COLUMBUS, Ohio — Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Henrik Lundqvist beheld that Tuesday night’s 8-4 victory in Ottawa was beautiful indeed despite the numerous defensive breakdowns the Rangers committed against the Senators.
“At this point, it is only about finding ways to get two points,” said Lundqvist, who will be in nets for Friday night’s match against the Blue Jackets. “With the position we’re in, there is no such thing as a good loss.
“Of course you always want to play well, but this is not the time where you build off playing well and losing.”
The Rangers are among a group of six teams — also including Toronto, Philadelphia, Columbus, Washington and Detroit — vying for four available playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
“Tuesday it felt like we exploded and that everything was going in,” said Derick Brassard, who scored to tie the game at 2-2 in the second period and thus ended an eight-game point-scoring drought. “It was really good for our confidence, and that’s such an important [factor], especially now, with this game coming up.
“It’s a really big game for us. It should be a lot of fun to play,” said the center who spent nearly the first six years of his career as a Blue Jacket before coming to the Rangers at the 2013 deadline. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, this will mark Rick Nash’s first game here since his trade to the Rangers in July of 2012. Nash, who was out with a concussion for the Blueshirts’ 4-2 victory here on Nov. 7, spent the first nine seasons of his career as a Blue Jacket after being selected first overall in the 2002 Entry Draft.
“It will be exciting for me to play in front of the fans I played in front of for 10 years,” said Nash, who still makes his offseason home in Columbus. “I have a lot of good memories and made a lot of friends here. Like I’ve said since I was traded to the Rangers, me and the Blue Jacket fans have been through so much together, so … if I get cheers, great, if I get boos, which I’m sure there will be some, move on from that.”
“I’ll have a lot of family and friends [at the game], so I know they’ll be cheering,” said No. 61, who is coming off a two-goal performance in Ottawa. “As for all the other fans, I’m not sure what to expect.
Benoit Pouliot missed practice as he was at home with his girlfriend for the birth of their daughter, but he was expected to arrive Thursday night and be in the lineup Friday.
Coach Alain Vigneault will stick with the same personnel on defense, though Raphael Diaz — who hasn’t played since he was acquired at the deadline from Vancouver — skated in practice with Marc Staal while Anton Stralman was paired with Justin Falk.
“I’d like to be able to put [Diaz] in the lineup, but the games are so important now and the guys in front of him have played pretty good,” Vigneault said.