Rangers trying to keep their heads above water despite all the injuries

It is far too soon to determine if the Rangers are a better team than last season. What one can say is that after 11 games, their record is four points higher.

Wednesday night, before hosting the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden, the injury-riddled Rangers were 5-4-2 (12 points) compared to last season's 4-7 record out of the gate.

However, the Blueshirts have not been as successful as home as they had hoped, with only three wins in seven tries and two consecutive shootout losses, to Winnipeg and St. Louis.

But the Rangers have kept their heads above water despite losing four of six defensemen and No. 1 center Derek Stepan, the latter since training camp.

"It was amazing to see the guys battle," said defenseman Kevin Klein, who returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing most of one game after being struck on the left boot early against Winnipeg, and then all of Monday's game with the Blues, with a bruised and swollen foot.

"You've got guys playing over 30 minutes a game, both overtimes, it's tough to watch that," said Klein, and listed the missing blueliners. "Mac [Ryan McDonagh] and me, John Moore [suspended], Boyler [Dan Boyle, broken hand], a lot of guys stepped up and played some hard minutes against some good teams."

Even with Klein and Mats Zuccarello, who returned after missing the Blues game with a groin injury, coach Alain Vigneault warned that the Red Wings (6-3-3) would be ready in their second game of a back-to-back.

"I know [Tuesday's 3-1 loss in Ottawa] wasn't probably from their playbook," Vigneault said. "They're not the type of team that turns a lot of pucks over. Knowing that player personnel and the coaching personnel, they're going to want a much better game as far as managing the game and managing the puck. I think, in the last two or three weeks, we're improving as a team when we do have the puck, and the areas when we need to get the puck back."

Henrik Lundqvist was back in net Wednesday night; Cam Talbot played against the Blues on Monday. Lundqvist entered with a 3-0-0 record and 0.33 GAA in his last three starts against the Wings, and had a shutout streak of 179:06. Detroit started their backup goalie, Jonas Gustavsson, who entered 1-1 with a 1.45 GAA and .935 save percentage.

Without Boyle and Stepan, the Rangers have struggled on the power play, ranked 27th in the league and 1-for-21 at MSG; the Wings were second in the NHL on the penalty-kill, and eighth on the road.

But the two Rangers forwards with the most productive careers, Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis, are off to quick starts, especially with St. Louis (3-5-8) back on right wing after an experiment at center with Stepan out.

"There's no doubt that he's much more comfortable on the wing than he is in the middle," Vigneault said. "Marty understood the situation we were in; he's an experienced guy who wanted to help the team out, but he's better for our team on the wing. He can get in the open a little bit quicker [and] when he sees holes or loose pucks he can get to them a little bit quicker.''

And Nash, who scored his 10th goal Wednesday night early in the first period, has been "the one consistent force of our forwards, since Game 1," Vigneault said.

"Whoever I've played him with, he has responded."