I don't know how long this is going to last -- this line combination, and Christensen being a regular, significant contributor anywhere on this team (some here have argued that he may only be effective in the top six, and I think there's something to that) -- but, in the worst case, even if he doesn't stick, he really has given us some crucial help at crucial time, and we got something for nothing here.
I'm not sure how I should distribute the credit among Sather and our scouts, but I'll give them all credit here. It looks like our scouts played the biggest role here though; immediately following the acquisition, Zipay quoted Tortorella (I refuse to call him Torts anymore -- I've always hated the nickname, and now that he's worn on my nerves, I really don't want to use what feels like a term of endearment) as saying:
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Christensen, we claimed him. I haven’t seen him play in a while, the scouts were involved in this here. Brash is out, he’s hurt. I’m not sure what it’s going to be (how long). It’s a guy I know our scouts have watched and have had interest in him, a center ice man, and it’s an opportunity for him.
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Watching/listening to him in post-game, he's a likable guy, one who is easy to root for. I hope he does stick, but if he doesn't, he's already played a big role in our season, and I hope he sticks somewhere else.
One great thing about sports, look how quickly things can change sometimes -- on Dec. 24, Brooks quoted Tortorella as saying:
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Erik has been given the opportunity in an offensive position. I didn't see him grab hold of it.
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At that point, Brooks claimed his future with the Rangers might be in "serious jeopardy."
