Regarding the Rangers, in the midst of their third losing streak of four games or more (0-2-2 this time) within their last 47 contests while going into Minnesota on Thursday to face the Wild.
1. The idea of uniting centers J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad on the same unit is an intriguing one that might work over the long haul, but the experiment is failing now because the Rangers do not have a legitimate third-line center and the second line centered by Vincent Trocheck has been wheezing for weeks.
Ice-time apportionment has been an issue all season. Brennan Othmann, as good at bringing the puck to the net as the Blueshirts have unless it’s Matt Rempe, got only four shifts worth 2:22 in the third period in Winnipeg on Tuesday, 8:12 overall, and did not get off the bench for the final 11:00 of the 2-1 defeat.
Rempe, who is never publicly defended loudly enough to the NHL by either head coach Peter Laviolette or GM Chris Drury, got two spins worth 1:49 in the third and 9:00 overall while stapled to the bench for the final 10:53.
