Boyle, Dubinsky move on from Game 2 sideshow
Brian Boyle of the New York Rangers celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. (April 14, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
OTTAWA -- Brandon Dubinsky had nothing to say about his early ejection from Game 2.
"Look, I don't want to talk about it," he said after the Rangers practiced at the MSG Training Center and before they hopped a flight to Ottawa for Monday night's Game 3. "We'll be ready to play tomorrow, I'll be ready to play tomorrow. We expect them to be good again and we need to be better. What's important is not what happened [Saturday] but what's going to happen tomorrow."
Actually, there still was some sorting out to be done Sunday. Senators defenseman Matt Carkner, who initiated the incident that led to his and Dubinsky's ejections, was suspended for Game 3, as announced Sunday night by NHL vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan.
Carkner's ejection was well-earned, considering he stood up Brian Boyle along the boards and began pounding away at Boyle, who did not respond. Dubinsky's was less so, given that he was merely the first of an onrushing horde of Rangers and Senators who came over to pry Carkner off Boyle 2:15 into Game 2.
"I thought he was kind of going to defend himself, but that wasn't the case," Carkner told reporters after Ottawa's practice and before his suspension was announced.
With Carkner's and Carl Hagelin's suspensions announced, the Rangers were moving away from Game 2's sideshow antics and looking ahead to a series tiebreaker Monday night at Scotiabank Place.
"We're confident," said Boyle, who almost got the ultimate revenge by scoring to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead early in the third period Saturday. "We know our opponent is a good opponent. They've got a lot of different assets. But it doesn't change the way we think of ourselves."
That Boyle -- who played a strong defensive game this season but needed five goals in his final nine regular-season games to reach 11 -- has been the focus of both the Senators' ire and the Rangers' offense through two games is a bit of a surprise.
Said John Tortorella: "He faced some retribution as far as their team trying to protect their players, he stood right in there, ran over [Chris] Neil later in the game, scores a big goal -- I wish it stood for him. It's a teaching game for him, what he's becoming as a player. He's developed that mental toughness and is becoming a really good player for us."
Boyle will be out there Monday night. So will Dubinsky. Carkner will not, but that doesn't mean the tensions will be any less. "That was [Saturday]. It's over with," Boyle said. "We expect to battle again in Game 3."
With Zach Schonbrun
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