These were the Rangers who burst out of the gate to a 10-2-1 October. These were the Rangers who were greater than the sum of their parts for the first four months of the season but who had devolved into a sum-zero team the last four weeks.
“One of the first things that John told us was, ‘Remember who the [bleep] you are, remember what jersey you wear and be proud of yourselves,’ ” Henrik Lundqvist said after the Blueshirts routed the Avalanche 6-1 at the Garden last night to give John Tortorella his first win behind the bench following two defeats.
“I have to give credit to both Schony [assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld] and John for keeping everybody excited. It’s really been a tough few weeks here. There’s just been so much disappointment and negative energy around the team, but these coaches have kept everything positive.”
The offensive outburst was positive, all right – positively astounding for a club that had been limited to two goals or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games during which they’d gone 2-8-4 and in which they’d lost five games by the score of 2-1.
Last night, the Rangers not only got to three, they did so within 13:24 of the first period that would end 4-0, marking the first time the Blueshirts had played with as much as a two-goal, first-period edge since Dec. 13, a span of 27 games.
Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev and Ryan Callahan – five of the six forwards comprising the first two units – scored. Brandon Dubinsky, the lone Ranger top-six forward not to score, played an outstanding and assertive game while leading the team’s forwards in ice time.
Indeed, the first two lines accounted for just a tad under 75-percent of the forwards’ total ice time through the first two periods as the Rangers came in waves against the West’s last-place team, and were rewarded for it on the scoreboard and in the standings.
If the ice time has tilted under Tortorella, the play of the defense has improved dramatically. Dimitri Kalinin looks like a different player. Marc Staal has been outstanding paired with Dan Girardi. Wade Redden has been more involved. And Paul Mara has been a leader.
“I don’t think there’s been a better feeling in this room all year,” said Mara, who fought toward the end of the game with Darcy Tucker despite just having recovered from a shoulder injury. “There’s a sense that we’re ready to take off from here.”
Mara’s fight closed the card that included three pervious melees and/or fights within a span of three minutes as the game wound down. Plus, Schoenfeld screamed from the bench at Ian Laperriere in what most would consider a breach of conduct.
“We’re going to stand up for each other,” said Mara. “We’re together in this room.”
The victory was the 240th of Tortorella’s career, his first as a Ranger head coach after going 0-3-1 on an interim basis in 1999-2000 and 0-1-1 this week.
“It isn’t about me,” he said. “I’m privileged to be here but it’s not about me. It’s about a hockey team trying to find its way after going through a little bit of an ordeal the last few weeks.
“It’s about the team trying to get into the playoffs.”
Rangers 6 Avalanche 1