NHL

Rangers ignoring Capitals’ talk heading into Game 4

John Tortorella expressed confidence yesterday that Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau’s accusations of the Rangers targeting Mike Green’s head would not have an impact on how tonight’s Game 4 at the Garden will be officiated.

The Rangers coach, who said Boudreau was “whining,” would be pleased to learn NHL VP Colin Campbell has his back on this one.

“All I can say is we watch all plays and hits to determine what is acceptable and what crosses the line,” Campbell wrote in an e-mail to the Post’s Mark Everson. “We don’t need Mr. Boudreau’s help.”

LARRY BROOKS CHAT REWIND

Boudreau on Monday called for the league to review Marc Staal’s hit on Green that leveled the Washington defenseman at the 19-minute mark of the second period in the Rangers’ 3-2, Game 3 victory on Sunday that has the Rangers poised to square the series. There was no review.

The coach also alleged Brandon Prust had left his feet in the first period in an attempt to nail Green, who missed the final 20 games of the season with a concussion he sustained on a Derek Stepan blow to the head during a puck battle in Washington on Feb. 25, for which the rookie was fined by Campbell.

“I’ve never targeted another player’s head and as a team we’re not targeting anybody’s head,” Prust told The Post. “We’re not a dirty team.

“I’m not worried about what their coach is saying. We’re a physical team that plays hard and finishes our checks. That’s what we’re going to stay with. Our focus is on us, on our game and continuing to play with the identity we’ve had all year, nothing else.”

Tortorella, whose team has appeared loose and confident through the pair of off-days following the Game 3 triumph, simply dismissed Boudreau’s charges when asked for his response.

“We have confidence in the league, we have confidence in the officials that they won’t be influenced by all the whining going on here right now,” he said. “Our mindset is just focusing on what we need to do play the right way and get ready for Game 4.”

The right way for the Rangers is competing in all the dirty areas, finishing checks, blocking shots, getting in on the forecheck, working below the hash marks and getting to the net. It’s a little late to add razzle-dazzle to the black-and-blueprint that has the team poised to make this a best-of-three against the conference champs with a victory tonight.

“We’re not going to get into a war of words with anybody or allow anything [Boudreau] says to affect us,” Brian Boyle told The Post. “We play hard, but we are not dirty players.

“Both teams are competing all game. Everyone knows what’s at stake. When you finish your checks, things happen. A stick comes up, or someone takes a high hit, but that’s part of this.

“We’re going to come hard like we always do.”

The Rangers had success on Sunday in getting both pucks and bodies to the net against goaltender Michal Neuvirth. And though Alex Ovechkin has scored twice in three games, the Rangers have succeeded in limiting The Great 8 on the rush, though that might be a partial byproduct of the winger’s adherence to a conservative system in contrast to the old run-and-gun.

“You go one at a time, but winning that last one gave us something positive to build on,” Boyle said. “We have to have that same urgency in this game. We still trail the series, but we’re a confident team.

“We believe in ourselves.”

larry.brooks@nypost.com