Powe and Staal skating at this AMs #NYR optional at MSG

— Pat Leonard (@NYDNRangers) May 21, 2013

The two also did bag skates with the taxi players after practice, but neither will play in Game 3 tonight. Ryane Clowe did not skate, so the line-up will remain the same as Game 2.

Here's Powe on his recovery from his second concussion this season (via Bergen Record)...

“I feel good. It’s good to back on the ice and skating with the guys.It’s a few days of skating and I felt pretty good, so I’m just trying to keep skating, working out and trying to get back in the lineup."

...until I hear that Staal is feeling more comfortable with his vision, his skating on a daily basis means nothing.

...Rangers will continue to miss both Staal and Clowe in this series and will have a very difficult time climbing back into this series without them. I feel like a broken record with those two.

As far as the Bruins go, it looks like they're going to stick with the three rookies on defense...

Darren Dreger at TSN made some waves on the radio today when he said this about John Tortorella's future with the Rangers should his team be eliminated quickly by the Bruins...

"If the New York Rangers were to be eliminated in short order by the Boston Bruins, is there a chance John Tortorella is replaced? Yes there is a chance, absolutely. No question about it. Glen Sather made the big trade, moved Gaborik out, obviously prior to that they found a way to acquired Rick Nash, they not done yet building this team into a true Stanley Cup contender but is John Tortorella the right coach, that management group for sure will have that discussion at the end of the season, whenever the Rangers season ends."

Listen to Dreger by clicking here.

...listen, Dreger has a lot more contacts than I do (I have zero) and knows the inner workings of all the NHL organizations, but I don't buy this for a second. Yes, as we've gone over ad nauseum on this blog, Tortorella has his obvious hang-ups (power play, stubbornness, constant line changes), but am I supposed to believe the guy who guided the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1997 last season is going to be fired because he only took the team to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals the next year? Yes, the Rangers did not live up to expectations in the regular season, but as I've said all year I think Torts deserves a pass for the team's slow start due to the lockout. Some players came back not prepared (cough, Richards, cough) and the moves that Sather made in the offseason did not gel very well in Torts' system because of the abbreviated training camp. But if you look at the success of the team since the trade deadline, that has Torts' trademark grinding style written all over it.

While, I'm more than confident there will be fireworks on the ice tonight, according to Bob Raissman at the Daily News there might be some off it as he explains how NBC reporters Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire went after John Tortorella for his Hagelin "stinks" comments before and during Game 3...

“And I haven’t heard John Tortorella take responsibility for a power play that’s had (Rick) Nash, (Marian) Gaborik, (Brad) Richards, a whole host of good-looking defensemen, and can’t get anything done,” Milbury said. “I think it’s time for John Tortorella to take a look at how he’s coaching this thing.”

This was just the initial shot. With the Rangers on (another) unsuccessful power play in the first period, Pierre McGuire, NBC’s game analyst, pulled the verbal bat from Milbury’s mouth and clubbed Tortorella.

“Throwing your player (Hagelin) under the bus at this time of year — no, I’m not buying it,” McGuire said. “(The power play) has been a problem all season long. It’s the schematic that’s wrong. Not the players.”

Raissman wonders if Tortorella had been informed of these comments before his brief exchange with McGuire during their in-game interview...

Madison Square Garden is a special building and the Rangers are hoping their fans, who make it that way, inspire them to a Game 3 victory and get them back into this series...

Ryan McDonagh...

"We love playing (at Madison Square Garden). The crowd is always behind you and we thrive off that."

Rick Nash...

"Anytime we have our fans behind us is a fun thing to play with. They're so loud, so passionate. It definitely helps."

Henrik Lundqvist...

Mike Sielski at the Wall Street Journal reports that one of the biggest reasons for Chris Kreider's struggles this season and John Tortorella's refusal to use him is that he still needs to learn how to play a team game.

Here's Gordie Clark on shortcomings he noticed in Kreider's game when scouting him...

"There was a lack of knowledge on how to play a team game. He was so fast and so strong, he was able to go and do things on his own. There was a lot of projection that had to get done, and one thing that had to get done was, how does he learn to play a team game where you have a job to do?"

Kreider admits that he's he's still trying to master the subtler aspects of his sport, including the proper way to dump a puck in the zone.

...Kreider is a guy who's been able to dominate at every level due to his superior physical attributes. Because of that, coaches have run game plans through him, so he likely hasn't been forced to learn the nuances of playing a team game which you need to succeed in the NHL especially on a team coached by Torts.

Bergen Record - No time to rest for 'sore' Henrik Lundqvist

Bergen Record - Rangers will try to get more defensive in Game 3 against Bruins

Bergen Record - Gross: John Tortorella often makes a stink on purpose

Bergen Record - Rangers' three keys to Game 3

New York Post - Nash’s breakout bodes well for Rangers

New York Post - D’ daze: Girardi & Co. forge on after 5-goal dud

Daily News -  Bondy: Torts upbeat but Rangers on thin ice

Daily News - Lundqvist not worried about injured shoulder

New York Times - Rangers Hope Game 3 Is Again a Turning Point

Newsday - Lundqvist to play in Game 3 despite injury

Newsday - Home ice a winning formula for Rangers

Newsday - Hagelin: I don't think I stink on power play

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The biggest news from practice today was that Henrik Lundqvist (shoulder) participated in full and said this about his status for Game 3 (via Bergen Record)...

“I landed on the ice awkwardly and hurt it a little bit. It’s under control. Everybody’s sore. It’s the playoffs. You can’t sit out (because) it’s hurting a little bit. it happens and you just have to make sure you do the right things to keep it good.”

...and that sound you hear is the collective sigh of relief from every Rangers fan.

...even an injured Lundqvist is better than 3/4 of the goaltenders in the league, so this is great news.

Also on the injury front Marc Staal (eye) and Darroll Powe (concussion) skated with the taxi squad after practice.

...Torts went with the panic move of going to Staal after getting down 0-2 to the Caps, but I don't seeing him going back to that well this time around.

In another piece of good news, the woefully inept defensive pairing of Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto were split up during practice today as Girardi was back on the top duo with Ryan McDonagh.

...if this move surprises anyone, you didn't watch the game yesterday.

Meanwhile, Carl Hagelin responded to John Tortorella assertion that he stinks on the power play...

When you're up against a team as physical and as deep as the Bruins, you'd like to have all hands on deck.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, two guys they couldn't afford to not have in the line-up for this series are sidelined indefinitely.

The absence of Marc Staal and Ryane Clowe in this series has been obvious.

Their big bodies and toughness is sorely needed. Way too often I'm watching the Bruins bullying the Rangers with no response.

Think about having Clowe out there to match Milan Lucic's nasty, grinding style and challenge him when needed. Or Marc Staal being paired with Dan Girardi to form a shutdown pair that wouldn't allow players like Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell to roam free in front of the net. Plus it would allow John Tortorella to cut Michael Del Zotto's minutes.

I also think they would have been able to help the Rangers anemic power play. Staal's puck moving ability is sorely needed on the man advantage as the Rangers are having issues even gaining the Bruins zone, while Clowe's willingness to go to the front of the net and cause havoc could do wonders for a team allergic to the blue paint in the crease.

I know, not another 'the power play sucks' blog post, but when the Rangers are 2-for-36 with the man advantage, that kind of futility just can't be ignored.

Were they better yesterday? Sure. But when you're in the playoffs moral victories mean nothing to me.

This abomination of a power play is killing the Rangers in this series. Every team in the NHL gains momentum through the power play, but somehow the the Blueshirts lose it. So many times yesterday and in Game 1 they had a golden opportunity to grab hold of the game or get back into it and nothing but frustration.

A lot of the blame can be placed at the feet of John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan as it's their strategies and game plans on the power play that are failing so mightily. But at some point the finger has to be pointed at the players.

It's not like Tortorella is telling them don't get to the front of the net, make sure you're standing still and take as weak of a shot from the point as you can.

Rick Nash agrees that it's time for the players to step up  (via Daily News)...

Dan Rosen at NHL.com reports that Henrik Lundqvist said he experienced some discomfort in his left shoulder after making a save on Daniel Paille with 4:52 remaining in the third period during yesterday's 5-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2.

"It's my shoulder, we'll see. We'll take a look at it."

...well that's not exactly what I wanted to hear this morning. The fact that he was able to finish up the game and Jim Ramsey never came out to check him has me at least a little optimistic.

...if Lundqvist isn't able to go in Game 3, this team is obviously finished. With Lundqvist not at the top of his game so far in this series, the Rangers have been exposed as the mediocre team that they are. He covers up for a ton of defensive miscues and giveaways on a gamely basis, so when he plays like a mere mortal this team has no chance. And no offense to Biron, but he can't be the eraser Lundqvist is.

...besides the shoulder injury, Lundqvist looks run down and tired in this series. He's just not as crisp as he normally is. I guess 23 straight starts will do that.

For more on Lundqvist, check out the New York Post and Daily News.

Here's post game video of Lundqvist, which includes him flexing his sore shoulder...