There’s more competition for lineup spots and ice time on the Rangers than there was in the club’s 7-2 victory over the Islanders last night at the Garden.
Seriously, other than a stretch of a couple of minutes nearing the midpoint mark of the first period during which the Islanders scored both their goals, the game was a walkover, the Rangers outshooting the visitors 34-8 over the final 40 minutes and 52-20 overall.
“The biggest thing for us was that even though we dominated and had the big lead, we locked up our defensive zone and focused on the details the way we’d have to against a better team,” Brandon Dubinsky said. “Our forechecking was consistent, we went to the net, and we were rewarded.”
Matt Gilroy, who spent most of the first three months of the season as the seventh defenseman, rewarded coach John Tortorella for giving him a second straight game at the expense of healthy scratch Michael Del Zotto by scoring twice, picking his spots wisely in joining the attack and by being solid positionally in his own end.
“Confidence is the biggest thing, it’s huge, and when [the coaches] show a little confidence in you, it goes a long way,” said Gilroy, who’d been scratched in four straight and eight of 10 before getting the call Thursday against the Lightning. “But I’m only as good as my last game, so hopefully I’ll get to play in the next game and build on this.”
If the merit system is in force, Gilroy most certainly will play tomorrow night when the Rangers face the 30th overall Devils in Newark. That holds true as well for Mats Zuccarello, who last night joined Derek Stepan and Marian Gaborik on the first line and also was installed on the first power play unit.
That promotion cost Alex Frolov minutes under the restructured lineup as well as it cost Erik Christensen power play time. It’s been a spell since the Rangers had this type of battle for ice time.
“Gaborik is one of the best players in the league, so I was happy to get the opportunity to play with him,” said Zuccarello, who got an assist for his first NHL point on Stepan’s late power-play goal that closed the scoring. “He and Step are such smart players the way they hold the puck and the way they can do give-and-go’s.
“After two games, I feel I have to improve in the defensive zone and that maybe I can be more patient with the puck as I get more confidence.”
The Islanders had come in with three straight wins and a 4-0-1 record in their previous five and even gained a 2-1 first-period lead on goals 1:52 apart after Gilroy had scored in the first minute. But once Gaborik, who missed Thursday with a sore groin, scored on a one-time right circle power-play wrist shot at 19:09, the Islanders simply capitulated, outshot 18-4 in the second and then 16-1 over the first 16:20 of the third.
“I survived,” said Gaborik, who had six shots in 18:59. “I’ll have to see how it feels [today].”
Gilroy and Boyle extended the lead to 4-2 after two before Dubinsky, Fedotenko and Stepan (goals in four straight) beat the beleaguered and abandoned Dwayne Roloson in the third while relief goaltender Rick DiPietro never stirred in the bullpen on a night where all the competition was of the internal variety.