With the return of Brad Richards from a two-game absence, Rangers coach John Tortorella had a decision to make on who to sit Friday night against the Senators. Instead of a fourth liner getting expendable minutes, he chose center Brian Boyle.
“Other guys were playing better,” Tortorella said after the Rangers’ 3-2 loss at the Garden. “Brian, we’re hoping he becomes part of it, but he certainly has to do more than he has.”
If that sounds like a broken record, it’s because Tortorella said something very similar earlier in early February, when he sat Boyle for a three-game stretch. Upon returning, Boyle was more assertive, but saw his play drop off, in concert with his minutes.
During Thursday’s 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders, Boyle was between Darroll Powe and Taylor Pyatt, and the three were effective enough for Tortorella to praise them after the game. But apparently it was not enough to keep Boyle on the ice, with Tortorella saying last night he “liked the way Pyatt and Powe played,” excluding Boyle.
The 6-foot-7 Boston College product hasn’t scored all season, and has just one assist.
* Diminutive winger Mats Zuccarello might be inching closer to rejoining the Rangers now that his season in the KHL has ended.
Zuccarello’s agent, Don Meehan, told The Post in an email he has been in contact with Rangers assistant general manager Jeff Gordon, who said that he would confer with GM Glen Sather and get back to the agent. As of last night, Meehan was waiting for a response.
Complicating the issue is the fact the Rangers have 49 players under contract, one shy of the league maximum. Signing Zuccarello would limit any further flexibility.
* Newly acquired waiver-wire pickup Roman Hamrlik quickly fell out of favor with Tortorella, playing one shift in the third period for a total of 7:29. The 38-year-old made a solid Rangers’ debut on Thursday, but afterward Tortorella noted “he’s not in shape.”
His blueline mate, Steve Eminger, continued to play while Hamrlik was benched, finishing his sixth straight game in the lineup with 15:23.
* Tortorella made some controversial statements in his regular “Behind the Bench” television show that airs on MSG, whose parent company, Cablevision, owns the Rangers.
In the most recent episode, Tortorella said his No. 1 goal is to protect his players, and if that’s not in the best interest of the media or the fans, so be it.
“They pay a lot of money, and we’re trying to put on a good show for them,” Tortorella said, “but they do not need to know everything about what’s going on with our club.”