It’s once again that time of year when NHL coaches of contending teams have to make lineup decisions while considering both their player’s freshness and readiness for the playoffs.
Peter Laviolette’s decision to scratch Will Cuylle for Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Panthers was not a matter of the 22-year-old’s health, but that the Rangers head coach wants all of his players to be in the mix before he officially designs his postseason lineup.
“Will is a rookie,” Laviolette said when asked for his reasoning behind scratching Cuylle. “Technically Jonny [Brodzinski’s] first year as a regular in the NHL and kind of that same way. [Matt Rempe] is a rookie. On defense, too, when our defensemen come back, we’re going to have to take a guy or two and have them not play that night. I wish I could play 13 forwards.
“I thought a couple games ago, Will had a real strong game. And then three games ago, Jonny had a real strong game. Rempe comes in and provides different elements for our team. If I could dress all 13 of them, I would love to. It’s not about anything that any one of these players do if they come out. And generally speaking, not just those three, if it’s a defenseman or whatever it might be, I can only dress 12 and six.
“Communicated that to those players and just let them know that they’ve got to be patient. We’ve got a dozen games left. I hope we remain healthy. If we do remain healthy, I’m going to have to make those decisions. I just rather see everybody ready to play the playoffs.”
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