Well, the Sean Avery-Brad Richards-Ruslan Fedotenko unit — known in these parts as the ARF Line for Avery’s uncanny ability to find himself in the doghouse — didn’t last all that long last night, unless three shifts counts as eternity when John Tortorella is behind the bench.
But it should have come as no surprise when the coach flipped Richards and Brian Boyle, moving No. 19 between Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan pretty early in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Islanders at the Coliseum.
Honestly, Richards a third-line center for just how long, exactly?
The move paid off doubly with Avery converting his own rebound to score on a left wing wrist shot at 14:43 of the first and Richards converting a Dubinsky feed for a 3-2 lead at 15:05 of the third.
“I went into the game thinking I would make that move, but also thinking I would switch [Boyle and Richards] back and forth,” Tortorella said. “But both lines played well, Sean with Feds and Brian, I thought Richie with Dubi and Cally had one of their better games, so I left it that way.”
Avery, who initially was denied by an Evgeni Nabokov pad save on his redirect attempt off a pass from Boyle before his goal, has scored in each of the last two games. He got 11:57 of ice and was on for his regular turn with 1:38 to play and the Rangers protecting a 3-2 lead.
“It feels good to feel good,” said Avery, who fought with Mike Mottau at 1:09 of the second, five seconds after they each left the box following coincidental penalties for grabbing/confronting one another late in the first. “Both lines were cycling the puck.”
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The Rangers were 0-for-4 on the power play, failing to score on a 1:32 five-on-three late in the second. They are 3-for-27 on the power play over their last five games . . . The penalty kill snuffed four of five Islander man-advantages, though Matt Moulson tied it 2-2 on a power play at 6:58 of third that came following an Artem Anisimov offensive zone high-sticking infraction.
The Rangers have yielded two goals or fewer in 11 of their 16 games, and have allowed just 24 even-strength goals for the season.
Neither Erik Christensen nor Andre Deveaux got a shift in the third period while Brandon Prust took two turns — one on a successful PK — for a total of 46 seconds in the third.
Former Rangers forward Aaron Voros will skate for the AHL Whale under a 25-game PTO (professional try-out). The winger spent two seasons with the Rangers before being sent to Anaheim during the summer of 2010 for Steve Eminger. The tryout will give all NHL clubs a chance to look at and sign Voros.
Eminger scored his first of the year to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the second period. It marked the club’s 10th goal scored by the defense in 16 games. Blueshirt defensemen scored a total of 27 goals last season.