Pavel Buchnevich out vs. Philadelphia
(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

New York Rangers head coach David Quinn is sitting Pavel Buchnevich Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Frank Curto

New York Rangers head coach David Quinn is not happy with the play of Pavel Buchnevich and decided to bench him for Tuesday nights game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

“He’s gotta play better,” was the quote he gave when asked why he was scratching Buchnevich.

The Russian forward has been a healthy scratch for a handful of games this season. His broken thumb earlier in the season didn’t help his situation either, causing him to miss five weeks of games. He has only appeared in 32 games this season scoring nine goals with 15 points.

In his last 10 games, Buchnevich has scored three goals along with picking up an assist as he has played primarily on the fourth line. Two of those goals were scored on the power play. His fourth line role has diminished his ice time, as he is only averaging just over 11 minutes per game.

Buchnevich has been struggling with his confidence this season and you have to think that being a scratch yet again is another disappointment to him.

Whatever the situation is, Buchnevich is going to have to work his way through it to get back in the lineup.


Who's In and Who's Out

  • Neal Pionk is expected to return on Tuesday.
  • Brendan Smith will be taking Buchnevich’s spot in the lineup.
  • Kevin Hayes is expected to return Tuesday, his first game since Jan. 2.
  • Mats Zuccarello will be out of the lineup as he is dealing with a foot infection that kept him out of practice Sunday and Monday.

Following Tuesday’s game, the team will head to New Jersey to play the Devils on Thursday.

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A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at [email protected]