Tortorella not interested in talking about clinching
Head coach John Tortorella of the New York Rangers looks on from the bench as his team plays against the Nashville Predators. (Jan. 17, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Rangers coach John Tortorella, tight as a drum before Sunday night's game, declined to answer any questions about the possibility of the Rangers clinching first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference races.
Clinching the top spot became a possibility when the Flyers beat the second-place Penguins, 6-4, in the afternoon, but in a 12-second briefing before Sunday night's game, Tortorella simply answered "no" to three questions about whether he had discussed it with the players or whether it was a factor. "That it? Good,'' he said before leaving the area.
After practice Saturday, Tortorella had freely discussed his thoughts on home-ice advantage in the playoffs, talked about Marian Gaborik's play at length and touched on several other players, including defensemen Anton Stralman and Tim Erixon.
Gaborik reaches 40
Gaborik reached the 40-goal mark for the third time with his first-period goal. He had 42 with the Rangers in 2009-10 and with the Wild in 2007-08 . . . The Rangers had only one shot in a 9:55 stretch spanning the first two periods. Marc Staal forced Tim Thomas to make a save 30 seconds into the second.
Blue notesThe Rangers have three games remaining: on the road Tuesday in Philadelphia and Thursday in Pittsburgh, and the home finale in Washington on Saturday. Backup goalie Martin Biron (12-5-2, 2.38 GAA, .906 save percentage) is expected to get at least one start . . . F John Scott, who has not dressed for 12 games, and D Jeff Woywitka, who hasn't dressed for 16, were healthy scratches. Steve Eminger (ankle sprain) missed his ninth straight . . . Vic Hadfield, who scored 50 goals in 1971-72, received a round of applause from the crowd, as did Sergei Nemchinov, the Russian center who played for the Rangers from 1991-97.
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