NHL

Despite loss, Rangers’ Biron shows his language fluency

MONTREAL — Rangers backup goalie Martin Biron is never one to shy away from a conversation, but it’s not too often he has to do it in two languages.

Before Saturday night’s 3-0 loss to the Canadiens at the Bell Center, Biron prepared for his fourth start of the season by speaking French and English to cameras and reporters that flocked to him like bees on honey.

“It is a special thing for any player coming into Montreal,” said Biron, who is from Lac St. Charles, Quebec, about three hours up the St. Lawrence River outside of Quebec City.

“It’s fun when you’re here. The energy is really high. As a player, you try not to get sucked into the energy so you’re out of position and maybe take a penalty. As a goalie, sometimes the energy is great.”

That’s only for some goalies, which does not include starter Henrik Lundqvist. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has not performed well throughout his career at the Bell Center, having played 666 minutes with a record of 4-5-2, a 3.87 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage. Saturday night, Biron had 18 saves in 21 shots for just a .833 save percentage.

Lundqvist repeatedly has said the energy in the building gets him too excited to play, and that he can be overanxious and try too hard.

Biron has an answer for that.

“I try to simplify things when I play,” Biron said. “A simple game is a great game.”

* Coach John Tortorella reviewed the tape from Thursday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Senators in Ottawa, and what stood out to him was the end of the game when the team blew a 2-1 lead. More specifically, he pointed out a holding penalty on Brian Boyle that lead to the game-tying goal from Mika Zibanejad.

“Where I’m little distressed, we didn’t close it out,” Tortorella said. “We take a stupid penalty, just a lack of positioning. I thought we failed there as far as our heart. It’s a great teaching part of it.”

Boyle started Saturday night as the center of a fourth line with Brandon Mashinter and Christian Thomas, the latter making his NHL debut. Boyle was also seen leaving the arena with a noticeable limp. He played just 9:36 and had a -1 plus-minus rating.