PITTSBURGH – Tom Renney implied that Petr Prucha would make his first appearance of the playoffs here this afternoon in Game 2 against the Penguins, and though the coach did not say whom he would replace, it’s likely Colton Orr will be the healthy scratch after getting 5:48 of ice in his first tournament game on Friday.
In that case, there’s a good chance Prucha will skate on the right side with Scott Gomez and Sean Avery while Brendan Shanahan, who has struggled since the first two games of the Devils’ series, moves to the unit with Blair Betts and Fredrik Sjostrom. Those are the units the Blueshirts used in their regular-season finale at New Jersey.
“Petr has played well against Pittsburgh,” Renney said of Prucha, who was relegated to spare-part status following the trade deadline acquisition of Sjostrom. “He complements what we’re trying to do here.”
Actually, Prucha would complement Gomez’s speed game by joining No. 19’s unit. The center, who has been at the top of his game throughout the tournament, has too often been one-on-four in gaining the blue line off the ice.
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Sean Avery had a quiet night despite scoring the Rangers’ third goal. Not only did he commit three egregious defensive-zone giveaways in the first period, the winger was mute when he got to the front of Marc-Andre Fleury‘s net, which he did not do to any effect nearly enough.
“I was a little disappointed,” the easy-going goaltender said following yesterday’s practice. “I wanted to hear his good stuff.”
Renney on the Penguins: Pittsburgh is a good team, an exciting team and the NHL should be glad to have them. We’ve got our hands full, there’s no doubt about that. They have a legitimate shot to be a Stanley Cup champion. We’ve got to look at our own game.”
Both teams acknowledged absolutely dreadful ice conditions. “I don’t see it affecting one more team more than the other,” Sidney Crosby said.
Hugh Jessiman, who recorded 42 points (18-24) and 154 PIM this season, is not among the 10 players recalled from Hartford to form an auxiliary playoff squad. That, however, does not mean the Rangers have given up on the winger, who will become a restricted free agent this summer. Jessiman, the 12th-overall selection in the 2003 Entry Draft, is the only first-rounder from that class not to have played in the NHL.
“We’re going to sign him,” GM Glen Sather told The Post on Friday. “I expect Hugh to compete for a job in training camp next year.”