WHAT A HIT! Sean Avery (left) tries to hit Mike Mottau during the first period of the Devils’ 4-2 victory over the Rangers last night.
They’re 7-3 in their opening 10 games, which, as Chris Drury said last night, “anyone would have taken coming out of training camp.”
But the Rangers have lost two straight in the aftermath of their 4-2 defeat by the Devils, both at the Garden, a circumstance the captain noted in declaring, “We can’t be too thrilled by this.”
Henrik Lundqvist took responsibility for, “a really bad goal, unfortunately at the wrong time,” on Dainius Zubrus’ deflection in front that broke a 2-2 deadlock at 7:51 of the third but his mistake, if one was committed, was difficult to discern. The goaltender was one of the least culpable Blueshirts on the ice throughout.
Fact is, Dan Girardi, who watched Zubrus get his stick on Parise’s shot, was the more guilty party. Indeed, Girardi watched the Devils nearly the entire match, as if he’d purchased an expensive ice-level seat. He and partner Marc Staal were dreadful for the second straight game, with Girardi’s passive approach obviously wearing thin on head coach John Tortorella.
“Very average,” Tortorella snapped with a bite when asked for his evaluation of Girardi’s play thus far.
That pretty much sums up the Rangers last night, who were beaten to pucks and in battles through a first period in which New Jersey gained a 2-0 edge. The Blueshirts did knot the score with a better effort in the second period during which Tortorella shuffled all of his line combinations including the previously inviolable Vinny Prospal-Brandon Dubinsky-Marian Gaborik top unit.
Moreover, that pretty much sums up the Rangers over their last five games, the first three of which they were able to win against mediocre opponents despite mediocre performances. They’ve been average or less than that everywhere except in nets and on the power play.
“We got comfortable and thought we were a way better team than we are,” Sean Avery told The Post. “This team has to work harder than our opponent for us to win.”
The Rangers aren’t going to win with continued scoring droughts from nominal top-six forwards Drury, Chris Higgins and Ryan Callahan, either. Drury and Callahan have scored two goals apiece while Higgins is scoreless.
“There’s no question we have to step up,” said Drury. “We can’t rely on three or four guys to do our scoring. We have to have a balanced attack in order to win consistently.”
Martin Brodeur turned in his best performance against the Rangers since 2006-07, beaten only by a Gaborik power play screened wrist shot at 1:47 of the second and by an Ales Kotalik breakaway at 14:25. For the first time in ages, the great goaltender gave away nothing for free to the Blueshirts and by extension, to his nemesis Lundqvist. The King is now 15-3-4 lifetime against Brodeur.
“As much as you like beating these guys, you hate to lose against them too,” Lundqvist said. “Hopefully we can beat them next time.”