When Rangers forward Boo Nieves got blown up by Devils defenseman Eric Gryba in the Blueshirts’ first preseason game Monday night in Newark, the only Ranger to address the play on the ice was Jesper Fast, who went up to Gryba while play was still going on and had a brief discussion with him.
Should there have been more of a response by the Rangers? The hit by Gryba was high, and Nieves, who has a history of concussions, is now out of action, in concussion protocol. But the game was tied, 3-3 midway through the third period (the Rangers won, 4-3 in overtime) and provoking a fight at that point might not have been the best thing.