This has to feel eerily similar for Brad Richards, the Rangers veteran center who is again going through a difficult stretch of play at the most important time of the year.
Richards was demoted to the fourth line for the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Kings in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday night at the Garden. He played just 13:20, getting one shift in the final 11:20 of the game, none in the final 7:34.
“This morning I met all the lines individually, talked about certain assignments that I wanted,” coach Alain Vigneault said, his team now down in the best-of-seven series 3-1, with Game 5 in Los Angeles on Friday. “I talked to Brad’s line. I talked to Brad about the decision I made.
“I mean, at this time of the year it’s only about one thing: It’s about the team. You guys know how Richards has been this year, the ultimate pro. He’s fine with whatever I do.”
Richards joined a line with Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett, a grinding line for a player who has the history as an offensive player and one-time Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup winner in 2004. Yet last year he suffered the indignity of being made a healthy scratch by then-coach John Tortorella for the final two games of the team’s five-game, second-round series loss to the Bruins.
The fallout effect of the lineup was that Dominic Moore went from that fourth-line center role to between Chris Kreider and Martin St. Louis, while Derek Stepan was between Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash. The Mats Zuccarello-Derick Brassard-Benoit Pouliot line remained intact.
“Just thought that Dom had been playing some good hockey,” Vigneault said. “I just felt for tonight it was time to maybe give our team a different look on certain occasions. I thought for the most part we were all right, but I know that we can be better. I expect us to be better next game.”
Rugged forward Dan Carcillo came off his six-game suspension, but did not play.
“It’s not easy,” Carcillo said about watching. “You play all year and your whole life, really, to get in this situation, and you want to be playing. If you can’t, you just have to be good teammates and do what you can to stay ready. Do whatever you can to just be a good guy in the room.”
Goalie David LeNeveu backed up Henrik Lundqvist for the fourth straight game, as regular second-stringer Cam Talbot remained out with an undisclosed “hockey-related” injury. Another goalie from AHL Hartford, Jason Missiaen, took part in the optional skate on Wednesday morning.
The Rangers signed 24-year-old defenseman Petr Samorski, who had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points, along with 80 penalty minutes, in 44 games this past season with HC Zlin in the Czech Extraliga.