Despite the fact that the Rangers won both games on the recent road trip in which coach Gerard Gallant dressed an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup, the coach went back to the more conventional 12-and-6 look Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden against the Anaheim Ducks.
Forward Ryan Reaves re-entered the lineup and defenseman Libor Hajek exited.
Gallant had said after the Rangers defeated Dallas, 7-4 on Saturday with the 11-and-7 lineup that he dressed the extra defenseman in order to be able to lighten the load on some of his defensemen, who log heavy minutes. Plus, he said, it was good to have Hajek in the lineup in the event one of the top six was "bumped up,’’ meaning he was nursing some kind of minor injury.