Lines lines lines

Via New York Rangers Blog, via Katie Strang, Rangers' lines tonight (at least for the first period, until they get all wonky) will be:

Anisimov - Stepan - Gaborik
Dubinsky - Boyle - Callahan
Avery - Richards - Fedotenko
Deveaux - Christensen - Prust

The good news, of course, is Avery's promotion to the third line, where he'll play alongside the team's best center. What a great opportunity to show some spark. The bad news, also of course, is that it's clearly so reactionary that if that line doesn't produce in the first period, it'll likely be broken up by the third.

On the other hand, is taking Richards out from between Dubi and Cally really a good call in the first place? What about swapping Boyle and Richards, and then leaving those lines alone for multiple games in a row? Or is it that Dubi - Boyle - Cally was so promising in the late game on Friday that Torts wants to keep that together?

And on the other other hand, is it at all interesting that tonight Richards will be centering the two Ranger forwards that he's been on a team with before (Avery in Dallas, Fedotenko in Tampa)?

Most likely: Torts liked what he saw from Dubinsky - Boyle - Callahan on Friday, and he likes what he's seen from Anisimov - Stepan - Gaborik for a while. Beyond those two lines, Richards, Fedotenko, and Avery are the three best remaining forwards, so they become the third line, leaving Deveaux, Christensen, and Prust as the fourth. When I say it that way, it sounds so reasonable.