Regarding the Rangers:
1. If Alain Vigneault’s season-long strategic use of Keith Yandle is any indication, and you would think it would be, the Rangers cannot seriously be invested in attempting to keep the puck-moving impending free agent off the market.
For even on Monday night, when the Blueshirts were reduced to five defensemen for the final 35:14 after Dan Girardi left the match with a damaged hand/finger, the coach gave Yandle the fewest minutes (17:00) on the blue line overall, as well as the least time (4:52) in the third period of a game that was 1-1 from 0:35 until 18:18.