Shorthanded no disadvantage for Rangers

In the first 22 games, the Rangers recorded three shorthanded goals; one was Brandon Dubinsky's empty-netter on opening night against the Sabres. Since then, they have scored eight more, including five by Brandon Prust, who is second in the NHL behind the Islanders' Frans Nielsen. The Rangers are tied for third in the NHL with 11, compared to five last season.

"We've been trying to be more aggressive up ice," coach John Tortorella said. "It was sometime in December, we felt we were spending too much time in our end and we had chances to dump pucks and maybe chase it down and really disrupt them. I know [assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld] had a concentration on that as far as trying to put more pressure up ice . . . we concentrated on getting better dumps to go pursue pucks."

As for Prust, the feisty left wing who has five of the shorthanded goals, Tortorella said: "He just has a knack, he's around the puck, it doesn't even look like he can get up the ice sometimes . . . the puck tends to follow him."

McDonagh plays

Ryan McDonagh, elbowed in the face by Matt Cooke on Sunday, a blindside attack that prompted a suspension for the Penguins' final 10 games and the first round of the playoffs, was in the lineup with a sore jaw and neck. "The league is really pushing to get these things out of the game, so it's a pretty big statement for sure," the rookie defenseman said.

Blue notes

All-Star defenseman Marc Staal, who has an undisclosed injury, didn't skate and sat for the second straight game. "Can't play. He's day-to-day, I'll give you that," said Tortorella, who has not been specific about the injury . . . Sean Avery was a healthy scratch for the third straight game.