Home Delivery

Rangers need to tighten defense for Game 2

BY STEVE ZIPAY | steve.zipay@newsday.com

April 27, 2008

Article tools

E-mail

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Fark
- Google
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Yahoo

PITTSBURGH - Before Friday night, the Rangers hadn't allowed five goals in regulation since the 6-5 overtime loss to Montreal on Feb. 19, a span of 20 regular-season and five playoff games.

So naturally, after they watched video of the Penguins' 5-4 comeback victory in Game 1 - with special attention on mistakes by a team defense that was fragmented and didn't play well without the puck - yesterday's message was: We've got to tighten up.

"It was the type of game the New York Rangers don't want to get into, that's for sure," rookie center Brandon Dubinsky said. "We were chasing each other up and down the ice. We've got to make sure we lock it down and chip the puck in and make them come 200 feet rather than 100. Maybe we got ahead of ourselves a bit when we got up 3-0, started turning pucks over a little bit and cheating and taking a few penalties."

Down 1-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals with Game 2 in Pittsburgh this afternoon, the Rangers have to adjust quickly.

"In spite of the fact that we were up 3-0, we recognized that we weren't playing great hockey," Brendan Shanahan said. "I don't know if we definitely feel robbed for that reason. We're not a team that has been winning games 5-4, 6-5. We're a defensive team, and defensively, we weren't doing the kinds of things we were doing in the first round of the playoffs," when the Rangers ousted the Devils in five games.

"We were a little fragmented defensively," Shanahan said, "and sometimes that inch here or there makes a difference."

One play from Game 1 remained a hot topic: Martin Straka's critical third-period interference penalty on Sidney Crosby that opened the door for Evgeni Malkin's power-play game-winner with 1:41 left.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien, without being questioned about it, revived the issue of whether Crosby embellished the play. At the end of his news conference yesterday, Therrien accused Rangers coach Tom Renney of attempting to put the focus on the way Crosby draws penalties, both before the series and after the game.

"He's trying to get the attention of the referees," Therrien said. "He complained about the penalty at the end of the game, where as far as I'm concerned, as far as we're all concerned, it's not even close ... We know what he's trying to do, but I'm convinced the referees don't buy into those things, the league doesn't buy into those things. Why don't we give credit to a guy that plays into traffic, who got a shot in the face in the first period by [Sean] Avery."

Shanahan said he believes that the team simply was defending Straka. "We certainly didn't come into the room and throw down our equipment and say we got hosed by the refs," he said. "So I'm kind of surprised that Therrien's making a big issue today. I'm actually really surprised. But if he wants to bring the referees' attention to it, that's fine ... He can defend his players and we'll defend ours."

Renney declined to get into any back-and-forth about Therrien's comments. "I don't ever recall suggesting Sidney was an issue," he said. "We're worried about winning this series. It's gone; those things happen. I'm certainly not suggesting it wasn't a penalty."

Notes & quotes: Petr Prucha, who has played in only six games since Feb. 10, likely will play today on a line with Blair Betts and Fred Sjostrom to add speed and perhaps some scoring, especially if the right wing gets some power-play time. Colton Orr would be scratched for Prucha.

Rangers vs. Penguins

Penguins lead series 1-0

Game 1: Penguins 5, Rangers 4

Today: at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.

TV: Ch. 4

Tuesday: at Rangers, 7 p.m.

TV: MSG

Thursday: at Rangers, 7 p.m.

TV: Versus

*May 4: at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.

TV: Ch. 4

*May 5: at Rangers, 7 p.m.

TV: MSG

*May 7: at Pittsburgh, TBD

TV: MSG

*if necessary

All games on WEPN (1050), WLNG (92.1) and WLIR (107.1)