Predators win as Rangers' woes pile up

Yesterday's blizzard kept 5,000 hockey fans from the Garden. But it was the Rangers' losing ways that have snowballed. The Nashville Predators sent the Blueshirts to their eighth loss in the last 10 games with a 2-1 victory.

Playing after three days off and without leading scorer Marian Gaborik, who was cut on the thigh in Tuesday's practice by the skate of Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers crumbled under the weight of penalties and ineffectiveness on the power play.

With the score tied at 1 in the second period, Michael Del Zotto was called for a hook and received an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct for jawing at referee Ian Walsh at 12:44. On the bench, coach John Tortorella could be seen scolding the 19-year-old, who was sent to the end of the bench where he remained rooted for the rest of the period.

The penalty-killers came very close to escaping the four minutes shorthanded, but Brandon Dubinsky lost his stick and Michal Rozsival hit Ryan Callahan with a clearing attempt in front of Lundqvist, who kept the Rangers in this one all night. Colin Wilson quickly fired the loose puck from the right circle for a 2-1 lead at 16:10. During the early part of the power play, Marc Staal had blocked a shot with his left hand.

Del Zotto returned at the start of the third period, and Alex Sulzer pulled down Chris Drury at 2:45 behind the net, giving the Rangers a chance to improve on their 1-for-4 mark with the man advantage. They didn't and goaltender Dan Ellis, who finished with 37 saves, held off a desperate flurry by the Rangers in the final three minutes. He stopped Olli Jokinen, Vinny Prospal, Erik Christensen and Enver Lisin. With 1:48 left, Lundqvist was pulled for an extra attacker

The Rangers had tied the game at the tail end of a five-on-three for 59 seconds when Steve Sullivan went off for slashing at 8:51 of the second. Jokinen cut along the blue line to snare a clearing attempt and the Rangers set up with passes around the perimeter. Eventually, Jokinen's wide slapper was grabbed at the post by Vinny Prospal, who banked the puck in off the sprawling Ellis at 9:48. It was Prospal's 12th goal of the season.

Earlier in the second, Lundqvist, who made 34 saves, began his superb play by holding the score at 1-0. He gloved Jordan Tootoo's shot about two minutes in. Martin Erat later rang one off the crossbar behind Lundqvist, who then used his right skate to stop J.P. Dumont coming in alone.

The Rangers dropped to 26-27-7 with a trip to Pittsburgh next on the menu. The Predators, who lost in a shootout to the Islanders on Tuesday night, are 32-22-5.

In the first period, Tortorella double-shifted right wings - Callahan and Drury - with center Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust on a fourth line. The Predators went ahead 1-0 at 17:45 on a shot by Kevin Klein from the right point through traffic that hit Tootoo. There were three power plays for the Predators.

The three-game homestand concluded with an announced crowd of 13,128 and a 1-2 mark. The Rangers remained out of a playoff spot with 22 games left in the regular season. It would be the first time since the lockout that the Rangers missed the postseason.