The first rule about home games this season is that the Rangers will not take morning skates, at least not for now, at least not for tonight’s Garden opener against the Maple Leafs.
And the first rule about home games from last season, when the Blueshirts fell behind three times within 1 minute, six times within the first 3 minutes, nine times within the first 4 minutes and 13 times (out of 41 games) within the first 7 minutes, is that this group will no longer talk about them.
“It’s been talked about before and there’s no need to talk about it any further,” captain Chris Drury told The Post yesterday. “It’s exactly what Hank [Lundqvist] said after the first game in Buffalo — we’re a different team.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an issue, and in talking with our leaders in the locker room, they don’t think so, either. We’re pros. We’re going to be ready to play.
“It’s the 5 o’clock mantra, as Hank puts it. That’s go-time. That’s when you get ready in the locker room. That’s when you respect the other guys getting ready.
“It’s going to be taken care of.”
The Rangers come in off a victory in Buffalo and a defeat on Long Island during which they played pretty well in the offensive zone but were very scrambly in their own end of the ice, certainly against the Islanders.
Those follies on the doorstep — five of the last six goals against have come from in front — have led to a lineup change on defense, with Matt Gilroy moving in for the first time in supplanting Mike Sauer, while Steve Eminger moves to the right side on the third pair.
More significantly, Drury will not only make his debut after missing the first two games with a broken left index finger, but will center first-line wingers Marian Gaborik and Alex Frolov.
It’ll be the third center in three games for Gaborik and Frolov. Erik Christensen, who opened in Buffalo, sustained a leg injury early in the third period of Monday’s defeat to the Islanders before being replaced by Derek Stepan.
Christensen, who skated in practice, will be scratched while Stepan is reunited with Sean Avery and Ruslan Fedotenko.
“In a perfect world we would have one guy, but Erik is hurt and this is the reality,” said Gaborik, scoreless on five shots. “At the same time, I’m really excited that Dru is back.
“I haven’t played with him much, but I know that he’s smart and that he’s an excellent defensive center, so the three of us just have to help each other out. I think it will be good.”
Drury, who got a lot of third- and fourth-line ice last year (and with the 14-18-32 numbers to show for it), intends to play his game.
“For me the biggest thing is to keep it simple, which is how I would approach it regardless,” Drury said. “I’m not going to try and force the puck to Gabby or do things just to make sure that Fro gets his touches.
“I’m just going to play. I only missed two games officially, but I’ve been out and away from the guys a pretty long time, so I’m very, very excited to be back and very happy to be playing in the home opener.
“That’s a special thing. It’s one of the great parts of being a Ranger, getting to play the opener at the Garden.”