Phil Kessel beat Henrik Lundqvist to score one of the goals for Toronto. (NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg)
The Rangers have done nothing yet to identify themselves as heirs to the 2010-11 Black-and-Blueshirts.
An opening 20 minutes of dominant hockey produced at least in part by the adrenaline rush of playing at the remodeled Garden for the first time fizzled into more of the same old October 2011 for the Rangers, who were beaten 4-2 by the Maple Leafs on a night when Henrik Lundqvist was as culpable as anyone in yielding at least two questionable goals, perhaps three.
“It’s very disappointing for me to have played this way,” said Lundqvist, beaten at 1:20 of the second on a short-side wrist shot from the left that erased a 1-0 Rangers’ lead before yielding a pair of long ones from the left in the third. “I felt pretty good, but I was a little too sloppy.
“A couple of times, I was surprised by shots, and I don’t have an explanation for it. I think I was thinking ahead to the next play, looking too far ahead, instead of just focusing on the play and shot in front of me.
“I have to take care of that.”
There is more than a reasonable expectation that the King will indeed take care of that in his next start, whether that’s tomorrow afternoon against the Senators or Monday night against the Sharks as this six-game homestand continues.
The same level of confidence does not, however, exist that the Rangers will be able to repair their game within the immediate future. The team is lacking cohesiveness, confidence and consistent energy.
“Physically, we’re lethargic,” Tortorella said. “Mentally, we’re lethargic.”
“We Want Avery,” many in the crowd chanted loudly with eight minutes remaining in the third with the Rangers down 3-1, the reference of course to Sean Avery, exiled to the AHL Whale. Earlier, a huge banner hung from the southeast corner of the balcony in the first period that read, “16 Avery. Send Torts [coach John Tortorella] To The Whale.”
“Sean is one of a kind when he plays his game,” said Lundqvist, when asked about the Peoples’ Choice. “He brings a lot to the table.
“But management thinks this is the best team possible, so we have to go with that.”
Avery’s absence from the scene — likely permanent — can’t be the reason the Rangers have looked so discombobulated. It can’t be the reason that Brad Richards is struggling to find both his own game and create a constructive partnership with Marian Gaborik.
It can’t be the reason the Rangers have scored two goals or fewer in six of their eight games, getting 16 overall.
And it can’t be the reason the Rangers were so bad over the final 40 minutes, repeatedly turning the puck over and losing the neutral zone after being so strong in the first period by getting pucks and bodies to the net throughout in taking a 1-0 lead on Dan Girardi’s right circle blast at 6:23 before two apparent scores were disallowed because of “contact with the goaltender.”
“It’s hard for me to explain the swing from one period to the next,” said Girardi. “The first period we did what we set out to do, we had the puck down low, we went to the net and controlled the play but after that we committed a lot of turnovers which allowed them to come flying back at us.”
“We gave up too much on the transition. Until I look at the video, I can’t say why, but I can say we’re all pretty disappointed in ourselves.
Oh well, it will be better once the Rangers are home.