Rangers again bounce back with big effort
Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand tries to get a shot off against New York Rangers' Michael Del Zotto and goalie Henrik Lundqvist during the first period. (Jan. 21, 2012) Credit: AP
BOSTON -- The Rangers have bounced back from defeat all season, and their 4-1 home loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday set the stage for another rebound game Saturday. But playing the Bruins was a tough task.
"It was a great challenge. When you play them, it's all about battle level," said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 32 saves in the Rangers' 3-2 overtime win and is 17-5-2 in his career against the Bruins. "I think we answered really well."
Lundqvist also had a bird's-eye view of Andrew Ference's hit on Ryan McDonagh in OT that drew a five-minute major and game misconduct. An angry Lundqvist uncharacteristically skated toward the scrum as the officials tried to keep the players apart. "I was saying some things to a lot of people," he said.
In a side note, Lundqvist was named an assistant captain on Team Alfredsson for next Sunday's All-Star Game in Ottawa.
Savard visits Bruins
Bruins center Marc Savard, a former Ranger who hasn't played since Jan. 22, 2010, because of concussion symptoms, was back at TD Garden and watched the game from a luxury suite. He has donated the suite for every home game for the rest of the season to be used by patients at Children's Hospital Boston, with the focus on children suffering from the effects of head trauma.
Savard was selected by the Rangers in the third round of the 1995 draft and scored 54 points in 98 games before being traded to Calgary in 1999. He said he still feels the effects of the concussion, which is expected to keep him out for the entire season.
Blue notes
The Rangers' power play was on an 0-for-16 skid before Marian Gaborik's game-winner . . . The workhorse defensemen, McDonagh and Dan Girardi, played 33:31 and 32:04, respectively . . . Girardi's assist on Gaborik's first goal was the 100th of his career.
With AP
