PHILADELPHIA — The operative word regarding Martin Biron on Tuesday night was nothing.
As in, allowing nothing to the Flyers on six shots in 31:22 of work in the Rangers’ 3-2 preseason victory. As in doing nothing to lose the backup goaltender’s role behind Henrik Lundqvist that he has held for the last three seasons.
“I’ve always had to fight for a job in camp or for a new contract every couple of years, so I don’t feel that there’s any difference now,” said Biron, who started the match before giving way to Cam Talbot. “It seems like it’s a cycle I go through every two or three years. It’s the business.”
Talbot, the 26-year-old prospect who also played Monday night in New Jersey in relief of Lundqvist, made a terrific left arm save on Jakub Voracek’s left-wing sizzler with 10 seconds remaining to protect the club’s first victory under coach Alain Vigneault.
“Some of [Biron’s] saves were on Grade A opportunities,” Vigneault said after the club leveled its record at 1-1. “I give him full marks.”
Johan Hedberg, who was invited for a tryout when Biron was called away to deal with a personal situation the first two days of camp, presumably will make his preseason debut either Monday in Calgary or next Tuesday in Edmonton if he remains with the club.
“We had it set up that Cam was going to play in both of these games before we invited Hedberg to camp,” Vigneault said. “We decided not to change it.”
The 36-year-old Biron is determined to prove to management there is no reason to change the goaltending alignment that has proved so successful the last three seasons, even if Biron started just five games a year ago in the truncated campaign after getting 20 starts (12-6-2) in 2011-12.
“I’ll be honest with you, Johan being here doesn’t bother me at all,” said Biron, whose best stop came 6:53 into the match when he moved right-to-left to deny Vincent Lecavalier’s right wing one-timer off a two-on-one.
“The urgency I feel isn’t because of any competition for the job, but it’s to show the new coaching staff what I can do so they can find the perfect role for me and utilize me the best way possible to help the team,” he said. “I know I can contribute the way I did a couple of years ago.”
If Biron is in actual jeopardy of losing his spot, it’s because of the Rangers’ cap squeeze. Biron is carrying a $1.3-million cap hit while Talbot is under contract for $562,500 and Hedberg presumably would be willing to sign a deal in the neighborhood of $750,000.
The difference would be meaningful for a team counting cap pennies. The Blueshirts would be hit with a cap charge of $375,000 on Biron if he is beaten out for the job and then waived to the AHL Wolf Pack. The savings only would go into full effect if Biron were traded. The market for backups at $1.3 million appears non-existent.
“I don’t concern myself with anything like that,” Biron said. “My mentality and attitude are to show the staff what I do so I can play the number of games I want to play.”
Biron has previous experience playing for Vigneault as a teenager with Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Beauport in 1995-96 and 1996-97.
“I had been called up for a few games with Buffalo and we made a coaching change while I was away, so by the time I got back [to Beauport] he was already there,” Biron said. “He had been let go [as an assistant] by Ottawa, and he came in from the NHL with the whip.
“At the time I was thinking, ‘I’m 18 years old, what are you yelling at me for? You don’t even know me.’ But I look back at it now and he knew what he was doing,” Biron said. “It was the right thing.
“He woke me up.”