RALEIGH, N.C. — This was a throwback game for the Rangers, all right, a throwback to the first three months of the season when the club’s grit and effort resulted in, well, positive results.
This was one that might have demoralized clubs with lesser resolve and a weaker fabric, for after blowing a 2-1 lead after two periods by allowing a pair of goals to the Hurricanes in the first 6:10 of the third, the Rangers appeared on the precipice of collapse.
Yet they did not fall over the edge, did not fall off the cliff. Rather, these Black-and-Blueshirts gathered themselves, tied the game with 1:50 remaining on a goal by the revived Wojtek Wolski, then won it in a 1-0 shootout on a Wolski goal in the bottom of the third.
“It’s all about how you respond,” said Michael Sauer, who went hard to the net to create confusion on the play where Wolski’s left-circle shot glanced in off defenseman Jay Harrison, after the 4-3 victory. “We have a relentless team and believe we can do it no matter the situation.
“We didn’t want to be in the spot where we were behind, but we came together, we pushed and we made something happen.”
The victory, the Rangers’ third in the past 11 games (3-7-1), extended the seventh-place team’s lead to three points over the eighth-place Hurricanes, who hold one game in hand. The Rangers, with 20 games to go, lead the ninth-place Sabres by eight points, with Buffalo holding four games in hand.
The Devils, after defeating the Stars 1-0 last night, are 12 points back.
Even as the Rangers wait for results from yesterday’s examination of the concussed Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal left the game for good 6:40 into the third with a knee injury he suffered on the first shift. The injury thus was not related to the mean, shoulder-to-shoulder hit from his older brother Eric that knocked the defenseman to the ice with 50 seconds to go in the second.
“I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I don’t think it’s real serious,” John Tortorella said. “I’ll tell you what, without Marc there was a big hole with Erik Cole coming down that wing every other shift, but the guys battled.”
The guys included Michael Del Zotto, who received just one shift from 13:41 of the second to 9:08 of the third but responded down the stretch, making a couple of key plays against odd-man rushes while the Hurricanes held a 3-2 lead.
“Michael is so much better when he lets the game come to him,” Tortorella said. “We don’t need five men on the rush. He played when he got back in.”
Lundqvist was outstanding in the 65-minute goaltending duel with Cam Ward before a pristine performance in stopping all three Hurricanes in the shootout to extend his record to 6-2 in the competition. He has allowed only five scores on 33 shootout shots for the season.
“Mentally it’s tough when you feel you’re playing well but not getting points,” said The King. “Coming back again and getting the result is a great feeling.”
Wolski followed Sunday’s outstanding performance against the Flyers with another solid outing, getting the tying goal off a neat, patient move that froze Tuomo Ruutu in the left circle. He beat Ward up top for the shootout winner.
“We work hard every night,” Wolski said. “That’s the identity of this team.”