Brad Richards will not be in the lineup Thursday night when the Rangers play an elimination game against the Boston Bruins in their N.H.L. Eastern Conference semifinals series at Madison Square Garden. The Bruins lead the series, three games to none.
Richards confirmed after practice Thursday that he would not be playing in Game 4. He said Coach John Tortorella called him Thursday morning to tell him he would benched.
An assistant captain and one of the team?s highest-paid players, Richards has struggled throughout the season and the playoffs. After starting the season on the team?s top line with Rick Nash and Marian Gaborik, Richards had been playing on the fourth line recently. He finished the regular season with 11 goals and 23 assists, but has only one goal in 10 playoff games.
Richards signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 2011, agreeing to a nine-year, $60 million contract. He carries a $6.7 million cap hit this season.
The first sign that Richards would be out of the lineup came after practice, when he stayed on the ice to skate with other players who are injured or possibly scratched, including Darroll Powe, Arron Asham and Chris Kreider. Richards, Asham and Kreider had constituted the Rangers? fourth line in the Bruins series.
Richards, 33, looked dejected as he spoke briefly with reporters afterward. Asked if he was surprised by his benching, he said: ?I don?t know if surprised is the right word for it. I?m disappointed.?
Asked if it was hard for him to be effective on the fourth line, he said yes.
Asked about his approach moving forward, he said, ?Nothing?s over, work harder and try my best to never let it happen again.? And then he left.
With defenseman Anton Stralman out of the lineup with an injury, the Rangers have activated 39-year-old Roman Hamrlik, who has not played since April 1.
Richards confirmed after practice Thursday that he would not be playing in Game 4. He said Coach John Tortorella called him Thursday morning to tell him he would benched.
An assistant captain and one of the team?s highest-paid players, Richards has struggled throughout the season and the playoffs. After starting the season on the team?s top line with Rick Nash and Marian Gaborik, Richards had been playing on the fourth line recently. He finished the regular season with 11 goals and 23 assists, but has only one goal in 10 playoff games.
Richards signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 2011, agreeing to a nine-year, $60 million contract. He carries a $6.7 million cap hit this season.
The first sign that Richards would be out of the lineup came after practice, when he stayed on the ice to skate with other players who are injured or possibly scratched, including Darroll Powe, Arron Asham and Chris Kreider. Richards, Asham and Kreider had constituted the Rangers? fourth line in the Bruins series.
Richards, 33, looked dejected as he spoke briefly with reporters afterward. Asked if he was surprised by his benching, he said: ?I don?t know if surprised is the right word for it. I?m disappointed.?
Asked if it was hard for him to be effective on the fourth line, he said yes.
Asked about his approach moving forward, he said, ?Nothing?s over, work harder and try my best to never let it happen again.? And then he left.
With defenseman Anton Stralman out of the lineup with an injury, the Rangers have activated 39-year-old Roman Hamrlik, who has not played since April 1.
