Alain Vigneault didn’t want to break up a winning combination in New Jersey on Saturday night, so the Rangers coach tabbed Michael Del Zotto as a healthy scratch after the defenseman had missed Wednesday’s 2-0 victory in Washington with a case of the flu.
That won’t be the issue for the Blueshirts’ next match, Thursday night in Philadelphia coming off the 4-0 defeat to the Devils even if, according to Vigneault, the club surrendered just eight scoring chances to New Jersey.
“The three games on the trip after L.A. I could have taken any of the defensemen out,” Vigneault said after the morning skate. “Nobody was playing well, we were outscored 20-[5].
“Then Michael was sick and we went into Washington and played our best game as far as the six D. Nobody deserved to come out, everybody played well,” the coach said. “That’s why I’m sticking with the same six.”
The explanation Vigneault provided the press was the same as the one he communicated to Del Zotto, who had gone minus-six with a five-on-five 44.4-percent Corsi rating (Rangers attempts for vs. opponent attempts against while on the ice) through his five games.
“I’m not happy with [my play],” Del Zotto said. “The last couple haven’t gone the way I wanted them to go, the team had a big win the last game and they’re going with the same guys.
“You always want to play, you work this hard your whole life to play and not to watch, but all I can control is how hard I work to try and work my way back in.”
Justin Falk, who played 8:57 in Washington, got 14:53 against the Devils while paired with John Moore.
Anton Stralman led Blueshirts’ defenseman in ice time for the first time in his 108-game Rangers’ career, getting 23:29 that included 20:27 at even strength. By contrast, Dan Girardi got just 13:40 at even strength.
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Cory Schneider didn’t make a memorable save in recording the fifth shutout of his NHL career and first as a Devil. But the former Vancouver netminder did outplay Henrik Lundqvist while stopping all 22 shots the Rangers sent his way.
In playing a spotless game against his former coach’s team, Schneider made Vigneault’s words about him at the morning skate seem prescient.
“He’s a great goaltender and great person,” Vigneault said of Schneider, whom the Devils acquired from the Canucks at the Entry Draft for the ninth overall pick in the lottery. “I think he’s one of the best in the league.
“He’s a student of the game and a great teammate. I’m sure the people in New Jersey are going to enjoy him.”
Indeed, with Lundqvist struggling through the match, the fans at the Rock broke into chants of “Cory … Cory … Cory” as well as, “Cory’s better.”
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Taylor Pyatt, who moved up to fill Ryan Callahan’s spot on the first line alongside Derick Brassard and Brad Richards until Vigneault mixed things up in the third, was second among forwards with 18:40 of ice time. Richards led with 20:21.
The Devils’ still-young defenseman Adam Larsson was designated as a healthy scratch for the first time in four games and the second time in eight matches this year.
“We’re going with the best 20 guys to win a hockey game,” DeBoer said of the explanation to sit the 20-year-old, fourth overall selection of the 2011 Entry Draft. “It’s as simple as that.
“I’m not going to get any deeper on our personnel decisions, but that’s the bottom line.”