You can call it Alain Vigneault’s Manifesto, issued approximately 24 hours in advance of Saturday afternoon’s match in Ottawa that will mark yet another of the seemingly endless stream of games against clubs competing against the Rangers for a playoff berth.
“Some teams during the season get better; some teams fade away,” said the Blueshirts’ coach. “If you want to be part of the big picture you’ve got to get better.
“And I believe our group is getting better.”
The Blueshirts, 9-3-1 in their last 13 games, lead Ottawa by two points in the competition for a potential wild-card spot, though the Senators have a game in hand.
“I think the way the team is playing at this point, in my estimation, is a smart game at both ends of the rink,” Vigneault said. “We’re not giving up a stupid number of chances against, I think we’re playing sound defensively.
“Offensively … our power play is giving us a lot of opportunities and five-on-five, we’re playing a little bit faster and playing a little bit quicker with the puck and that’s enabled us to generate a fair amount of opportunities.”
Cam Talbot will get the assignment for his second start in the last 11 games and first in seven matches since his 7-1 victory in Toronto on Jan. 4. The 26-year-old is 9-3-0 with a 1.66 goals against average and .a 938 save percentage. He has limited opponents to two goals or fewer in 10 of his 12 starts.
Henrik Lundqvist, who recorded the 48th shutout of his career in blanking the Red Wings 1-0 at the Garden on Thursday and is 6-2-1 with a 2.08 GAA and .932 save percentage over his last nine starts, will be back in nets for Sunday’s match at the Garden against the Capitals.
“Hank’s our guy here,” said Vigneault. “Cam is a young guy, and with every opportunity he gets, he becomes in my estimation a better goaltender, but Hank’s the guy.”
Vigneault left open the possibility that Justin Falk, scratched nine straight since last playing on Dec. 29, could rejoin the defense in Ottawa. John Moore rather than Michael Del Zotto would seem to be the more logical choice to come out following a couple of difficult games this week.