PHILADELPHIA — On Wednesday, Brendan Lemieux played a career-high 17:03 in Boston. On Friday, the winger got 15:05 against the Blues. Sunday, zilch, as he watched the game in street clothes from the press box as a scratch.
“He’s played a lot of minutes and his game has slipped a little,” David Quinn said after the Blueshirts’ 3-0 victory over the Flyers. “It’s been such a dramatic change from his role in Winnipeg, I thought it would be best to sit him out of this one.”
Lemieux averaged just 7:25 in 44 games with the Jets. He is averaging 12:52 through 15 games with the Blueshirts. He will rejoin the lineup for Monday’s match in New Jersey.
“It would have been tough for him to go back-to-back,” Quinn said. “He’ll be good to go [against the Devils].”
Brendan Smith, who played defense on Friday, moved into Lemieux’s spot on the left wing with Brett Howden and Ryan Strome. Except, that is, when he was in the penalty box, which he was four times.
Smith picked up a tripping penalty at 2:25 of the first period, an interference penalty at 4:27 (when the puck hit his outstretched stick while he was up, standing in the box and about to jump on at the end of a successful kill), a tripping penalty at 4:47 of the third period followed by a cross-checking penalty at 16:01.
Someone asked Quinn if the four penalties were infuriating, or whether he was happy that his team, given the opportunity, snuffed them all.
“Kind of leaning toward infuriating,” the coach said. “I don’t ever want to see a guy get four [penalties]. Four is a little bit excessive.”
Connor Brickley joined Lemieux as a healthy scratch up-front while John Gilmour, who no doubt will hit Group VI unrestricted free agency on July 1, was scratched on defense for the second straight game.
Partners Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk each logged season-high ice times, Skjei on for 26:15 while Shattenkirk got 24:46.
The Rangers, 3-2 over their past five games, slipped/moved into the seventh pre-lottery draft slot off the victory, the Ducks now sixth via percentages. … Henrik Lundqvist will get the start against the Devils. Quinn said he has not yet determined the rotation for the final three games, Wednesday at the Garden against the Senators, Friday in the home finale against the Blue Jackets, and Saturday at Pittsburgh.