The Rangers’ best and most important player is expected to be available for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Penguins Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
But a lot more than that has to happen for the Rangers to make a series of it, after dropping the opener in a typically sloppy, not-nearly-good-enough effort in Game 1, a 5-2 loss on Wednesday.
In that game, with 48 seconds left in the first period of a 0-0 game, goalie Henrik Lundqvist was struck in the right eye by the stickblade of teammate Marc Staal, the stick snaking through the cage on Lundqvist’s mask.
After a long delay, during which Lundqvist was in serious discomfort and understandably shaken, he returned, then gave up a goal with 17 seconds left – one for which he could hardly be blamed – before leaving the game in favor of backup Antti Raanta.
On Thursday Lundqvist saw an eye specialist, and on Friday, with some swelling and discoloration in and around the eye, he returned to practice. The team would only say that it will be a game-time (3 p.m) decision whether he plays, based on how the eye reacted to the workout.
Whether it’s Lundqvist or Raanta, or both, in goal in Game 2, the Rangers are going to have to change their habits – which might be tough since they’ve had those habits for most of a terribly inconsistent 83 games so far.
Whether they sub in rookie Dylan McIlrath, or recall defenseman Raphael Diaz from Hartford, for injured Dan Girardi, it will hardly matter if the Rangers’ top players, particularly those on their top two lines, don’t commit to A) much more effort and skating, B) making smart decisions with the puck, C) do pretty much everything harder, faster and better.
Girardi was the most guilty Ranger in Game 1, playing after missing the last two games of his worst-ever, by far, season. He stopped skating hoping for an icing call that led to the first goal. He made a terrible decision with the puck that led to Sidney Crosby’s breakaway goal with 1:04 left in the second. Girardi was also on the ice for Patric Hornqvist’s power-play goal in the third, though on that one he tied up Phil Kessel only to have Crosby’s shot hit Kessel and bounced to uncontested Hornqvist in the slot.
So, perhaps the injury made the decision easier for Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, the former Rangers’ assistant in the regime that preceded Vigneault’s, is in a much better spot, not only because his team is up 1-0, and is 15-2 in its last 17 games.
Star forward Evgeni Malkin (arm injury) took part in a full practice Friday and could return for Game 2, as could goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion), who wasn’t even in uniform as third-stringer Jack Zatkoff easily beat the Rangers. Fleury’s backup, Matt Murray, remains out with a head injury.
Malkin’s return will add another level of headaches for the Rangers and their scrambly defense, which is already without Ryan McDonagh – Vigneault said his captain, who missed Game 1, will not return from a right hand injury for Game 2.
So the Rangers’ top pair – McDonagh and Girardi – is gone, and now their depth on defense will be mightily tested. Keith Yandle, Kevin Klein and Marc Staal – who struggled as Girardi’s partner Wednesday – are going to have to pile up big minutes and responsibilities, surrounded by and paired with McIlrath or Diaz, plus rookie Brady Skjei, who was impressive in his NHL playoffs debut, and 39-year-old Dan Boyle.
Again, none of that will matter if the Rangers don’t get more, in all three zones, from Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Rick Nash, Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller.
Won’t matter at all.
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