Call 'em what you will but The New York Rangers can't win without these unsung heroes.
Hockey people call them "foot soldiers" or "grunts."
Call 'em what you will but -- this much is certain -- The New York Rangers can't win without them, yet they remain unsung heroes.
If you don't mind, I'm gonna "sing" a song of praise for two such "Lamont Cranston"-- as in The Shadow -- players who excel but not-that-much from the eyes of the madding crowd.
1. CHAD RUHWEDEL: "When injuries to Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren had members of the Omigod Club predicting Ranger doom and gloom, Chad proved not too bad. Sometimes even better than that. Here's how one scout rated him.
"He's not going to make anybody lose their minds. He's not a D-man who overwhelms you and captures your attention. But he plays a mistake-less game and the coaches love him for that. Chad played a good, tough, physical game against Florida. I grade him a B-Plus."
2. ZAC JONES: "He's been getting better, game by game. Jones was fine against Florida and had a couple of shots on goal; one of them came close to going in. If Erik Gustafsson is out for any length of time you'll see a lot of Jones. I grade him A-minus."