There have been two main storylines with the Rangers this season:
A) Look at all this talent! They can’t lose a game!
B) Look at all this talent! Why do they keep losing?
With his team in a 1-4-1 skid (following an 8-2-1 stretch), coach Tom Renney is looking to shake up his line combinations once again tonight when the Rangers host the Penguins (7 p.m.; MSG TV; WEPN-1050 AM).
For the first time since very early in the season, yesterday’s practice saw Scott Gomez reunited with Jaromir Jagr on his wing.
In recent weeks, it seemed that ex-Devil Gomez, in concert with Brendan Shanahan, had begun to find his niche on this side of the Hudson.
Rookie Brandon Dubinsky looked confident centering Jagr’s line, and the wins were pilling up.
Yet losing has brought the perception that change is needed.
“We’re looking at different combinations, making sure that our guys know that, as a coaching staff, we’re looking for solutions too,” Renney said.
“There certainly could be some frustration in everybody’s game right now because we’re trying to reacquaint ourselves with what works for us, but we’re definitely not panicking.”
The other major shift is Chris Drury being put between Shanahan and Nigel Dawes.
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Goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who missed Sunday’s 5-1 loss to Phoenix due to flu symptoms, will be a game-time decision.