By BRUCE BERLET, Courant Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE -- The Wolf Pack could use their two All-Stars in the playoffs, but they've become integral parts of the Rangers.
Defenseman Daniel Girardi and wing Ryan Callahan are getting regular ice time as the Rangers play in the second round against Buffalo. Girardi missed the AHL All-Star Game because of his call-up Jan. 25. Callahan, who scored the winner in the All-Star Game with 3.3 seconds left, has been on Broadway since March 15.
"It's terrific what they're doing, but I can't take a lot of credit," Rangers coach Tom Renney said last week. "They came here as pretty good players, and I think it's a testimonial to the guys in Hartford who have done a terrific job coaching these young fellas and getting them ready for us."
Renney referred to Pack general manager/coach Jim Schoenfeld and assistants Ken Gernander and J.J. Daigneault as responsible for helping Girardi and Callahan. Nigel Dawes, Jarkko Immonen, Brandon Dubinsky, Dave Liffiton, Bryce Lampman and Darius Kasparaitis also spent time with the Rangers, and Steve Valiquette, Brad Isbister, Jed Ortmeyer and Thomas Pock played in Hartford.
Schoenfeld appreciated Renney's remarks but declined to take credit.
"It would be nice to take a bow, but it's not legitimate," he said. "Those kids were NHL bound, and if we're some small part of it, then that's good. But I want to dish out the good and give it to the kids. They're the ones who put the effort in, and even if the coaching staff gives ideas, they're the ones who go on the ice and execute.
"If you're a good player, somebody is going to find it out, and it's what we're looking for. We've said all along we want players to graduate from Hartford and have a positive impact on the Rangers. The two kids, Isbister and Valiquette, deserve to be in New York because they all made it happen."
Renney said Girardi and Callahan are products of what the Rangers envisioned years ago.
"The difference between now and when [Girardi] went undrafted twice is confidence and being able to play the game in traffic and not be affected by it," Renney said. "He's certainly stronger and does a lot of little things that are hard to notice sometimes. He has matured into a good, young NHL defenseman and really helped us.
"[Callahan] is too much of a competitor not to recognize what he can do. His battle level, hockey sense and second and third effort is something you could see three or four years ago. He's a young guy who has just sort of grown up in front of our eyes, and that's one of the things we talked about during the lockout. We hoped we would be able to put a product on the ice that would grow up in front of people's eyes in the Garden. This is a sort of a testimony to that, and while it's early in his career, we can hope it continues."
Girardi, named to the AHL all-rookie team last season, continues to try to make simple plays while paired mostly with former Pack defenseman Fedor Tyutin.
"I played pretty well when I first got [to New York] and luckily I've stayed and am part of a playoff run," Girardi said. "You can't write a better script right now, and I'm trying to soak it all in. But at the same time, I'm making sure my head is in the game."
Callahan scored his first two NHL goals March 17 against the Bruins. He scored his first two NHL playoff goals in a 7-0 victory over Atlanta in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd that included his parents and the family he lived with while playing for Guelph in the OHL.
"I couldn't have picked a better night," Callahan said. "It was an unbelievable experience, and to have my parents in the stands made it that much more special, especially in the Garden, where the atmosphere is second to none.
"I really wanted to get to New York and play well, and while I was in Hartford, the coaching staff really helped me a lot, so credit to them. I've just wanted to make an impression and play like I was in Hartford: Create a lot of energy, throw my body around and hopefully catch some bounces and score some goals. So far it's working."
