Look, last season’s start was no bed of roses, either. The Rangers not only won just three of their first nine games (3-3-3) in 2011-12, but looked so deficient in doing so, the club actually recalled Sean Avery out of exile in Hartford to help rescue the operation.
And whatever that shock treatment was ultimately worth, the Blueshirts did win their next seven — the first two with Instagram Sean a healthy scratch — and did go on runs of 12-2, 19-5-1 and 24-6-3 to establish themselves as a regular-season power once the gears began to mesh.
The first nine games of this season have yielded a 4-5 record in the wake of last night’s 3-1 defeat to the Devils at Prudential Center, as Martin Brodeur continued to rewind history by outplaying Henrik Lundqvist as he did last spring, Marian Gaborik was demoted and benched for a spell in the third, and Brian Boyle was benched, too.
And though it is no time to panic, for even a 48-game season provides enough quantity for quality to rise to the top, it clearly has gotten late reasonably early for Tortorella, who called out unnamed players — geez, wonder who he could have meant? — as “scared and tentative.”
The Rangers and Tortorella believe their training camp regimen creates a mindset that sets the club apart. There was no such opportunity to develop that mentality this year, but that can’t be a crutch for either a team or coach who play so much of the game between the ears, even if they haven’t played nearly enough of it so far below the hash marks.
It’s about execution for the Rangers, who can spend up to the cap but can’t seem to buy a clue on the power play (3-for-35 overall), frittering away 7:59 of man-up time with three measly shots in the first before going without a shot on their fifth and final advantage in the third.
It’s about execution — a blindfold for Michael Del Zotto, miserable last night, and one for Derek Stepan, too, underachieving through these opening nine games in a reprise of last year’s playoff crash and burn—but it is also about evolution for the Rangers, not yet 2013 Black-and-Blueshirts.
Everyone understood this team would be more top-heavy following an offseason in which Rick Nash came but Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Prust departed. Everyone could see the added skill level. But the Rangers, a guts-’n-glory team if there ever were one, seem to be grappling for an identity in this new season.
Nearly all of last night’s chances were developed off the rush, many keyed by precocious young guns J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider, entrusted with all the ice time they could handle. But play below the hash marks was sparing — as was the Rangers’ ability to create or win puck battles.
“We have spurts where we play below the hash marks and try to wear the other team down, but we haven’t been able to do that consistently,” Marc Staal said. “We have the talent to be creative off the rush, but we can’t get away from grinding.
“That’s the way we have to play.”
The experiment of loading up a Big Dog line with Nash, Gaborik and Brad Richards has come to an end. Richards played his best hockey last year skating with Ryan Callahan — not Gaborik — and when the captain returns from his shoulder injury, that’s likely the way the stars will align.
If some Rangers appear tentative, the team just isn’t one yet as white collars join blue ones in the wardrobe. There is no doubt more is needed from everyone, including Lundqvist, but there is no need to overreact; no need to panic.
Last year’s start was no bed of roses, either.