Rangers in agreement: We have to be better

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- If you were looking for a difference of opinion, you were better off hanging with a group of movie critics or political junkies than at the Rangers practice center Friday.

The Blueshirts were all unwavering on one point: A day off was nice, but in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Saturday afternoon, they have to play harder, faster, smarter, stronger, better.

Consider Marian Gaborik, who scored 41 goals in the regular season, the third-highest in the NHL, but was benched by coach John Tortorella for the first 11 minutes of the third period in the Devils' 3-2 win in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden that tied the best-of-seven series at a game each.

"We need to be better, I need to be better, that's the bottom line," said Gaborik, who scored three times against the Capitals in the conference semifinals. "I didn't go a good job there on their second goal, on the wall. That's their strength, we need to win those battles. It's a series; I've been in that situation before. I want to focus on tomorrow, and so does everybody else."

Marc Staal said the message was received. "I think obviously that situation is between Gabby and Torts, but everyone knows how they have to play and you want to be at your best," he said. "You have to make sure you're at the top of your game or you'll be held accountable."

Tortorella appeared satisfied, at least on that issue. "We'll be in the right mind-set [Saturday] afternoon," he said.

Because the teams have faced each other six times during the season, and twice this week, adjustments have been made, but the basic styles and attitude remain the same. Game 3's outcome and probably the series, players said, will come down to execution.

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"It doesn't apply only in the defensive zone but the offensive zone," Gaborik said. "We have to be good on the walls, hold on to some pucks. We're not going to get much off the rush, so we have to get on the forecheck and make sure we keep it from [Martin] Brodeur when we dump the pucks in."

Although the Devils scored twice on deflections Wednesday, Henrik Lundqvist said the action in close hasn't changed.

"I thought we had more traffic in front playing in maybe Ottawa or Washington," Lundqvist said. "But Jersey has always been good knocking pucks down. You have to respect that. We just have to play them hard. But again, they're a good team, a skilled team that always, like I said, is knocking pucks down. Especially in the middle of the ice. If you try to go across or something like that, they're very good at going the other way. So we've talked about a few things, and we're going to correct it and be better."

Win or lose Saturday, this will be at least a five-game series, with Game 4 Monday at Prudential Center in Newark and Game 5 Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

"The mood doesn't change in here," said Ryan Callahan, who has just one goal in 10 games after apparently injuring his hand on a shot block in Game 6 against the Senators. "We're confident."