Staple's analysis: Power play, along with Lundqvist, the Rangers' spark

There would have been no Rangers win last night without the brilliance of Henrik Lundqvist, who usually is reason No. 1 that his team ends a night with two points.

But the Rangers have another big key: the power play. It was the spark for their seven-game winning streak in October. It disappeared for long stretches in the ensuing months, especially January, and the Rangers slid down in the Eastern Conference standings.

The power play was the difference again last night, with Marian Gaborik's 13th power-play goal breaking a scoreless tie 7:20 into the second. And it was the result of what John Tortorella had said was missing during the power play's 0-for-25 drought over seven games, of which the Rangers won only one, before the four-goal breakout in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Capitals.

"The key is puck movement," Tortorella said. "If we get stagnant and we hold on to the puck . . . that's one of the things we've worked on with Gabby, to get rid of the puck. Because once he holds on to it, everyone just converges on him. He gets rid of it, he gets himself open."

A lot of the talk around last night's game was about the Devils' newly acquired star, Ilya Kovalchuk, and what he can do at the point on the power play. The Rangers' deal for Olli Jokinen has been a boon at the point for their power play, too.

"Getting Olli has kind of sparked us," said Michael Del Zotto, 19, the main power-play quarterback all season. "We were almost locked into making the same play every time for a bit there. We understand now, with the talent we have, we've got to be more creative."

Jokinen had a goal and assist on the power play against Washington and was out there on Gaborik's goal last night. All five Rangers on the first power-play unit touched the puck before Gaborik, just the way Tortorella wants it, the way it has to work.

Vinny Prospal, whose return to health after knee surgery last month is another key to the power play, gained the zone. He swept the puck back to Jokinen, who got it to Prospal, who fed Del Zotto, whose diagonal pass found a cutting Ryan Callahan, who fed Gaborik for the goal.

Power-play perfection, and the start of a three-goal burst in a 2:39 span for a team that has struggled so much to put goals and wins together.

The Rangers are 11-10-4 since Dec. 17. When they score a power-play goal, they're 8-1-0, the only defeat being Thursday's wild 6-5 loss to the red-hot Capitals.

"The power play's been very inconsistent for us this year," Gaborik said. "We've tried different breakouts, some different things. We have to keep it going."

Del Zotto has been on the point for the first unit all season. His 18 power-play points (three goals, 15 assists) tie him with John Tavares for the rookie lead.

His game has sagged a bit, natural for any rookie playing a greater amount of games, especially as a defenseman. But when he can make passes like he did to Callahan, a threaded look through the penalty-killers, scoring looks easy.

"We've kind of changed our perspective," Del Zotto said. "Everyone out there can make a play."

There would have been no win without Lundqvist, whom the Rangers need most of all to have any shot at the postseason.

But there also would have been no win without the power play, with five goals in its last nine chances, perhaps ready to send the team on another roll.