PITTSBURGH — When the Stanley Cup makes an appearance on the ice here for tonight’s pre-game banner-raising festivities that will commemorate the Penguins’ 2008-09 championship, John Tortorella will have the Rangers on their bench, watching.
“I think it’s a great thing,” the head coach said yesterday. “For some of our youth especially, I think it will be good to see it.
“I don’t want to disrespect the league and the Cup we’re trying to get to and win.”
Chris Drury is the only Ranger on the opening roster to win the Stanley Cup, and that was in 2001 as a support player for the Avalanche. But Marc Staal has seen it up close and personal, both this summer when his brother Jordan had the Cup for a day at the family home, and during the summer of 2006 when his brother Eric had it for a day following the Hurricanes’ title victory.
“Obviously I’m very proud of what they’ve accomplished, but I wasn’t so happy having to see that thing come into my parents’ house and be paraded around for a day,” Marc Staal said. “They’ve both won it early in their careers, and that’s what I’m aiming for, so it was tough for me.”
It remains to be seen whether the absence of NHL championship pedigree will make it tough for the Rangers as they open the season following another summer extreme makeover. Of the 21 players who suited up for the Blueshirts in the playoffs, only a dozen have made it to tonight. That includes Sean Avery, who will be sidelined because of a knee injury.
“It feels like we have a more skilled group and more guys who know how to score goals, which is fun for me in practices, but it takes a while before you know the kind of a team you have,” said Henrik Lundqvist.
“You really need to go through a lot together to see how the group is going to react. It takes time before everyone is on the same page.”
Tortorella, who will name the club’s pair of assistant captains this morning, wants everyone on the page that reads: “Attack.” The Rangers will pressure the puck in the neutral zone and offensive zone. Their defensemen will join the attack, if not lead it. Breakdowns in decision-making and execution will expose the Blueshirts to odd-man counter-attacks.
“We want the D to be up on the play, and we have the guys who have the ability and the inclination, like [Matt] Gilroy and [Michael] Del Zotto, but we also understand that it can’t be a free-for-all out there,” said Drury. “We understand that Torts’ system isn’t a license to be run all over and be undisciplined.
“It might take some time before we have it buttoned down, but that’s not going to be an excuse for undisciplined play.”
The 1994 Cup winners featured three defensemen 25 or younger in Brian Leetch, Sergei Zubov and Alexander Karpovtsev. These Rangers will start with four in Staal, Dan Girardi, Gilroy and Del Zotto. Up front, there’s 21-year-old freshman center Artem Anisimov.
“I think we’re better than we were last year, and one of the reason is the young guys,” said Brandon Dubinsky. “I love what they bring to out team.”
Dubinsky, of course, is 23 — and talking about young guys.
“I can’t hide behind that ‘young thing,’ as an excuse,” said Dubinsky, who is primed to center Vinny Prospal and the brilliant Marian Gaborik. “I’m no rookie, so to me they’re young guys and I’m not.
“I’ve got to be one of the guys leading the way.”
Starting tonight, under some other team’s Stanley Cup banner.