A lot of news today, the big one being that Brendan Shanahan will return to the Devils, although he has yet to agree to a contract.

Then there’s Bobby Sanguinetti getting the call from Hartford for tonight against the Senators, but not getting a chance to play.

A lot to sift through….

With Michal Rozsival (facial injuries) in question for tonight, the Rangers have made the unexpected decision to call Bobby Sanguinetti up from Hartford. The New Jersey native and first-round draft pick frm 2006 would make his NHL debut if he plays.

Have to say I’m surprised by this. I know Sanguinetti is Hartford’s leading scorer with [...]

In a number of news reports, Jaromir Jagr has hinted at his willingness to return to the NHL, where he said he’d even play for the league minimum salary in Pittsburgh.

Jagr has also been in contact with Rangers coach Tom Renney, which is another sign that he’s unhappy in Omsk. And with good reason: along [...]

The best news for the Rangers yesterday, other than Henrik Lundqvist’s All-Star selection, is that the Thrashers pounced on the Devils, meaning the Rangers hold onto fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

It’s a long way from those heady autumn days when the thought of home-ice through the playoffs wasn’t met with a hearty chuckle.

Either way, [...]

Henrik Lundqvist was indeed tapped today to represent the Rangers in the All-Star Game later this month in Montreal.

In other breaking news, the Rangers are wearing skates today at practice.

It will be Lundqvist’s first All-Star appearance after being a Vezina Trophy finalist his first three seasons in the league.

I’m fortunate today to be able to introduce a rare guest post by my friend and colleague Sam Borden, who despite being a former goalie, is actually a pretty sharp guy. Sam laments something many of you have noted as well this year—the conspicuous absence of a go-to-guy on the Rangers’ roster.

Check it out. Then [...]

Some red-eyed thoughts the morning after a momentum-killing loss to the Habs:

If not for the team’s up-and-down play the past month, this loss would have been easy to stomach. The Rangers played hard, arguably controlled most of the game, but took some inopportune penalties and didn’t have Henrik Lundqvist at his absolute best. No big [...]

I’m not a big fan of stories that focus on one-sided officiating, but that was clearly a predominant topic in the Rangers locker room after the game. And that included Tom Renney, who made the rare concession that he probably needs to be more active in complaining to officials.

“Maybe I’ve got to be more vocal [...]

We’re running late, but so is the game (a 7:30 start thanks to TSN), so let’s get on with it.

Some notes:

As noted earlier, no lineup changes tonight, which means Dan Fritsche and Lauri Korpikoski will be the scratches. That’s two straight games in the press box for Korpikoski, which led to some speculation that the [...]

Tonight marks the first of a three-game-in-four-day stretch for the Rangers, but tomorrow you should have plenty of time to talk some football with The Journal News’ Mike Dougherty and Sam Borden.

Those two will be hosting a video chat at noon, where they’ll be breaking down the Giants’ playoff opener against the Eagles.

Follow the link [...]