Michal Rozsival has been a relatively under appreciated player by the fans. Rozsival plays 20 minutes per game, and while he does not excel in any particular facet of the game, he is a good overall defender that has become an essential piece on the Rangers blue line. Rozsival went down with a sprained shoulder two weeks ago, and the Rangers did not call up any replacements from Hartford. Instead, the Rangers went from platooning Michael Sauer and Matt Gilroy to pairing them as the bottom defensive pairing, while Steve Eminger, who has been excellent, was bumped to the second pairing.
In Rozsival’s absence, both Sauer and Gilroy have stepped up to fill the void left. The Rangers have played seven games since the Rozsival injury, and in those games, Sauer has put up a line of 0-2-2 and a +5 while averaging 15 minutes of ice time per game. Meanwhile, Gilroy has put up a line of 0-3-3 and a +6 while averaging the same 15 minutes of ice time per game. Both players have grown ...
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