Mailbag: Why Not Put Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik Back Together?
@AdamRotter does torts really think playing richards with rupp and feds will get him going… i say try him with gabby again
— Brett(@NYRANGERS11590) February 8, 2012
Adam: Tortorella has talked about putting Richards in “grinding” situations to get his game back and that is what he is doing here. This isn’t all about Richards though. Brian Boyle played well between Brandon Dubinsky and Brandon Prust and Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell and Ryan Callahan were together. That only leaves one spot for Richards, and it’s a spot that he has to use as motivation to get his game back in order. It’s not permanent and it could only be for the first period or so. As of right now this is where Richards needs to play, but once he gets himself going he will be back up in a more prominent role,
As for putting him with Marian Gaborik again, there isn’t really a good reason to split up Gaborik, Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov. That line played really well against Philly and wasn’t bad last night. Not to mention that Tortorella said that the combination of Richards and Gaborik was “ugly” when they played together to start the season. Just like how Marian Gaborik elevated his game on his own, Richards needs to do the same and hopefully he starts tomorrow.
