Yes, it’s true. Nothing is etched in stone for J.T. Miller, a Ranger for two games, or for Chris Kreider, either, for that matter.
But if these two Yoots of America — OK, Youths — can not only maintain roster spots and coach John Tortorella’s trust, then the Rangers could present a triple-threat offensive line balance that seemed unattainable a week ago given the construction of the roster.
Change is inevitable over the course of a season, but the line combinations fashioned by Tortorella for Thursday’s 4-1 victory over the Islanders that will all but certainly remain intact for tonight’s Garden match against the Lightning created a dramatic change to the Blueshirts’ previously unbalanced look.
Breaking up the Big Dog Line that featured Brad Richards between Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash and that played as a unit with the Marc Staal-Michael Del Zotto defense tandem — The Rushin’ Five, if you will — was the first step.
Tortorella chose to keep Gaborik and Richards together with Taylor Pyatt on the other wing while moving Derek Stepan between Nash and Carl Hagelin. It’s curious, by the way, that the coach did not flip centers, given last year’s chemistry between Stepan and Gaborik and the developing chemistry between Richards and Nash (and the speed Hagelin brought to Richards’ line last year), but both newly created units were efficient and on the puck against the Islanders.
At the same time, Tortorella brought Ryan Callahan off injured reserve onto a Yankee Line with Miller and Kreider, who initially were paired on Tuesday in New Jersey. The game against the Devils marked Miller’s NHL debut and Kreider’s first after a five-game absence from the lineup.
Under the best of circumstances, the three lines each present a blend of speed and forecheck ability; of down-low work and sniping. The alignment presents balance that did not appear attainable a week ago when Miller was in the AHL and Kreider, who didn’t get much quality ice time the first week of the season, was recovering from a foot injury.
* Nash has scored just two goals in his first 10 games as a Ranger, one shorthanded and one at even-strength. The even-strength goal came last Saturday night in Tampa Bay on a power move to the net on which the big wing powered past Victor Hedman from the right side before cutting across the crease to stuff the puck past goaltender Mathieu Garon.
No. 61, who leads the Rangers with 39 shots (Gaborik is next with 34), has a shooting percentage of a meager 5.1 percent, well off the career 12.7 percent he brought into this season. Nash recorded a 10.1 percent shooting percentage over the last two seasons in Columbus.
The winger has recorded just six shots on the power play in 36:17 of man-advantage ice time. Nash moved back to line up at the right point on the opening faceoff of both of the Rangers’ power plays Thursday with Richards and Stepan both up front, though he rotated down low as play evolved.
* Martin Biron, who excelled in the Rangers’ 3-2 victory in Tampa Bay on Feb. 2, is likely to get the start tonight against the Lightning, who traveled by bus from Boston to New York yesterday afternoon after their scheduled match against the Bruins was postponed because of dangerous conditions created by the snowstorm.