Gritty Rangers show signs of greatness

This season's surprising Rangers team -- which has charged to the top of the NHL's Eastern Conference after 53 games -- reminds Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien of something: his Stanley Cup championship squad.

"The goaltending is strong, they have depth; defensively they've been really strong and they're certainly not afraid to play a physical game. I see a lot of similarities," said Julien, whose players won it all last season. "Some of their young players have developed and gotten better. It's about maturity, and that's what we went through a few years back. We had some challenging times, but we grew through it all and eventually we were able to persevere."

To be sure, the Rangers already have navigated some minefields that might have sunk a weaker team: An exhibition schedule and season-opening series than spanned five cities in four European countries, followed by a Western Canada trip scheduled because of renovations at Madison Square Garden; concussion symptoms that sidelined All-Star defenseman Marc Staal for training camp and 36 games; the distractions of HBO's "24/7'' and the national stage of the Winter Classic.

"The guys have been through a lot and have managed to stay focused," said coach John Tortorella, who steadfastly refuses -- as least publicly -- to look ahead further than the next game. "But we haven't won anything yet."

Nonetheless, the run has been remarkable. The journey to first place, with a .708 winning percentage, marks the team's best start in 39 years and the second-best in franchise history.

It has been fueled by Henrik Lundqvist and goaltending partner Martin Biron, who have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL; rebound seasons from sniper Marian Gaborik, who, with 27 goals, already has five more than last season, and Michael Del Zotto, who was relegated to the minors last season; All-Star fortitude from defenseman Dan Girardi, who leads the NHL in ice time per game, and leadership from gritty first-year captain Ryan Callahan and veteran center Brad Richards, the free agent who signed a nine-year, $60-million contract last summer to rejoin Tortorella, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in Tampa. But there have been contributions up and down the lineup, from sophomores Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh to Brian Boyle and speedy rookie Carl Hagelin.

"It's like other good teams I've been on," said Richards, who has seven game-winning goals. "There's never a panic in the locker room. We don't need heart-to-heart speeches. We don't need people yelling and screaming. We've been through it and we have a game plan that we've executed many times and we're very confident."

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The plan is simple -- skate hard, finish checks, create offense off defense -- and it's been successful. The Rangers are first in hits and fifth in blocked shots, and the penalty-kill has held opponents scoreless in 15 of the last 20 games.

"You can't just look at stats," cautions Biron, whose infectious personality is a locker room plus. "It's consistent play everywhere. If we need to win 1-0 or needed to win 4-3, we've been there."

Perhaps the most telling numbers of the club's consistency are these: They have lost two consecutive games in regulation only twice and each time snapped back with a five-game winning streak. "That's the difference between this year's team and the years past," Girardi said. "The way we respond to losses; to come right back and win and not lose two or three in a row."

The result? They have secured at least a point in 35 of the last 45 games.

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After Saturday's games, the Rangers are one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for first place overall, 76-75, with three games in hand. The only cloud in the playoff forecast is the middling offense and a dreadful power play (ranked 27th entering action Saturday), a flaw that could be addressed before the Feb. 27 trade deadline.

Tied for 14th with San Jose and Montreal in goals through Friday, the Rangers could be the lowest-scoring team to win the Presidents' Trophy (most points) since 1967, which underscores Lundqvist's excellence (a 1.80 GAA and .939 save percentage, both numbers second in the league, and six shutouts, tied for first). "He's a stone wall back there," Brandon Dubinsky said.

"Their players grind it out," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said after the Rangers rallied to beat the Lightning, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday night. "And their goaltending is so solid, so they make every game difficult for an opponent. They've had some timely goals and their confidence has grown. They've got a very good package."

But packages can unravel, and the Rangers are guarding against that. "We have to keep challenging ourselves to try to get better," Lundqvist said, "and the challenge is to stay on top. So far it's been a good ride."