1:36 PM: Gerard Gallant spoke this morning and said (NYR):
- Anything going on today, “Not much, just getting ready for another game, back-to-back.”
- You got reinforcements, “yes, we got a pretty good player coming in.”
- How was your first conversation with him, “who said I talked to him (laugh). It was hello, Dale Tallon told me to give you a hug, play well and you’re going to be a good player for us. We just chatted briefly.”
- On the coaching staff talking to Kane, “they are going to talk to him today. We are having our PP/PK meetings now, shortly…you don’t have to tell him how to play the game. He played with Bread before, systems don’t change around the league a whole lot. We are just going to go let him play and have fun and enjoy it and we’ll worry about that a few days down the road. He knows some of our system stuff and showed him briefly stuff, but just go play, he’s been a great player for a long time, he doesn’t need coaches telling him what to do.”
- Does he change stylewise and is he too East/West, “not a problem.”
- Have you given any thought to experimenting with the top-six, “no, he’s going to play with Trocheck and Panarin and start there and I’m guessing that’s where it’s going to finish. I sure hope so.”
- On his emotions tonight, “he’s been a pro for a long time, he’s won MVPs, Stanley Cups, so I don’t think we’ve got to worry about him. He’s excited to play, but it’s all knew to him, he’s been with Chicago his whole career. I’m sure he’s going to be real nervous and playing with new teammates, fortunately for him Bread is here with him to help him out. It’ll be exciting, but I’m sure he’s going to be real nervous, too.”
- On Tarasenko still taking time to adjust, “yea, we’ll he came in with a teammate, so that helped him a little bit and, again, he knew the Panarin connection. It’s nice when you’ve got people you know here a little bit and it’s gotta be real tough on guys coming to a new team and they don’t know anybody, haven’t played with anybody, there’s no connections and that doesn’t happen very often, there is usually a connection somewhere, but those guys coming in, there’s been a connection so I think it helps.”
11:47 AM: Jaro Halak will start in goal. (Stephenson)
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The NHL is not allowing the Rangers to call up a player under the emergency recall provision and so they will go with 12 forwards, including Patrick Kane, and five defensemen. (Brooks, Stephenson)
Puck Pedia wonders if the NHL denied the Rangers because they had cap room to call up players after Ryan Lindgren was injured and K’Andre Miller was suspended but they used it to acquire Patrick Kane.