COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cam Talbot has allowed two goals in each of his first four Rangers’ and NHL starts in goal. When the 26-year-old got the assignment against the Blue Jackets on Thursday night, he became the first goaltender to hold opponents to two goals or fewer in his first four games as a Ranger since Kirk McLean did it to start the 1999-2000 season.
“This is his first opportunity at this level and on this stage,” coach Alain Vigneault said of Talbot before the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets. “He’s done well and now he needs to continue to do real well.
“We have 13 of these back-to-backs and a few other situations where we play a lot of games in a short period of time,” said Vigneault, whose team defeated the Penguins 5-1 at the Garden on Wednesday.
“I have said that I want to be able to give the back-up anywhere from 15-to-22 games, so that Henrik [Lundqvist] is in that 60-something range. I haven’t changed my mind on that.”
Marian Gaborik, who once scored five goals against Lundqvist when the sniper played for Minnesota and who beat the King twice in one period of an All-Star choose-up game a couple of seasons ago, laughed when asked if he was disappointed not to get a shot at the King.
“A little bit,” he said. “It would be nice if he would get in at some point.”
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Vigneault was especially displeased with the Benoit Pouliot “closing hand on the puck” penalty the winger took at 14:13 of the second period against the Penguins.
“That’s the third time that’s happened [to the team],” Vigneault said. “I hope we figure out that we can’t put our hand on the puck.”
The Rangers have allowed just eight goals in going 5-1 in their last six matches. They have surrendered two goals or fewer in eight straight games.
The 8-8 Rangers reached .500 for the first time since Oct. 7 victory over Kings evened their record at 1-1. The Blue Jackets, 5-10, have lost five straight in which they have been outscored 19-8.
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Fedor Tyutin, once considered “the crown jewel” of the Rangers’ organization who was dealt to Columbus for Nik Zherdev in July 2008, is in his sixth season in Columbus.
“I’m getting old,” said the 30-year-old defenseman, who scored Thursday night.