Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle is a player in transition

The winds of change are buffeting Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle, who is 38 and with a new team.

Boyle was healthy last season for San Jose and carried the puck up ice like the rover he once was for Tampa Bay. He quarterbacked a familiar power play -- contributing six goals and 12 assists -- and helped the Sharks into the playoffs.

However, the script has changed during his first three months in New York, where he was brought in as a free agent on a two-year, $9-million deal last July.

Part of that is bad luck: After playing 75 games in 2013-14, he broke his hand in the season opener in October and missed 14 games while also battling a flu-like illness for weeks.

But Boyle also said Saturday that he is making the transition into a different player under coach Alain Vigneault's system.

"I'm not getting as many looks as I have in the past," Boyle said before scoring an even-strength goal in the Rangers' 6-1 victory over the Sabres. "That's because I'm concentrating on taking care of my own end and playing defense and putting the puck up to the forwards, so I'm not rushing the puck as much as I'm accustomed to. But I base my game on wins and losses at this point. I know I'm going to be judged on goals and assists, but I'm not looking at winning a scoring title at 38."

Entering Saturday night, Boyle had only two goals and three assists in 19 games, with all but one assist on the power play. He was playing 20:32 per game, about a minute less than last season. He had only 32 shots on goal.

"I'm playing the way I need to play, and that's keeping it simple," said Boyle, who was plus-7 entering Saturday night. He was minus-8 last season with the Sharks.

"It's not what I'm used to, but you can't argue with nine wins in 10 games [now 10 in 11]. It's a little bit different than what I'm normally used to playing, but I've always said wins come first."

Since his return, Boyle has been the lone defenseman on the first power-play unit with Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard. Brassard, Chris Kreider and Nash had power-play goals in a span of 2:32 Saturday night before Boyle's goal made it 4-0 in the first period. Boyle, who got an assist on Brassard's goal, has three assists with the man advantage in the last five games.

"We were putting the puck in for a little while. Now the other unit's come through for us, so it's a matter of chipping in," he said. "As far as our unit, I feel good about it. It feels comfortable out there. We're generating, but not putting the puck in the net, and at the end of the day, that's what you need to do."

Boyle took Friday off for personal reasons, and when asked if his family is doing OK, he said yesterday: "It's been a tough couple of days." But he has a sense that the winds of change are calming.

"Physically, more than anything, it's been harder than the mental part," he said, "with the hand, and I was sick for . . . I don't know, three weeks, so it's been a challenge, but mentally it's been pretty easy. The guys have been great. The organization has been treating me real well."

Duclair likely headed to Quebec

J.T. Miller's success appears to have made the decision about the status of 19-year-old rookie Anthony Duclair easier.

Duclair, on loan to Team Canada, likely will be reassigned to the Quebec Remparts, his junior team, after the World Junior Championship ends tomorrow, when the Rangers, with 13 forwards and seven defensemen, travel to California to begin a road trip.

With the Rangers under the salary cap by about $1 million, they would have to re-assign or trade a player, and that is unlikely. Duclair (1-6-7 in 18 games, skating about 12 minutes per) would resume his development and play in the Memorial Cup, and the Rangers would postpone Duclair's eligibility for NHL free agency.

Down and out at the dots

Except for Dominic Moore, the Rangers have struggled on faceoffs, which are critical in a puck-possession attack. As effective as third-line center Kevin Hayes can be with his size and ability to control the puck in the corners, he has been dreadful (34.1 percent) at the dots. Hayes has won only 90 of 264 draws.

J.T. Miller, who played center full-time in Hartford, should see more time in the circles. "I like taking faceoffs and learned a lot there," Miller (42.6 percent) said Saturday, "so I don't mind stepping in. The more you do it, the more effective I think you can be." What's apparent is that on faceoffs, the Rangers miss Brian Boyle (Tampa Bay), 52.6 percent, which is 34th in the NHL, and Brad Richards (Chicago), 48.9 percent (55th).