Rangers try to shake off nightmare loss to Canadiens

The Rangers skated around the ice inside the MSG Training Center on Thursday, a Thanksgiving Day practice before a flight and a team dinner in Boston.

They weren't giving thanks for what happened the night before, their most lopsided loss in a mostly win-filled season. They were just trying to move on after failing another test against Montreal, 5-1, hoping to rebound Friday afternoon against the Bruins.

"It's just a bad loss for us," defenseman Dan Girardi said. "We know we've got to be better. We have a lot of hockey here coming up, so we can't be dwelling on it too much."

They were plagued by defensive-zone trouble, especially turnovers and coverage, especially in front. Said Girardi, "It's been a little bit of an issue."

The man behind the mask had masked some previous defensive problems. Henrik Lundqvist is a primary reason why the Rangers are a sweet 16-4-2. But the goalie wasn't able to stop the Canadiens, who own an Eastern Conference-high 36 points, two more than the Rangers. Lundqvist was pulled 9:06 into the third period after yielding the five goals, three in that final period.

"You're going to have games where as a goalie, you have to do more," he said about breakdowns. "Then you have games where you have to do less. I think lately it might be I'm doing a little bit more. But we've been finding ways to win, and that's the most important thing."

Coach Alain Vigneault sounded upbeat. "I think we've mentioned since Day 1 that we know our game can be better. But it is pretty good,'' he said. "It's probably not getting enough credit for how good it is. Yes, we've been getting some great goaltending. But goaltending is part of it."

Now comes a stretch of three games in four days.

"It just stinks," center Derick Brassard said of losing, "but I think in past years, we always answer back in the next games and we try to improve right away."

They are 2-8-1 against the Canadiens in the last four regular seasons, including 0-2 this season.

"We definitely have to figure out a way [to beat them]," Lundqvist said. "What's good to know is that we faced them once in the [2014] playoffs and we beat them. We know we can. But so far in the regular season the last few years, they've had our number."

Notes & quotes: Lundqvist will start against Boston. Antti Raanta will start Saturday against visiting Philadelphia . . . Vigneault was considering inserting Emerson Etem for Viktor Stalberg as the fourth-line right wing and Dylan McIlrath on defense, saying, "I wanted Emerson and Dylan to get some normal reps . . . so I can have that option for [Friday].''