NHL

Two men down too much to handle for Rangers

MONTREAL — The Rangers’ penchant for going down two men in shorthanded situations has been a recurring theme through the first 11 matches of the season, with the club putting itself into seven 5-on-3 disadvantages, all in the last nine games.

But last night was the first time it came back to bite them. When it did, it played a significant role in the 5-4 overtime defeat to the Canadiens in a match the Blueshirts twice led by two goals in the second period.

It was 4-2 when Vinny Prospal took an elbowing penalty at 14:16. Chris Higgins then was called for high-sticking at 14:41, giving Montreal an extended two-man advantage on which Marc-Andre Bergeron scored from the top of the right circle at 15:26.

The penalty was the first domino to fall for Higgins, who was benched for the third period and OT after failing to giddyup back on the Mike Cammalleri goal that tied the game at 18:58 of the second.

Dan Girardi (twice), Brian Boyle (twice), Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury and Higgins have been the culprits taking the penalties while the Rangers were already shorthanded.

The Blueshirts have had three 5-on-3 power play advantages, scoring twice.

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Henrik Lundqvist, who faced an inordinate number of good scoring opportunities last night, has yielded five goals or more in four of his last six starts in Montreal for a goals-against average of 4.94.

“The Canadiens are a really fast team and use their speed very well,” said Lundqvist. “They’re tough to play against, they create a lot of open chances, especially at home

“I don’t think that we faced a lot of pressure, but we were losing the puck in wrong areas. We have to improve in managing the puck.

“That’s part of the learning process.”

Said Dan Girardi: “When we were playing well, we were playing as a five-man unit on the ice, with the forwards and defense together. Now, sometimes the defense isn’t getting the puck to the forwards and sometimes the forwards are getting caught deep.

“We need the forwards and defense playing well together, especially in the neutral zone.”

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After contemplating splitting the Girardi-Marc Staal pair following its difficulties against New Jersey on Thursday, head coach John Tortorella kept the tandem intact.

“I have thought about splitting Marc and Danny and I talked to both of them,” Tortorella said before the game. “But I am going to keep them together, at least at the start.

“It’s a challenge and I want to see what comes of it. I want to see if they respond. A lot of their play together has been good but there have also been some struggles.”

Staal was minus-two and Girardi minus-one in the frantic affair in which the club’s defense was too often left on its own to defend the rush.

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Chris Higgins, benched for the third period and OT, can’t say that Tortorella didn’t warn him, because the head coach did.

“Maybe tonight will help Higgy get into it,” Tortorella said at the morning skate. “If he goes about this the right way, then the coaching staff is here to help him but if he falters, there’s going to be a problem.

“Chris and I have an understanding. Up until the last couple of games he’d been doing everything but I don’t know what road he’s gone down the last couple of games.”

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Tortorella shifted his line combinations going into the game, and then again for the third period in which neither Higgins nor Brandon Dubinsky got off the bench.

Rangers opened with Vinny Prospal between Marian Gaborik and Enver Lisin; Dubinsky between Higgins and Ryan Callahan; Drury between Sean Avery and Ales Kotalik; and Artem Anisimov between Aaron Voros and Brian Boyle.

Tortorella kept the Prospal unit intact for the third while Avery skated with Drury and Kotalik, and Anisimov centered Voros and Callahan.

Prospal got 8:13 in the third while Avery got 7:46, Gaborik 7:40 and Drury 7:11.

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Donald Brashear missed his second straight with an upper body issue. . . . The Rangers, 7-3-1, are home tomorrow night for Phoenix before going to the Coliseum Thursday to face the Islanders and Minnesota Friday to face the Wild.