NHL is that the Islanders have a decent chance to make the playoffs which would be a huge accomplishment for them. They’ve won their last two games and they are excellent on the road (9-4-1). Now they have to win at dumpy Nassau Coliseum (6-11-2).

19) Dallas Stars (15-14-3, previously not ranked) – You can certainly question Dallas’ desire to make the playoffs this season as they traded winger Brendan Morrow to Pittsburgh but they are only three points out of the eighth seed so like it or not, they will be a factor in who makes it. PS why is that franchise still there?

20) Columbus Blue Jackets (13-13-7, previous No. 20) – The Blue Jackets lost a heartbreaker, 1-0 in a shootout at Vancouver, on Tuesday but one of the worst road teams in the NHL (3-9-2) has a good chance to bounce back. They are in Edmonton on Thursday and Calgary on Friday, two of the worst teams in the Western Conference that aren’t going anywhere this season. If Columbus is serious about make the playoffs, they need more points on this trip.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter @RichSlate

The post NHL Power Rankings: Penguins grab No. 1 slot from Blackhawks appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 18:

1. Chicago Blackhawks (24-2-3, previous No. 1) – There was actually the thought of dropping the Blackhawks to No. 2 for the first time this season but they are still five points ahead of the Ducks. The Blackhawks travel to Anaheim Wednesday for their second meeting of the season. The Ducks won, 3-2, in a shootout in Chicago on Feb. 12.

2. Anaheim Ducks (21-3-4, previous No. 2) – Anaheim hasn’t lost in regulation in its last 11 games (8-0-3) and the Ducks have won their last 12 games at the Honda Center. There is no question that they are the hottest team in the Western Conference. Wednesday’s game is a possible Western Conference Finals preview, so be sure to check it out on the NHL Network.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-8-0, previous No. 5) – Having won nine games in a row, the Penguins are the hottest team in the NHL. They beat the Bruins twice last week (highly impressive) and have scored an NHL-high 108 goals. A wrist injury to their best defenseman, Kris Letang, could be a serious issue.

4. Montreal Canadiens (19-5-4, previous No. 4) – It’s time to stop pretending that Montreal’s great start this season was a fluke. The Habs are legitimately one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and NHL. They’ve won five consecutive games and they are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Most impressive, they have been great on the road (10-2-2) as well as at the Bell Centre (9-3-2).

5. Boston Bruins (19-5-3, previous No. 3) – The Bruins came up short in both showdowns in Pittsburgh last week but they seem to be getting better at putting away inferior opponents. They dodged a major bullet as top line center David Krejci’s knee injury doesn’t appear all that serious. Still, injuries are an issue with third line center Chris Kelly out.

6. Los Angeles Kings (16-10-2, previous No. 6) – Their slow start has been pretty much forgotten as the Kings have owned games at the Staples Center (11-2-1). Similar to their playoff run last season, they are getting goals from many different lines and players along with solid goaltending (even though Jonathan Quick isn’t fully up to speed just yet).

7. Minnesota Wild (16-10-2, previous No. 8) – Minnesota has leaped over Vancouver for the lead in the Northwest Division. The Wild have won three games in a row and they are 7-3-0 in their last 10. It’s hard to see them getting higher than this but they have to be satisfied with where they sit at the moment.

8. Ottawa Senators (15-8-6, previous No. 10) – The Senators are still hanging around despite all their major injuries. Having the best record at home (10-1-3) in the Eastern Conference has helped them stay afloat through the tough times. They are 4-2-4 in their last 10 games, showing how either way it usually comes down to the wire for them.

9. St. Louis Blues (16-10-2, previous No. 15) – Called up from the minors, goaltender Jake Allen (8-1-0, 2.18 GAA, .920 save percentage) has been a revelation while Chris Stewart (14 goals, 14 assists) was the NHL’s No. 1 star last week after five goals (two game-winners) and two assists. The Blues aren’t going to catch the Blackhawks but they have a good chance to finish second in the Central Division.

10. Carolina Hurricanes (15-11-2, previous No. 7) – It looks like the Hurricanes are in for a competitive race with the Jets in the Southeast Division but Carolina has been doing enough lately (6-3-1 in their last 10 games) to be ranked ahead of Winnipeg. Carolina only has two games left this week, both at home, against the Panthers and Devils so they should continue to earn points.

11. Detroit Red Wings (14-10-5, previous No. 11) – Coming off possibly its best win of the season, a 5-2 victory at Vancouver on Saturday, Detroit has the toughest week of anyone in the NHL. They host Minnesota Wednesday, then go to Anaheim for two games (Friday and Sunday). Needless to say, they have to get a positive result against the Wild because the Ducks are nearly impossible to beat at home.

12. Vancouver Canucks (13-9-6, previous No. 14) – Don’t let this ranking fool you, the Canucks are struggling. They’ve lost their last two games and they are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. Most troubling, it’s hard to figure out how a roster loaded with talent has a goal-differential of minus-2. If only the Sedin twins had any sort of leadership skills, then maybe Vancouver wouldn’t be in this situation.

13. Winnipeg Jets (15-12-2, previous No. 20) – The Jets have been one of the hotter teams in the Eastern Conference (6-3-1 in their last 10 games). They are a .500 team at home (6-6-0) but they have a chance to improve on that mark this week with four straight games at home. That includes back-to-back nights against the Capitals on Thursday and Friday.

14. New York Rangers (14-12-2, previous No. 12) – You still can’t trust the Rangers. They look great one night, then hopeless the next. They are 10-5-1 at Madison Square Garden and if they can win on the road (4-7-1), they will really be onto something. The Rangers need to find a way to score more goals since they have an Eastern Conference low, 67.

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (15-12-2, previous No. 9) – The Leafs have been treading water lately (4-4-2) which is still good enough to put them in front of some of the train wrecks in the Eastern Conference (looking at you Florida and Buffalo). A home-and-home with the Bruins on Saturday and Monday, a team that has absolutely owned them, will tell us whether to take Toronto seriously moving forward this season.

16. New Jersey Devils (13-10-6, previous No. 16) – Martin Brodeur has returned to practice, but not games for the Devils … about the best thing I can say about them. They are falling apart, hanging on to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a terrible goal-differential of minus-9. It would be nice if Ilya Kovalchuk (10 goals, 15 assists) could carry them a bit more through the tough times but this is who he has become.

17. San Jose Sharks (12-10-6, previous No. 13) – You could argue that the Sharks have been the biggest underachievers in the NHL (Flyers fans rejoice!) and I wouldn’t disagree. Perhaps it’s time to break up this current cast that has been together for too long without ever really doing anything notable when it matters. It’s shocking that they have only scored 67 goals this season with all those great forwards.

18. Phoenix Coyotes (13-12-4, previous No. 17) – Being one of the worst road teams in the Western Conference (3-7-3) is holding the Coyotes back from being a better team. They have the pieces to be a playoff team but if they started today, they’d be on the outside (ninth place). Something is up with Mike Smith (11-9-3, 2.86 GAA, .900 save percentage) and they won’t go anywhere with their franchise goaltender playing like that.

19. New York Islanders (13-12-3, previous not ranked) – One of the biggest jokes in the NHL the last decade, the Isles are finally starting to turn it around thanks to John Tavares (17 goals, 14 assists) and a great record on the road (8-4-1). They have been playing well (5-3-2), winners of two in a row, but it’s hard to see that continuing when they’ve allowed so many goals (91).

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-12-6, previous not ranked) – This is not a misprint, the Blue Jackets haven’t lost in regulation (6-0-4) in their last 10 games. They have gone to overtime in nine of their last 10 games, which is insane. Not surprisingly, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (9-6-5, 2.00 GAA, .932 save percentage) was the NHL’s third star last week since he’s been on fire.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

The post NHL Power Rankings: Ducks and Penguins are red hot appeared first on Metro.us.

Rick Nash may be even more important than we thought.

Without their superstar left wing for the first time this season due to an undisclosed injury, the Rangers were listless throughout a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens Tuesday night at the Garden.

“I thought it was probably one of the worst hockey games I’ve ever been involved in. Both teams. But they were better than we were,” head coach John Tortorella said. “It was two bad teams playing and we were worse than they were.

“Pretty much sums it up, huh?”

The Rangers announced prior to Tortorella’s pregame press conference that Nash would miss the game. Tortorella did not offer an update on the wing’s condition, other to say it offered other players an “opportunity” to play.

The Rangers were unable to generate their forecheck and finished with just 25 shots.

“We had to try to create energy and manufacture it, but the way they were clogging up the neutral zone sometimes it was tough,” Brad Richards said. “You don’t get a lot of pace. They take the pace out of the game. We talked about it. Obviously they capitalized.”

Much of the game was played on the perimeter as both teams clogged the middle of the ice. Montreal finished with 18 shots. Alex Galchenyuk’s goalmouth poke 1:48 into the third was the game-winner. Max Pacioretty and Rafael Diaz also scored for Montreal. Carey Price made 24 saves.

“They were pretty good,” Brian Boyle said. “[They] played pretty conservative so it’s just that we didn’t want to let them lull us to sleep. If it’s not going the way you draw it up, it’s tough. You don’t want to get frustrated. You’ve got to bring it to another level. We just weren’t where we needed to be, I guess.”

Anton Stralman opened the scoring 12:29 into the second period by popping a rebound over Price’s pad.

However the lead lasted for all of 6:16. Pacioretty tied the game at 18:45 with a slap shot that eluded a screened Henrik Lundqvist (17 saves).

The goaltender’s defense failed him on Galchenyuk’s game-winner. Brandon Prust carried the puck below the hashmark and threw a diagonal, cross-ice feed to Galchenyuk as Lars Eller stood at the side of the net without a Blueshirt in sight.

“It was a good play by Prustie,” Galchenyuk, the third-overall pick in last June’s entry draft said. “It happened quick. I just tried to put a puck in the net.”

In the first game against his former team, Prust finished with an assist and plus-3 rating in 16:26 of ice time.

“[Prust] is a gamer. We like him a lot and it was a special game for him,” Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien said. “I thought he was a real warrior out there.”

Lundqvist experienced a scare midway through the second period when he was struck high with a P.K. Subban slapshot. The goaltender shook his arm in an attempt to get getting back into it. He stayed in the game.

“It hit me on the shoulder,” Lundqvist said. “It usually takes a couple minutes for it to go back to normal. It’s fine.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

The post Rangers listless without Nash in loss to Montreal appeared first on Metro.us.

The impish grin was the same. The colors were the same. It was the logo on the T-shirt Brandon Prust wore yesterday afternoon that was different.

“I don’t know if I have too many bad memories of being here,” Prust told reporters outside of the visiting dressing room prior to the Canadiens-Rangers game at the Garden last night. The resumption of the Original Six rivalry marked Prust’s return to New York after spending two-and-a-half seasons with the Rangers.
“[I] made a lot of friends, love the city, great organization. It’s kind of a kick start to my hockey career. All good memories.”

Prust signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Canadiens as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Montreal brain trust determined one of the primary issues with the Canadiens in 2011-12 was a decided lack of toughness.

The early returns have been good. The Canadiens entered last night’s game with a Northeast Division leading 10-4-1 record.

“It’s been a good start to the season. Enjoying my time, we have a great team, organization. It’s been a lot easier, we’re winning,” Prust said of the Canadiens’ courtship. They made some good changes in the offseason [and] you like to think you’re a piece of that puzzle, [that] you brought some good things to that dressing room and out on the ice. That’s what I try to do on the ice. It’s been a whole bunch of the things that have come together to bring us success.”

Players like Prust are valued by their teammates and coaches for the role they perform. However, they are often overlooked in free agency for their more skilled brethren. Prust hinted that the term and length of his deal was important.

“Sometimes, players like me are maybe overlooked. It was something I wanted to prove,” Prust said.

He also wanted to prove that he can do more than trade punches.

Prust has played in every game for the Canadiens this season. Skating on a line with third-overall pick Alex Galchenyuk and veteran Erik Cole, Prust has four points (two goals and two assists) and a plus-4 rating while averaging 12:28 of ice time.

“[I] wanted an opportunity to play a lot more,” said Prust, who averaged 11:56 last season with New York. “I wanted to maybe get that opportunity to play a lot of minutes and be a guy they look for a spark. It’s good to go out and you’re not always thinking about fighting. Sometimes I find I was doing a lot. It’s easier to play when that’s the second thing on your mind.”

Do not take that to mean Prust has eliminated fighting from his repertoire. He leads the NHL with 71 penalty minutes and his five fighting majors are tied for second most in the league.

“You know I’m always looking for it,” Prust deadpanned.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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