It didn’t take one long to recognize that Kevin Klein, the newest Ranger, hasn’t spent much time in these parts.
Because when the 29-year-old defenseman, acquired from the Predators on Wednesday in a one-for-one exchange for Michael Del Zotto, talked about the culture shock in moving from Nashville to New York, he talked about how in Music City, “… there are not too many sky-rises.”
“Sky-rises?” Oh. Skyscrapers.
Blueshirts’ management, however, isn’t likely to focus on whether the native of Kitchener, Ont. who had spent his entire career in the Nashville organization, adopts the language of a native New Yorker as long as he adapts to his role on the ice.
Which shouldn’t be all that difficult because the Rangers expect him to bring the same defense-first mentality to the blue line that has been his calling card from Day One.
“I take care of my own end, which is what I think the team is looking for,” Klein said Thursday morning, hours before his Rangers’ debut in the club’s 2-1 defeat to the Blues. “I play a defensive-first game, make that first pass and play physical. “I’m more than a shut-down guy than an offensive guy, though I can chip in.”
Klein was solid against St. Louis in 15:46 of ice time during which he was paired primarily with John Moore, though he did get some turns in the second with Marc Staal, when coach Alain Vigneault did some mixing for matchup purposes.
“He did what I expected him to do,” said the coach, who also used Klein with Staal on the second penalty-kill tandem. “He’s safe and dependable. He’s good defensively.”
General manager Glen Sather had been looking to move Del Zotto since early November, but held fast to his requirement of getting a right-handed defenseman in return for the 23-year old, 2008 first-round draft selection whose career had stalled.
Moore, whose game had suffered with the switch to the right side, seemed liberated on the left while playing decisively with the puck. He also took Del Zotto’s spot on the left point on the second power-play unit.
Rangers used Rick Nash for a third straight game with Derek Stepan —rather than Mats Zuccarello — on the club’s third penalty-kill pair up front.
“Ulf [Samuelsson] asked me about it the other day,” Nash said, referring to the assistant coach who oversees that specialty team unit. “I told him I killed penalties my whole career in Columbus and always enjoyed it.”
Getting Nash on the penalty kill is one way to increase his ice time. The winger, who had seven shots on goal and 12 attempts, got 18:22.
Chris Kreider did not miss a shift in the match after taking what appeared to be a David Backes unpenalized butt-end to the head with 5:40 remaining in the first.
Justin Falk, who last played on Dec. 29 in Tampa Bay, was scratched for the 13th straight time, and would seem a candidate for a conditioning stint with the AHL Wolf Pack if, in fact, the defenseman — who has played 20 games — is not placed on waivers.