NEW YORK _ Apparently, someone told David Quinn differently.
Because this time, when the Rangers coach wrote out his lineup, he left out Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid _ the three players most likely be traded by Monday's 3 p.m. deadline _ for Saturday's afternoon game at Madison Square Garden against the Devils.
Without the trio, the Rangers _ maybe playing with a fair bit of emotion in their game _ pumped three goals past Devils goalie Cory Schneider in the first period and controlled the game the rest of the way, winning, 5-2. After the game, the Rangers flew to Washington _ most likely leaving Zuccarello, Hayes and McQuaid behind _ for Sunday's matinee against the Capitals.
In the Rangers' previous game, Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, Quinn had dressed Zuccarello, Hayes and McQuaid _ all of whom are unrestricted free agents-to-be this summer and thus, likely to be dealt away for draft picks, prospects and whatever the Rangers can get.
"We're going to put the best lineup we can tonight and march forward," Quinn said after the morning skate that day. "Until I'm told differently."
But McQuaid had a scare in that game, suffering what Quinn said was an upper-body injury that made the Rangers pull him late in the first period. And though Quinn had said at practice on Friday that "the guys on the roster will be in the lineup until I'm told differently," the trio was scratched against the Devils and the Rangers going with a lineup featuring 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Defenseman Brendan Smith played left wing on the fourth line, with Boo Nieves and Connor Brickley.
The lines needed to be shuffled, and Jimmy Vesey, who'd been playing left wing on Hayes' line, moved up to Zuccarello's spot, at right wing on Mika Zibanejad's line. The third line of Vladislav Namestnikov, Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast moved up to become the new No. 2 line, with the third line featuring a trio of youngsters _ rookies Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson with Pavel Buchnevich.
Vesey scored the game's first goal, just as a penalty to the Devils' Brett Seney was expiring at 4:48 of the first period. Strome made it 2-0 with a power-play goal _ assisted by a no-look, backhand pass from Chris Kreider _ at 8:54, and Kreider made it 3-0 with his 25th goal of the season at 14:23.
The Devils got on the board on a goal by Kenny Agostino at 2:20 of the third, but Brady Skjei blasted a one-timer from the blue line past Schneider to make it 4-1 at 11:08. Andy Greene scored for the Devils at 12:59. Strome added his second goal, into an empty net, to close the scoring.
