NHL

Rangers’ Avery gets little animosity from Dallas fans

DALLAS — It was some ado about very little, apparently. Anti-hero Sean Avery’s return to Dallas for the first time since he was run out of town early in the 2008-09 season following 23 games of employment elicited little response from the paying customers.

“They didn’t even a have a sign,” Avery said, shrugging, following the Rangers’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Stars last night. “The crowd was kind of boring, I’d have to say.”

Avery was booed whenever he touched the puck in his 11:15 of work, but not with the ferocity that greeted Jaromir Jagr when he returned to Washington or Pittsburgh with the Rangers and not with the ferocity that greeted Wayne Gretzky when The Great One returned to St. Louis with the Blueshirts.

The loudest noise of the night came when Avery, who played much of the game with Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik, was ridden hard into the boards by Stephane Robidas approximately 4:30 into the third period.

Actually, Avery’s return was trumped by the Stars’ reacquisition of 1999 Cup-winning Star and 2003 Cup-winning Devil Jamie Langenbrunner, who came back to Dallas from New Jersey after nearly nine years. The trade was announced before the morning skate.

Langenbrunner, whose old/new No. 15 Dallas sweater was featured in a television timeout late in the first period, did not play, but did make it to the arena for the match. He received an ovation when shown on the scoreboard screen watching from a suite midway through the second period.

***

The play on which Artem Anisimov
beat Kari Lehtonen
at 8:04 of the third off a Marc Staal
feed began with Henrik Lundqvist
‘s power-play headman pass that went tape-to-tape over 125 feet. It marked The King’s second assist in the last two games.

“I’m on a streak,” joked Lundqvist, whose ability to move the puck has improved.

“The last thing Glen
[Sather
] told me before I went home for the summer was that I have to be better around the net [handling the puck],” the goaltender said. “I don’t know if I’m better passing the puck, but I’m better the way I place in the puck for the defense in our own end.

“I’m not always great, but I have more confidence.”

***

Mats Zuccarello
‘s shootout winner was his second in two tries in the competition. The Norwegian deked before quickly beating Lehtonen on a short-side wrist shot.

“I try and make up my mind, but I also want to see how the goalie reacts,” Zuccarello said. “He was patient, so I had to make a quick read.

“It was a great feeling to help the team secure a win, but when you have Henrik at the other end, everyone knows, well, I think he’s the best in the league.”

Without the injured Erik Christensen
, who had been 3-for-3 leading off, Tortorella chose Derek Stepan
to go first for his team. Lehtonen got a glove on Stepan’s wrist shot, leaving the rookie 0-for-4.

***

With Michal Rozsival
sidelined by a rib injury, Ryan McDonagh
made his NHL debut, getting 12:03 while playing the left side paired with Matt Gilroy
.

“He certainly can skate in the NHL,” said Tortorella, who added he would like to review the tape before offering an additional assessment.

***

The Blueshirts, who have scored five goals in going 2-1-1 in the last four, are in St. Louis tonight. The Rangers are 24-15-3 overall and 14-7-1 on the road.