Ales Kotalik Returns to New York Rangers Lineup

The word from Andrew Gross over at Ranger Rants is that head coach John Tortorella will plug forward Ales Kotalik back into the lineup tonight as the New York Rangers get set to play host to the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden. The coach's reasoning behind this is that he feels Kotalik's shot from the point may help to improve the Blueshirt power play, which is zero for nine in their last three games. Prior to tonight's contest, Ales was a healthy scratch for six straight games.

Kotalik is currently sixth on the team in scoring, with eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. That doesn't say much, being that the second-highest goal scorer on the Rangers has only nine goals in 46 games.

His even strength play is whats found him in the press box recently, as the 31-year-old winger has a -16 rating. This is what leads us to believe that the rumor stating Ales has requested a trade may have some truth to it, even though certain beat writers have done everything in their power to shoot it down.

Tortorella has not yet confirmed who will sit in place of Kotes, but the probable choice would be enforcer Donald Brashear. Carolina is not a team, by any means, that is threatening from a physical standpoint, so I do not think the absence of Brashear will make any sort of a difference. Also, Erik Christensen will sit for the second-straight game in this one. Funny how he has went from first line to healthy scratch in just a matter of weeks.

Rangers-Hurricanes Pregame later......