Less than 48 hours after look ing much deeper than John Tortorella’s pockets will be today, it was back to the future yesterday for the Rangers.
Playing without their best offensive defenseman, Marc Staal, and their erstwhile best forward, Marian Gaborik, the Rangers gave what Tortorella accurately called “nothing” to highly-skilled Tampa Bay and still came away with nothing.
The Lighting scored their two goals off one-timers by Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, the second on a 5-on-3 set up by a call against Dan Girardi that Tortorella found infuriating.
The Rangers, with four failed power-play opportunities of their own, got their goal on what should have been a goaltender interference call on Brandon Prust, who, given a clear path thanks to a pratfall by Marc-Andre Bergeron, bulldozed Dwayne Roloson into the net after his initial stop.
The 2-1 loss, hard off a stunning 6-0 win in Washington, ended with the Rangers huffing, puffing and still shoving at Roloson in two frantic last-minute flurries.
Fewer than 24 hours before the trading deadline, the hockey gods were giving general manager Glen Sather one final reminder he shouldn’t worry about giving up one more piece for Brad Richards. Nor should the Garden’s hockey boss be accused of needing to get his head examined for trading for a guy who, out since Feb. 13 with a concussion, still needs to have his head examined.
Considering Gaborik has played the season like he wants out of here, the need for Richards is beyond hanging on for a playoff spot or rising a couple places in the seedings. It’s not even anymore about finding a center to play with Gaborik. The Rangers need a first star, never mind the second.
Thus Jim Dolan doesn’t require Isiah Thomas to advise him Richards is a bona-fide first-line guy and Sather shouldn’t need a push from Dolan to add a developing Russian, Artem Anisimov, in this case, to a deal that may keep an anchor player from the open market.
Richards, in class by himself among those who will become free agents July 1, would waive his no-trade to come here.
Anisimov, a worker with a 20-25 goal-a-year ceiling whom The Post’s Larry Brooks is reporting as the object of Dallas’s desire, should not be an impediment. Neither should Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Michael Del Zotto, Brian Boyle or Girardi, if the Rangers want to get the Stars off the prospect they seek.
Unless Danilo Gallinari blossoms larger than Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks will never have to say they are sorry for last week’s deal. Support players can be developed and so, usually, can chemistry, a premise supported by the Rangers 33-27-4 record through huge injuries.
If they can get Brad Richards for Anisimov, a first-rounder and a good prospect, we don’t know what they are waiting for, except first- or-second-round playoff losses that will look much like yesterday’s.