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Rangers’ Del Zotto gets accustomed to playing right side

delzottogetty

With Alain Vigneault taking over as the new coach, plenty of New York Rangers must make adjustments next season. Defenseman Michael Del Zotto told the New York Post on Monday that he’s fighting through some growing pains related to switching from a left to a right defensive spot.

“Every situation on the ice is different from one side to the other, where the blind side is, how you receive and protect the puck, the outlets that are available to you,” Del Zotto said. “It’s been a little bit difficult, but I feel more confident every day.”

In case you’re wondering, the 23-year-old is a left-handed shot.

On the bright side, Del Zotto said that having Marc Staal beside him significantly eases the adjustment, raving about how much ice the recovering blueliner can cover.

The Post notes that Del Zotto has essentially played his entire career on the left side, so this isn’t a minor change. Then again, some Rangers fans call him “Del Zaster,” so he can’t get much worse on the right side, right?

Maybe?

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins