WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Zac Rinaldo was back in the lineup Tuesday after serving a two-game suspension.
The fiery winger continued to throw his weight around and admitted that having two big defensemen, like Pavel Kubina and Nicklas Grossman to now play with, is going to make throw his 180 pounds around even more.
That will give me more confidence to throw my body around, Rinaldo said. Theyre going to, to. Theyre big, huge guys.
When I see them throwing the body, its going to make me throw my body around more.
Never seen Kubina play. Hes 260 pounds. I can only imagine.
Rinaldo was suspended for his hit on Detroits Jonathan Ericsson on Feb. 12.
With him, its always walking a thin line between playing hard and taking a bad penalty. Yet hes been remarkably good doing that this season, far better than a fellow named Dan Carcillo from a few years ago.
Hes done a pretty good job, coach Peter Laviolette said. That hit that he took in Detroit he could have made a better decision at the end. We talk about it all the time. We like Zac for what he does. He plays hard. Hes physical.
NHL
In that last, split second, hes got to decide it its still good. Its a tough job because you ask him to get wound up and play with emotion. With some jam and some energy out there. And then you say, ok, if its not good, then hit the brakes. Hes still working at it. Its not going to be perfect but I think hes done a pretty good job this year.
Laviolette doesnt want to alter Rinaldos personality on the ice. Do that and he becomes a less effective player. What Laviolette does want Rinaldo to do is try to pull up if a good check is about to become an illegal check because a player turns his back or has already gotten rid of the puck.
He has to hit, Laviolette said. Hes got to have mindset and that is what makes him an effective player. He puts people on edge because of his physicality.
Rinaldo played 6:10 against Winnipeg and was plus-1 in the game without a penalty -- even though he got rocked hard by the Jets Dustin Byfuglien and did not retaliate.
Ive been on the line since I entered the OHL, said the 21-year-old. Its been a process of walking a line every game. I will continue to walk the line. Im not ashamed about it.
Asked about how he intends to handle split-second decisions, he says nothing changes.
I think Ive done a real good job the whole year, Rinaldo said. Im just going to keep going. Nothing out of the ordinary. I finish my hits. Theyre not suspensions. Its not, wow thats a really bad hit.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net