There’s Blair Betts pressuring the puck. There’s Fredrik Sjostrom, driving in straight lines, forcing the play, going to the net. There are Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, hounding the opposition in its own end. There are Ryan Callahan, Lauri Korpikoski and Brandon Dubinsky, causing havoc while a man down.
And here are the Rangers, unbeaten through five games and unscored upon through 21 penalty kills and 37:58 of short-handed time. Here are the Rangers entering tonight’s Garden match against the Sabres (7 p.m.; MSG; WNYM-970 AM) with a PK dynamic that’s just that – dynamic.
“We’re always hard on the puck, we’re not sitting back and waiting,” said Sjostrom, who has been a revelation combining with the outstanding Betts both on the PK and at even strength. “Everyone is on the same page; that’s the key.
“We’re more organized this year. We’re taking the body, we’re working hard all time. It’s a chain reaction.”
Alexei Cherepanov will be laid to rest today in Omsk. As per Russian custom, there will be remembrance services nine and 40 days following the 19-year-old’s death.
There are reports from Russia that Cherepanov may have been suffering from a heart disease known as chronic ischemia that restricts the blood flow to the heart and other organs, but no such condition was uncovered through extensive testing at the 2007 NHL combine that preceded the Entry Draft. The Rangers also performed medical tests on Cherepanov, the 17th overall selection in the draft, when he attended rookie camp the last week of June 2007.
The KHL has announced formation of a commission to study the circumstances of Cherepanov’s death.
Brendan Shanahan may not be here, but No. 14’s influence remains, as evidenced by Dubinsky’s unselfishness in feeding Callahan for the clinching empty-netter in Monday’s 4-1 victory over the Devils. . . . A Rangers victory tonight would establish a franchise record for consecutive wins to open the season. The 1993-94 Maple Leafs and 2006-07 Sabres own the NHL record by going 9-0 out of the gate.