Alex Georgiev will start on Tuesday against the Islanders as the Rangers head into the All-Star Break/Bye Week. (NYR)

Georgiev has stopped 70 of 74 shots against the Isles this season.

David Quinn spoke after practice and said (NYR):

• Was it obvious to start Georgiev, “yes.”
• On Pavel Buchnevich, “he’s been battling, he didn’t practice for a full week and he was playing games. I really liked his effort in the Island, I thought he did a really good job in a game where he really didn’t – this is a guy who didn’t practice, battling the flu. I give him a lot of credit for that. Last night was a tough night, probably still feeling a little bit from it. He’s not getting what he wants from an offensive perspective, he’s not been productive offensively to the level we know he is capable of and where he wants to be productive. He’s getting chances, he’s a big piece of the puzzle for us. We have to keep with him. He’s got to continue to do the things he does when he doesn’t score, I thought he did a good job of that in the two games against the Islanders where he maybe didn’t get anything offensively but I thought he was an effective player for us.”
• Does he get down when he doesn’t score, “for sure and I also think that when you get some chances and you don’t score, it gets in your head a little bit. Not just him, that happens to guys who are offensively gifted. I think that might be part of the issue as well.”
• On where Kakko i mentally, “As we have all touched on, there have been a lot of challenges for him, not just hockeywise but lifewise for an 18-year old. He’s had ups and downs and he had a big smile on his face today talking about the break. I thought he had a really good practice today, I thought it was really good today and I think the break is coming at a good time for him.”
• Is he realistic about what he can do right now, “I think he does. He and I have talked, this is all new for him. He’s never been on a third line, never not been the top guy, always been the guy that has scored. It’s taken some time for him to realize that doesn’t happen. I always use Svechnikov as an example to him. You look at Svechnikov in his first year and he was going through struggles. It was really the last two months where he turned the page and became the player that he is today. The more you tell a guy that they start believing it but I don’t think they believe it out of the gate. I think he is realizing this is a different league and it’s hard and a different style of play.”
• Can the organization give him more support, “I think…no, I don’t think so. I think everyone has been aware that this is an 18-year old who has a ton of pressure on him, not only externally but self-induced. Everywhere he turns there are people reaching out to help him.”
• Can the young players lean on each other, “I think they can lean on each other. With Kakko, he can talk to Fil. I mean, look at how much Fil Chytil has grown. You watch last year at this time, Fil was going through some tough times and he turned 20 in September and maybe a light went off and he became a little bit more mature, went to Hartford, honed his skills a little, got more confidence and now he’s up here playing with a lot different edge and different mentality. Fil has been a help to him, Howden has been a help to him. It can’t always come from the coaches, it has to come from the players as well and I think those guys have done a good job.”
• Are line tweaks coming, “yea, there will be some. With Lemieux back in the lineup things move a little, so there will be some tweaks.”
• Will Buchnevich move from Mika and Kreider, “not sure yet.”
• Why does Hank always dress as the backup, “He’s a guy that carries a lot of weight in that locker room, I want him around, part of the game. He wants to be, it’s one of the things we have talked about.”