While we were gone for the server upgrade, Alain Vigneault switched up his lines a bit. He moved Chris Kreider to the second line with Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis, and moved Carl Hagelin to the top line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash. This essentially gives the Rangers two top lines (1 and 1a, as you can’t really call either one a “second” line). It’s something we had been wanting for a while ’round these parts, as the Richards/MSL combo needed a finisher and net presence (Kreider), and the Stepan/Nash combo needed someone to drive puck possession a bit more effectively (Hagelin).

Naturally those lines didn’t score last night, but the lines are probably going to get another look tonight in Winnipeg. I’d like to see Raphael Diaz get a go over the severely struggling Anton Stralman, but it doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen.

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