First the news. Sean Avery will play on the No. 1 line with Gaborik and Prospal. Question: What took so long?

Enver Lisin will be prucha’d apparently. Donald Brashear on the third line. Question: Why?

Henrik Lundqvist in goal.

Biggest quest…

Well, at least they won’t be giving away Penguins hats tonight (although they probably would if somebody offered them enough money).

To review: The Rangers have one regulation victory and two skills competition victories in their last nine game…

After the Rangers were routed in Tampa on Friday but before they were routed in Pittsburgh on Saturday, John Tortorella suggested that it was past time for the locker room to “take ownership” of the inconsistency that has marked the past six weeks.
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Well, it’s better than nothing, but the two-game suspension issued the Penguins’ Matt Cooke for his deliberate blow to Artem Anisimov’s head in Pittsburgh on Saturday night sends no message at all that the NHL is prepared to get serious with what has…

Rangers head coach John Tortorella speaks to reporters following the Blueshirts’ 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 30 at The Garden.

MSG broadcasters Al Trautwig and Dave Maloney are joined by Brian Leetch for a discussion of the Blueshirts’ 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 30 at The Garden.

Rangers head coach John Tortorella speaks to reporters after the team’s morning skate to prepare for a Nov. 30 game vs. Pittsburgh at MSG.

Rangers players, including Henrik Lundqvist, Bobby Sanguinetti, Christopher Higgins and P.A. Parenteau, look ahead to the Nov. 30 game vs. Pittsburgh at MSG.

The one message John Tortorella spent the weekend repeating is the need for changes around here. Changes in the way some of his Rangers go about their business, changes in the direction this Ranger season has taken.

Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke has received a two-game suspension for his hit on Artem Anisimov during the third period of last night’s Rangers-Penguins. Calling it a deliberate hit to the head area, the NHL delivered a ban that will keep Cooke out of the teams’ rematch tonight at the Garden and cost Cooke nearly $30,000 in salary.

The hit knocked Anisimov out of the game, though afterward he said “I’m fine.” In the hallway outside the visitors’ dressing room at the Igloo last night, Anisimov pointed to the swollen spot on the right side of his face where Cooke made impact: it was right around his sideburn.

“I didn’t see him,” Anisimov said.

Cooke said after the game that he was surprised to be penalized on the play - the call was interference - but in reality, it’s not at all surprising that he was suspended. You leave your feet to hit a defenseless player in the sideburns, you’re going to sit out for - well, you’re going to sit out whatever length of time the NHL feels like on that particular day.

John Tortorella seemed equally concerned last night that on-ice officials hampered the Rangers in their efforts to police the game - the linesman stepping in between Donald Brashear and Cooke, which gave the Pens two power plays (they scored on both) and forced Ryan Callahan to step in later, didn’t sit well. “Some of these guys that go about doing that and have no fear at all as far as maybe a little retribution, (so) it’ll continue,” the coach said.