NHL

Rangers’ Carcillo making an impact

Alain Vigneault was saying he thought his Rangers team was physical before the acquisition of Dan Carcillo, and so of course he continues to say it now that it has found at least a temporary home for the hard-nosed winger following his arrival in a risk-nothing trade with the Kings on Jan. 4.

Carcillo made his Blueshirts debut on Jan. 8 in Chicago, and will play his fourth straight game on Tuesday when the Lightning come to the Garden. The man who has been fined or suspended by the league 10 times was swapped for a conditional seventh-round pick, one that goes back to the Rangers as long as Carcillo is on the NHL roster from now until the final day of the regular season.

And not that he needed any reminding, but the trade happened less than 24 hours after the Rangers lost their own physical presence, Derek Dorsett, to a broken leg.

“I think that’s what they want,” Carcillo said after Monday’s practice about being physical. “It’s obviously something I can do. Since [Dorsett] went down, there is a void to fill, I think. So I’m just trying to fill it as best I can.”

Almost surprisingly, the Rangers have 24 major penalties in their first 47 games, placing them in a tie for eighth-most in the league before play Monday. They were also ninth in the league with the ever-subjective hits stat at 1,156, or almost 25 per game.

“I think we’ve been very physical and competitive, with getting pucks when the opportunity is there,” said Vigneault, not known for encouraging a physical style of play. “Pushing and shoving and fighting, it’s there in the game, but it’s what you do in between whistles that’s important, and it’s important you play hard. We’re playing hard.”


Defenseman John Moore said he was unsure if he was eye-gouged by the Flyers’ Brayden Schenn during their fight with just 11 seconds remaining in Sunday’s 4-1 Rangers victory. Moore had a small mark above his left eye, but said, “Whatever happened, it was unintentional.

“It was kind of an innocent scrum,” said Moore, who according to hockeyfights.com now has six fights throughout his NHL, AHL and OHL career, preseason included. “Getting hit with a gloved punch, you have to show a little bit of pride.”