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09-22-2006, 11:38 PM
DAWES HAS SHOT TO MAKE RANGERS
By LARRY BROOKS
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September 17, 2006 -- The Rangers have a total of 16 days on the ice from the opening of camp through their final exhibition game, then another four days of preparation before opening the NHL season.
So only two days into camp instead becomes already two days into camp. Which means any athlete competing for a roster spot had best step up by the end of tomorrow's Blue-White intrasquad game, the way Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Dwight Helminen, Ivan Baranka and Martin Richter have thus far.
"Not only is it the [CBA-mandated] compressed time period, but we're trying to do some systems play here at the same time," Tom Renney said. "The nature of the beast is that we're paying attention to those things as well as whether a kid gets our attention early."
Dawes, a 21-year-old sniper who scored 35 goals last year for the AHL Wolf Pack, made an impression on essentially every one of his shifts yesterday. He has a goal-scorer's instincts (and shot), with the ability to carve out good ice around the net. It is not inconceivable he could earn a spot playing left wing with Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr while Martin Straka skates with Matt Cullen and Brendan Shanahan.
"Nigel has gotten our attention as we would have expected of him," Renney said.
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Goalie Al Montoya looked very sharp in his first scrimmage work, a huge contrast to his performance at last year's camp. . . . Jason Ward has played in the middle each of the first two days, and Ryan Hollweg played center yesterday.
larry.brooks@nypost.com
By LARRY BROOKS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email Archives
Print © Reprint
Feeds Newsletters
September 17, 2006 -- The Rangers have a total of 16 days on the ice from the opening of camp through their final exhibition game, then another four days of preparation before opening the NHL season.
So only two days into camp instead becomes already two days into camp. Which means any athlete competing for a roster spot had best step up by the end of tomorrow's Blue-White intrasquad game, the way Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Dwight Helminen, Ivan Baranka and Martin Richter have thus far.
"Not only is it the [CBA-mandated] compressed time period, but we're trying to do some systems play here at the same time," Tom Renney said. "The nature of the beast is that we're paying attention to those things as well as whether a kid gets our attention early."
Dawes, a 21-year-old sniper who scored 35 goals last year for the AHL Wolf Pack, made an impression on essentially every one of his shifts yesterday. He has a goal-scorer's instincts (and shot), with the ability to carve out good ice around the net. It is not inconceivable he could earn a spot playing left wing with Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr while Martin Straka skates with Matt Cullen and Brendan Shanahan.
"Nigel has gotten our attention as we would have expected of him," Renney said.
*
Goalie Al Montoya looked very sharp in his first scrimmage work, a huge contrast to his performance at last year's camp. . . . Jason Ward has played in the middle each of the first two days, and Ryan Hollweg played center yesterday.
larry.brooks@nypost.com