BOSTON — Coach John Tortorella delivered a cryptic message relating to adjustments “not on the ice” the Rangers require in advance of this afternoon’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins, but alternate captain Dan Girardi wasn’t cryptic at all in assessing the club’s performance in Thursday’s Game 1, 3-2 overtime defeat.
“That wasn’t nearly the kind of effort we need to win in the second round of the playoffs,” Girardi said. “We all know we have to be better than that.
“When you get to the second round, it takes more to be successful. The teams are better as you move forward. They’re feeling good about their game. Every round amps up, so you need to be better each round.
“That game the other night wasn’t what we wanted.”
The Rangers didn’t spend nearly enough time in the Boston end, thus never truly tested a Bruins’ defense that included three neophytes subbing for injured veterans. Barring a 12-minute stretch in the third period during which the game opened wide, the Blueshirts didn’t come through the neutral zone well enough.
And, of course, the power play was dreadful. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
But when Tortorella was asked about adjustments, the coach cited matters “not on the ice” that he would not identify yesterday but promised to do so as the round continues.
“To me it’s not so much on the ice, but there are some other adjustments we have to go through and a lot of it really isn’t on the ice,” he said, before deflecting follow-up queries. “I’m not going to tell you what and I really don’t want to talk about it. … But I will later in the series.”
It’s dangerous to infer or assume, but one would gather the coach was referring to the club’s preparation or focus for the opener, though that never has been known to be an issue with this team.
Few Rangers forwards played distinguished in the opening defeat in which the club was outshot 48-35 (16-5 in overtime) and out-attempted 93-66.
Derek Stepan scored off a rush with assists from linemates Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan at 0:14 of the third to give his team a 2-1 lead, but the Rangers’ top unit didn’t have much of a game even while matched primarily against the Matt Barkowski-Johnny Boychuk defense tandem.
“If we want to continue to get better as a team in this series, they have to be better,” Tortorella said of the first line.
Callahan talked about the need to establish a forecheck and increase possession time. Girardi talked about “taking the game to Boston and keeping the puck in the zone so we’re not one-and-done the way we were with chances in the first game.”
Tortorella minced no words in explaining why he doesn’t use Hagelin on the man-advantage unit that was 0-for-3 on Thursday, is 2-for-31 in the playoffs and essentially has become a momentum-killing, anti-power play.
“Because he stinks on the power play,” the coach said. “I’d love to be able to use him there, he does everything else well, but every time I put him out there [on the power play], he stinks.”
Hagelin has played a sum of 1:51 on the power play in the Rangers’ eight playoff games. He wasn’t on for either of the club’s two goals, but then, neither were Callahan, Stepan, Rick Nash or Brad Richards, for that matter.
“I think he’s too quick,” Tortorella said of Hagelin, who was on for two power play goals during the regular-season in which he a total of 49:37 of ice on the unit. “I think he’s a jitterbug, and he screws it up.
“But I may use him. I don’t know. The power play stinks, it’s true, so he may get an opportunity if we keep going here.
“I’ve asked him why he stinks on the power play,” the coach said.
Hagelin’s response to Tortorella?
“Not much.”
larry.brooks@nypost.com