With Evgeni Malkin gone for the year and Sidney Crosby still out indefinitely, there is not much rubber burning in the nets of Penguins’ opponents these days, only in the head of their owner.
Yesterday, apparently unhappy Colin Campbell did not suspend every member of the Islanders for life after Friday’s extended dust-up in Uniondale, Mario Lemieux threatened to take his toys and go home.
“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it,” said Lemieux, whose team, after giving back an early 2-0 lead yesterday in a New York minute, in turn wanted no part
of the front of the Rangers net.
The Penguins, holier than thou and with Marc-Andre Fleury even holier in the nets, pretty well packed it in, at least at even strength. The Rangers beat Scranton badly and Wilkes-Barre worse, even if the 5-3 win, their first in seven games, caused no one to rethink that their problems are all behind them.
Still, for one game, they protected a shaky Henrik Lundqvist reasonably well and finally scored some goals, three on power plays. None were by Marian Gaborik, but hope springs eternal in the eternal wait for their star to get going.
John Tortorella has tried everything except perhaps trying to get Gaborik trying not so hard. So maybe the fact that yesterday he didn’t score and the Rangers didn’t lose 3-2 will relieve some pressure.
“It’s everybody’s responsibility,” said Brian Boyle, who went to the net and redirected Marc Staal’s drive to start the comeback. “Gabby is working hard, creating a lot, been going the last couple games.
“We have his back. He’s going to come through for us. But I take responsibility for those 2-1, 3-2 losses. I want to score more goals, everybody does.
“He obviously puts a lot of pressure on himself, we know that. But he’s not the only one. We all want to make this a well-oiled machine, coming at you in waves. You have to do that if you’re going to be a good team.”
The Rangers, set back by the reinsertions of too many players coming off injuries in too short a time, are a good team, clearly not a great one. Their hearts are in the right place, but they have to overcome a shortage of game-breaking talent by being in the right place.
“We switched up looks a little,” Staal said of the power play. “We tried not to get locked into positions and moved around more. It causes more confusion on the penalty kill.”
Ryan Callahan scored twice, one on a terrific sleight-of-hand redirection of a point drive, knocking the puck down like he is knocking off his rust from a 20-game absence. Brandon Dubinsky had a pretty feed coming off the back wall for Vinny Prospal’s first goal since his return, more strength from more numbers.
“That will help [if] we’re not always talking about Gabby scoring the big goal,” said Tortorella. “Again, I say if he does the other things and not worry about scoring goals, he will score goals, and I think he’s doing that.
“It’s his responsibility, too. He wants to make a difference, and I think there has been a change there. But these little things will help him, and hopefully some people take the pressure off him.”
It’s a theory. The Rangers just hope that after a few more games, they won’t have to rethink it.