Vinny Prospal a deserving Alternate Captain

November 4, 12:53 PMNew York Rangers ExaminerRob Cristino

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Prospal, part of the action [above], is a worthy choice for the "A"  (AP Photo).

Prior to the New York Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks late Tuesday night, Vaclav “Vinny” Prospal was named the second Alternate Captain of the Rangers.

Through 16 games, Prospal has scored four goals and contributed 14 assists (18 points) in his debut season in New York. The decision goes far beyond Prospal’s performance on the ice, though.

“We just felt that it was not just his (Vinny's) play on the ice, that's not what was most important, said head coach John Tortorella. “It's his practice habits, preparation, and other things that make him most deserving."

Steve Zipay of Blue Notes states in his blog that Captain Chris Drury also had a lot to do with the decision, as Drury recommended Prospal (as the second Alternate Captain) to Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff.

Prospal’s first night wearing the “A” on his chest was overshadowed with a loss to the Canucks at General Motors Place. After giving up a late first period goal by former Ranger Mikael Samuelsson, the Rangers came back to tie in the third period with a goal from Christopher Higgins (his first of the season and first as a Ranger).

However, that momentum was short lived as the Rangers allowed the Canucks to score three-unanswered goals in the third, the last being an empty net goal, to put the game away.

“We tie the game up and then just don't do the job defensively,” Tortorella said. “We gave up nine scoring chances tonight so I'm happy with the way we defended but we made a couple major mistakes at the key times.”

So, the Rangers didn’t get off to the best of starts during their three-game road trip through Western Canada, but there is always time for redemption.

The Rangers will next travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Thursday night at 9:30 PM EST.