KANATA, Ontario – With Mats Zuccarello (groin strain) and Vladislav Namestnikov (concussion protocol) not on the trip, the Rangers took only 11 forwards to Canada and opted not to call anyone up from AHL Hartford. Instead, for the second time this season, they dressed a lineup that featured 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
“We’ve done it a couple times before and like I’ve said, I don’t love it,’’ coach David Quinn said. “But sometimes that’s our best lineup, we feel, and we think it’s our best lineup right now . . . We just feel like these are our 18 best skaters.