Adam Clendening could get the call to rejoin the Rangers lineup Thursday night in Winnipeg. And if he does, it will be to provide a power-play right-shot counterpoint to lefty Brandon Pirri rather than to provide relief on defense.
Who knows, with the Blueshirts depleted up front by injuries, coach Alain Vigneault even could dress the seldom-used Clendening as a seventh defenseman/PP specialist rather than scratching most likely candidate Kevin Klein.
“That is definitely something we’re thinking about and we’re going to think about on our three-and-a-half-hour flight to Winnipeg,” Vigneault said following Wednesday’s practice when asked about the possibility of inserting Clendening to provide aid to right-point man Pirri. “It’s definitely something that’s high on our list.”
The issue arose following the coach’s analysis of Pirri’s recent lack of production with the man-advantage. The free-agent signee, who crashed the roster with a dynamic preseason through which he was a force on the right point, has gone dry. He has failed to pick up a point in his past 10 games, even as his responsibility and ice time have increased in the absence of the injured Mika Zibanejad.
Pirri — second on the club in PP ice time to lefty, left point-man Ryan McDonagh and third per game, also trailing Zibanejad — has three goals and one assist on the man-advantage, but has recorded only one PP point over the past 20 games, that a goal in Vancouver on Nov. 15.
“First of all, I think he needs to put more shots on net,” Vigneault said. “On the power play, more specifically, he and Mac have to coordinate. For a shooter to shoot the puck, he’s got to get it at the right spot. There seems to be different pressure from penalty-killing units that he’s not getting it where he wants it or where he needs it.
“One of the reasons we were so impressed early on is that he was able to get those opportunities to the net. We need to see that from him. Our power play [in Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat in Brooklyn] had great looks, but didn’t give us that timely goal that we needed. At the end of the day, [Pirri] is one of those guys that’s getting a lot of minutes on the power play. He needs to finish for us.”
But if Clendening, who has played in one of the Blueshirts’ last 14 games and two of the last 22, does dress, he, rather than McDonagh, would be coordinating with Pirri.
Pavel Buchnevich’s timetable for a return is at a standstill. He is back on an off-ice condition program to strengthen his core. The Post has learned the Russian rookie, who skated on his own Monday, was diagnosed with a protruding disc at the start of his rehab program.
“He needs a little more time to improve his strength level until he gears it up on the ice,” Vigneault said.
Antti Raanta (5-1, .931, 2.20) will get the start against the Jets while Henrik Lundqvist (12-8-1, .912, 2.55) backs up. Vigneault was not asked his plan in nets for Friday’s match in Chicago.
When asked for his take on Lundqvist, the coach said: “I think, like he would probably tell you, that he’s got another level, that he’s got more consistency to give us. He’s our top player, you know. He’s been doing it for quite a few years. I would tell you that you look at any team right now that’s winning and they are getting consistent Grade A goaltending. We’re no different than anybody else. We need consistent Grade A goaltending.”