NHL

Points before rivalry at the Rock

By BRETT CYRGALIS

There have been a lot of things done in an attempt to shake the Rangers from the doldrums they have entered (1-3-1 in their previous five) since starting the season 10-2-1.

There have been roster moves. There has been the head coach calling out his team for a lack of grit. There have been players talking about working harder, playing harder, and giving a full effort for 60 minutes.

That’s all swell and dandy, but when it comes down to it, getting points is what matters. And getting points in the NHL is a complicated process, no matter how easy it looked in October. Let’s look at what the team needs going into tomorrow night’s game at the Rock against the Devils.

I like the squad Tom Renney put out there last night against the Oilers.

I’d rather see Lauri Korprikoski in the lineup than Nigel Dawes, even if Korprikoski was a non-factor, like he was last night. Dawes, for as good as he was last year, has been a liability to the team this year. He hasn’t put up the offensive numbers to justify his defensive shortcomings, and plays with very little physical edge (which, considering his size, is understandable). Dawes is a good player, an NHL player, but the way this team is playing now – a soft game that lacks any physical credibility – he is not best for that roster spot.

The best thing about having Korprikoski back in the lineup is that he can center that third line which let’s Chris Drury skate with some more apt offensive talent, no matter where he lands on the top two lines. The third line of Korprikoski, Dan Fritsche and Aaron Voros is a good line, a physical line, and one that can score goals when asked to. As a rotation, I wouldn’t mind keeping Korprikoski and Voros together there, and letting either Petr Prucha or Dawes switch with Fritsche, depending on nightly matchups.

(And a nod to the fourth line of Blair Betts, Freddy Sjostrom and Colton Orr, who are doing everything asked of them, and more).

What is concerning is the lack of chemistry this team has shown in the last five games. For every glimpse of outstanding cohesion the top two (and sometimes third) lines showed to start the year, there has been a lack of communication recently. It’s frustrating to see so much talent struggle to score goals, or even break out of their own zone, with any consistency.

Which does lead the main weakness of this team. The defenseman have been, well, let’s just go with underachieving. After Wade Redden started the season looking like he would be the glue to put together all the loose pieces on the backline, his game has fallen off and the team has suffered for it. He’s averaging just about 22 minutes of ice time a night, and for him to not be playing up to par – especially on the powerplay – has been a main reason this team has looked disconnected recently.

And then there’s Michal Rozsival. The fans are all over him, and in truth, it’s getting harder and harder to defend him. He’s made some bad mistakes that have resulted in goals, and when that happens to a player that is already in the bad graces of the Garden Faithful, forget it. There’s a lot of season left, and for him to been seen in a good light again, his game needs to get better – and fast.

Marc Staal also hasn’t been the same player he was last year. For whatever reason, it seems like he’s playing with less confidence and is not asserting himself on the ice. He’s young, and he’ll come around soon enough – I hope.

All that being said, even if this team hasn’t shown a lot of physicality, it has shown a lot of heart. After going down 2-0 last night, they came back and really played their game to take a hard-earned point. Thing is, it shouldn’t be that hard.

But winning games in the NHL is a complicated thing, and we’ll see how the Blueshirts do tomorrow night against a absolutely desimated Devils team.

bcyrgalis@nypost.com