BOSTON -- With the New York Rangers coming off their second straight victory, coach John Tortorella is inclined to go with the same lineup he used in wins against the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
So that means another healthy scratch for Boston native Brian Boyle, who is scheduled to sit out his third straight game.
"I'm trying not to think about anything, really, honestly," said Boyle, who was bag skated by assistant coach Mike Sullivan along with fellow scratches Stu Bickel and Steve Eminger after the Rangers' morning skate at TD Garden. "I'm just trying to come work every day and work as hard as I can because it's ... I've said it before, I didn't play as well as I think I could've, but I know I can be a good player and effective player in this League and on this team. It's infuriating sitting out, it's awful. And it's [ticking] me off a lot."
In nine games this season, Boyle produced one assist and a minus-3 rating. Boyle skated in all 82 games last season for the Rangers and produced 11-15-26 totals. Tortorella said he's not sure when Boyle will get another shot to prove himself.
"It's not up to me who goes in the lineup, it's up to them. I like the way our guys played the last game, so I don't necessarily look at it as urgency to get a guy in," Tortorella said. "When Brian gets in, like I said, I hope he never lets me put myself in this decision again. Again, I don't make the decisions on the lineup, they do.
"I believe Brian will be a big part of it," the coach continued. "I just don't know when I change the lineup. It depends on what goes on with the players in each game."
Tortorella also said the Rangers' defense pairs would start the game the way they started the win against the Lightning, despite his combining of Marc Staal and Dan Girardi during the game to match up against Steven Stamkos' line Sunday.
Here's a look at the projected Rangers lineup:
Carl Hagelin – Derek Stepan – Rick Nash
Taylor Pyatt – Brad Richards – Marian Gaborik
Chris Kreider – J.T. Miller – Ryan Callahan
Darroll Powe – Jeff Halpern – Arron Asham
Michael Del Zotto – Matt Gilroy
Scratches: Stu Bickel, Brian Boyle, Steve Eminger