Rangers suffer slide at bad time
Rangers goalie Martin Biron blocks a shot by Islanders right winger Michael Grabner. (Feb. 24, 2012) Credit: AP
The Rangers are hitting the skids at the wrong time.
After failing to win in regulation in three straight games for the first time since the opening of the season, coach John Tortorella was worried before his team faced the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Friday. He had good reason.
"I'm concerned about our mind-set," Tortorella said. "I think our mind-set has to be stronger and it has to be a harder mind-set. I think we've dipped there. It needs to ratchet up again. We need to remind ourselves that teams are coming at us."
The Islanders came fast, busting out to a 2-0 lead in the first 8:42, but the Rangers battled back. Marc Staal scored a power-play goal at 12:47 of the first period to halve the Islanders lead. Down 3-1, the Blueshirts erased a two-goal deficit for the second time this season (the other was against the Flyers in the Winter Classic) on goals by Marian Gaborik, his team-leading 28th, and Derek Stepan.
But it wasn't enough. Matt Moulson scored in the fourth round of the shootout for a 4-3 Islanders win, giving the Rangers their third loss in four games, the team's worst stretch this season. They had a three-game stretch of 0-1-2 to open the regular season.
The struggles come with Monday afternoon's trade deadline approaching and the front office still interested in Columbus power forward Rick Nash.
The Rangers, 38-15-6 for 82 points, will play the 10th of 14 back-to-back series against the Sabres on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. They are 7-1-1 in the second game of those series.
In the shootout, Frans Nielsen beat Martin Biron and Gaborik matched it with a forehander past Evgeni Nabokov. John Tavares whistled one wide, Nabokov poked the puck away from Ryan Callahan, Biron gloved P.A. Parenteau's shot and Brad Richards' backhander was stopped. Nabokov also stopped John Mitchell in the fourth round.
Biron, who allowed four early goals in a loss to the Blackhawks in his last start on Feb. 16, kept it to two Friday in the first period. Biron (10-3-1, 2.17) also allowed three goals in his two previous starts, an OT win over the Lightning and a loss to the Devils.
Notes & quotes: Henrik Lundqvist (28-12-4) is expected to start Saturday at the Garden against the Sabres . . . After missing six games with an apparent concussion suffered on a high hit from Tampa Bay's Dominic Moore, Ruslan Fedotenko returned. Stu Bickel switched back to defense from forward, and Steve Eminger was a healthy scratch. He has played six games since his return from a shoulder separation, but was on the ice for just over eight minutes, zero in the third period of a 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Tortorella said he didn't like Anton Stralman's game, either, and Stralman didn't help his cause with some gaffes . . . With his goal Friday, Staal is rounding into form. After missing training camp, the exhibition season and 36 games, Staal has played 23 consecutive games, with Tortorella gradually increasing his ice time.
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