The 31-year-old Newbury has one assist and 66 penalty minutes in 19 regular-season games over three seasons for New York. His lone appearance this season with the Rangers was Jan. 24 at Philadelphia.

Newbury has four goals, four assists and 130 penalty minutes in 67 career NHL games over seven seasons with the Rangers, Toronto, and Detroit.

In 62 games this season with Connecticut, Newbury has 18 goals and 38 assists. He is the team leader in assists and points and is tied for first in goals.  In Connecticut, Newbury and Chris Kreider enjoyed tremendous success. Perhaps, they will be paired together with the Rangers.

Halpern, a 36-year-old checking forward, had one assist and was minus-5 in 30 games for New York.  In addition, versatile forward-defenseman Stu Bickel was placed on waivers.

How long do you expect Newbury to remain in New York?  Can he jump-start Kreider?  Let us know…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Halpern signed a one-year deal with New York this offseason and was claimed by the Canadiens on Saturday. In 30 games for the Rangers, he only registered one assist and did not score a goal. Halpern previously played in Montreal during the 2010-11 season.

Bickel has seen his minutes and opportunities cut in his second season as a Ranger.  He has not registered any points in 16 games this season and has often been a healthy scratch.

In the summer, Bickel signed a two-year contract and hoped to see his role increase in 2013.  That wasn’t the case.  Bickel told Andrew Gross of the Record Saturday, “It’s been tough for me to get an opportunity and play any minutes on the back end to develop my confidence.”

To take Bickel’s place on the roster, the Rangers have called up forward Kris Newbury from the Connecticut Whale of the AHL.  He played one game for the Rangers on January 24, before being sent down to the minors.

Meanwhile, winger Arron Asham told reporters Saturday that he’s ready to go against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Asham hasn’t played since February 19 due to back spasms.

Are the Rangers better off without Bickel and Halpern? 

An emotional and dejected Henrik Lundqvist sat at his locker stall after Thursday’s 3-1 defeat to the cellar-dwelling Florida Panthers.  The hurt in his eyes was evident for all to see.

This loss cut Lundqvist deeply.  The Rangers’ iconic net-minder would never point a finger at individual teammates.  Lundqvist is far too classy for that, but his message to his teammates was clear — if they don’t raise their game, they’re not going to win many games.

“We did a lot of good things but, you know, it’s getting old,” Lundqvist said.  “We just have to put the puck in the net.  That’s how you win games.  The big difference tonight … I think special teams lost that game.”

The Rangers went 0-for-3 against the league’s 30th-ranked penalty kill.  It doesn’t get any worse than that.

It’s rare that a team can put 45 shots on net and not cause enough traffic to make the opposing goalie work.  This was the case for the Rangers as Panthers goaltender Jacob Markstrom really didn’t break much of a sweat, despite making 44 saves en route to victory.

Lundqvist shouldn’t be forced to play perfectly between the pipes every night, yet that seems to be the case considering the Rangers’ lackluster offensive zone play and ordinary special teams play.

Once Marian Gaborik scored with 3:48 remaining to put the Rangers within a goal of tying in the third period, Madison Square Garden suddenly became alive with loud chants of “Let’s Go Rangers.”  Gaborik made a clear impact by unleashing eight shots on Markstrom, but collectively it was shocking to see the Rangers fail to cash in on their wealth of chances and hand over two points to a Panthers team that was ripe for the picking.

“What’s frustrating is, you look at the game and we had enough chances to tie it up earlier,” Lundqvist stated. “Special teams can be critical down the stretch.  The PK, it starts with me.  We have to be almost 100 percent here.  We’re put into a position where we don’t have luxury of a lot of goals.”

The Rangers had a total of 77 shots attempted against a Panthers team that played a collapsing style.  Florida blocked as many Rangers shots (24) as the 24 they were able to test Lundqvist with.

Head coach John Tortorella wasn’t disappointed with his team’s stagnant play in the offensive zone.

“We had 2-to-1 in minutes as far as zone time,” Tortorella said. “We out-chance them 2-to-1, but we’re still not creating enough offense in that amount of time in an end zone. At the end of the game, we need to create more offense in that situation.  That’s where we’re at. We need another big play at key time.  We’re not just getting it consistently.”

There’s a distinct lack of confidence when the Rangers are on the puck in the other team’s end.  The majority of players are passive.  They don’t want to take the shot.  This is a huge problem for the Blueshirts.  When they’re on the power play, the Rangers don’t mind sitting back and firing shots from the perimeter.  There aren’t a whole lot of players driving to the net with energy and forcing rebounds.

The Blueshirts aren’t swarming goalies the way winning hockey teams do.  Last season, the Rangers weren’t a elite scoring team, but they had a number of players who were willing to get their noses dirty in front of goal and pay the price needed to score ugly.  They’re not generating big, juicy rebounds.  Last night, Markstrom brushed aside 44 shots without looking troubled.

“You look at teams, I don’t think teams play great all the time, but they find ways to win,” Lundqvist stated.  “I think that’s something we’re lacking a little bit this year.  It always helps when you get some good bounces, but you have to earn them.”

For too long, Lundqvist has had to stand on his head and play with the focus needed to achieve a superhuman level.  Nothing has changed throughout his eight-year NHL career.  Since the first day he pulled on the Rangers’ sweater, he’s had to do far too much of the heavy lifting and take on an enormous burden in order to win games.

Take a glance at his statistics.  Lundqvist’s .921 save percentage this season is one point higher than his career average.  His goals against average of 2.22 is five points less than his career mark of 2.27.  Yet he’s nearly a .500 goalie at 13-12-1 this season.

Listen to the way Lundqvist talks.  It’s rarely his fault, yet he’s always accountable.  He takes losses with a high degree of seriousness and wears the Rangers uniform with a tremendous amount of pride.

At 31, he’s seen far too much underperformance in front of him.  It’s time that his teammates pay him back by rallying around their all-world net-minder.  Lundqvist deserves to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup one day.

Considering his dedication and unyielding desire to lift the Rangers out of mediocrity, it’s time he’s rewarded with a taste of glory.  Now, it’s up to his teammates to do their part.  The King deserves to be wearing the crown.

Do you expect the Rangers to get it together on the offensive end soon, or will the entire season continue to rest on Lundqvist’s shoulders? Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

No, it wasn’t Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers this time.

Jacob Markstrom made 44 saves, and he and the cellar-dwelling Florida Panthers stole the spotlight from Lundqvist and the Rangers with a 3-1 win Thursday night.

Markstrom lost a shot at his first NHL shutout in the closing minutes, but it wasn’t nearly the bummer it appeared to be.

“Not at all,” the 23-year-old native of Gavle, Sweden, said. “We had a great game. It’s all about winning games, and we did that, so it feels great.

“I felt really good from the start to the finish.”

The Rangers had gotten back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with wins on two consecutive nights this week after a three-game skid. But Markstrom was sharp and shut down offensively challenged New York.

New York has the same record as Carolina, 15-13-2, but the Hurricanes now hold the eighth spot based on a tiebreaker. If the Rangers fall short of the playoffs in a few weeks, they will likely look back at these lost points.

Markstrom, who has played in only nine games since being recalled from the minor leagues in February, earned his third NHL win of the season and fifth in 17 career games.

He lost his shutout bid when Marian Gaborik cut the Rangers’ deficit to 2-1 with 3:48 left, but Markstrom settled for wins in back-to-back games. Gaborik had gone seven games without a goal.

Brian Campbell scored in the first period, and Scottie Upshall made it 2-0 in the second against Henrik Lundqvist, who faced 23 shots. Florida (9-16-6) has the fewest points in the NH

“That’s seven or eight solid periods in a row for us,” Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. “That’s what we’re looking for.

“The points are nice, and that’s all we’re doing. We’re looking for little snapshots, and tonight was a good one for us.”

The Rangers had a chance to tie it when they received a power play with just over a minute left, but Tomas Kopecky scored into an empty net with 45.9 seconds remaining to seal it for Florida.

Special teams were key all night as New York failed on all three power plays it had and killed only one of two against.

The Panthers, playing the second game of a season-high, five-game trip, were on a 1-7-2 slide before they won at Carolina on Tuesday in front of Markstrom (3-5-1). This is just the team’s second two-game winning streak this season.

That was good enough for Markstrom, who took no extra satisfaction in besting Lundqvist, last season’s Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goalie.

“It’s a `W’ and that is what’s important,” he said. “He’s a big role model in Sweden for a lot of young kids. He really showed the way. It’s always fun to play against him, but when the puck drops it’s just me trying to stop the puck.”

The Rangers appeared to be getting back on track with wins over Carolina and New Jersey, and their offense showed signs of life by netting three goals for the first time in five games on Tuesday.

They couldn’t sustain it.

“We’d be concerned if we weren’t getting the chances,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “We had 40-something shots. You get those chances on a nightly basis, you’re going to get more than one goal easily.”

The Rangers played yet another sluggish and uninspired first period, as they have done in a recent trend, and fell behind 1-0 despite holding a 12-7 shots edge in the frame.

“I don’t think our start was great, but it wasn’t as slow as some of the other ones,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “I don’t think it was us overlooking them.”

Florida grabbed the lead during its only power play of the period. T.J. Brennan faked a shot at the right point and slid a pass across the zone to defense partner Campbell, who fired a slap shot from the upper inside edge of the right circle that appeared to clip the stick of Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh before it sailed past Lundqvist at 8:22. It was Campbell’s seventh goal of the season.

The Rangers didn’t look much better in the second, and they were booed off the ice as they trudged to the dressing room down by two goals.

“What’s frustrating is you look at the game, and we have enough chances to tie it up earlier, but we’re not doing it,” Lundqvist said.

Again, New York got the best of Florida in shots — this time 15-9 — but only one puck found the net.

During a scramble in front, Lundqvist stopped a shot by Jack Skille, but he couldn’t keep Upshall from popping in the rebound at 4:28.

Markstrom was much busier at the other end. He had a scare when a shot got behind him after it struck the post and slid dangerously through the crease. Markstrom then made a good stop to deny Gaborik’s backhander from in front late in the second.

NOTES: The Panthers are 32-5-13 since the 2011-12 season when they score the first goal. … The Rangers had their highest shot total since they had 47 against the Islanders on March 15, 2011. … Rookie LW Chris Kreider was back in the New York lineup for the first time since Feb. 26, his last game before being sent down to Connecticut of the AHL. … Referee Jean Hebert was tended to by the Rangers’ training staff after his mouth was bloodied in the first period. He remained in the game.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The NHL general managers meetings are currently being held in Toronto, and assistant general manager Jeff Gorton represented the Blueshirts in Sather’s absence, the Rangers confirmed.

The 69-year-old has held his position with the Rangers since 2000, and he spent time as the head coach in 2003 and 2004. The Hall of Famer also played for New York during his 11-year career which spanned from 1966–1977.

According to the newspaper, Sather will spend the next few days in the hospital and then will again return as the president and general manager.

“Almost all of Glen’s business is done on the phone anyway,” a source told Newsday. “He just doesn’t want anybody to make a fuss over him.”

Prior to coming to Manhattan at the start of the millennium, Sather was the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, where he won five Stanley Cups. He also served as the head coach of the Oilers during his tenure in Edmonton, and currently ranks 16th on the NHL’s all-time coaching list with 497 wins.

Feel free to offer your best wishes for Sather in the comments section below…

The Rangers finally have reason to feel relieved after winning consecutive games and taking away points from two playoff-chasing rivals — the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

In typical fashion, demanding head coach John Tortorella isn’t getting carried away.  Tortorella understands the big picture.  He’ll continue to lean hard on the Blueshirts and challenge his players reach the next level.

“I’m not going to pick it apart,” Tortorella said after the Rangers’ 3-2 victory at Prudential Center.  “We’ve played a lot of hockey here.  We’ve done some really good things, but there are certainly things as we continue to go — we need to get better at.”

Despite being humbled by a recent stretch of sub-par performances, the mission hasn’t changed for this Rangers team. They have the same goals in mind as last year, and it all starts with playing consistent hockey on a night-in, night-out basis.  Early struggles will be forgotten if the Rangers can prove their consistency over the course of 19 remaining regular-season games and carry momentum on their backs going into the playoffs.

“I’m happy with the team — two big wins to get four points when we struggled for a little bit.  Now, we need to continue to get better and steady ourselves and take it day-by-day,” Tortorella said.

Tuesday night’s victory over the Devils at Prudential Center allowed the Rangers to leapfrog New Jersey to 8^th place, knocking their hated rivals into 9^th.  More importantly, this was the closest the Blueshirts have looked to a real solid unit from top to bottom in a very long time.

The puck control was there, especially in the third period as they protected their 3-2 lead after Rick Nash pulled the Blueshirts ahead with a trademark goal of individual brilliance at 7:25 in the second period, beating Johan Hedberg through the five hole.

“His ability to make plays and shed guys off, and create open ice for other guys is so dynamic. You want to put the puck on his stick,” Del Zotto said of the danger Nash causes for opponents.

After Nash’s go-ahead goal, there was more than half of a game left to play – 32 minutes of disciplined hockey was needed to ensure the Rangers came away with a confidence-building victory over an old enemy.

The Rangers put the clamps down in the third period, only allowing Henrik Lundqvist to face seven shots in the final 20 minutes.  Their tough-willed play was reminiscent of the high point of last season, when New York was able to protect slim leads and frustrate opponents by not letting them get too many bites of the apple in the third period.

That’s not to say the Rangers didn’t have a great deal of success in the offensive zone – they certainly did.  There were stretches where they confidently circled Hedberg’s net like sharks.  A lot of the Rangers’ chances were jump-started by Del Zotto’s long-distance tape-to-tape passes.

Derek Stepan was impressed with Del Zotto’s ability to create offensive chances with his tremendous vision.  It was Stepan though, who assisted Del Zotto’s check-swing goal when Hedberg ventured out of his crease and lost control of the puck.

“He sees the ice so well,” Stepan said of Del Zotto’s vision. “When he’s got the puck on his stick, he knows where the open ice is and is able to make good passes like that.  His game is getting better each game.”

Del Zotto’s improved play has come at the right time for the Rangers, who are without Marc Staal indefinitely.  Tortorella piles the minutes on top defensive pairing Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi every night, so it’s important that Del Zotto has been able to find his game over this recent stretch.

“He did some really good things tonight,” Tortorella said of Del Zotto.  “Some other things he struggled at — as all players do.  Made a great defensive play at the end of the game.  He scores a goal, has been fairly consistent for us through here on a banged-up blue line.  We’ve asked him to do quite a bit, and I think he’s handled it pretty well.”

That’s probably the closest you’re going to get from Tortorella in terms of praise, but that’s what makes Tortorella an effective head coach.  He’s always concerned about the small details and his attention to detail is what has paved his successes both in Tampa and most recently under the spotlight of the Big Apple.

Tortorella’s blueprint hasn’t changed.  What made the Rangers great last season was their ability to kill off games and protect third-period leads.

It’s up to the Rangers to follow that blueprint in order to replicate last season’s success, and give themselves every chance of making a prolonged playoff run.

Can the Rangers prove their doubters wrong by finishing the regular season on a high note?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

That is how tight the NHL is in this lockout-shortened season.

Michael Del Zotto scored a short-handed goal and set up Rick Nash’s game winner to lead the Rangers to a 3-2 win over the Devils on Tuesday night, moving them into a tie with New Jersey for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

“The game last night meant nothing if we didn’t follow up with two points again tonight,” Del Zotto said, referring to New York’s 2-1 shootout win over Carolina on Monday. “It was huge. A lot of momentum swings, and we have to keep this rolling here.”

The wins came on the heels of a three-game losing streak for the Rangers, who also have a game in hand on New Jersey.

“Guys are getting more confidence back,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “We’re getting back to playing the style we want to play. It shows on the ice. It’s two points, and now we have to move on.”

Carl Hagelin also scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist had 29 saves, including three spectacular stops during a second-period power play that preceded Nash’s deciding goal.

“You try to play with a short memory, you have to,” Lundqvist said. “The games come up so fast. Sometimes you can’t really tell why it turns around for you. You just have to keep working hard and hopefully good things will happen.

“We have to improve and play even better if we’re going to be in the playoffs. These were two good games we can build on.”

The Devils also have to move on, but they need to change direction after losing their third straight (0-2-1) and for the 10th time (3-8-2) since goalie Martin Brodeur went down with a pinched nerve in his back.

Brodeur was on the bench for the first time since being injured, and the league’s career leader in wins hopes to start on Thursday in Carolina.

“We’ve got enough here to win more games than we have been winning lately,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. `We have to get the job done.”

Travis Zajac and Anton Volchenkov scored for New Jersey, which again outshot its opponent but had trouble scoring. The Devils have four goals in the losing streak.

“We did everything except score when we needed to,” Zajac said. “It was a pretty good game from our team. You can’t fault our effort today. We didn’t score. We had our chances but didn’t get the bounce.”

By Rangers-Devils standards, this game was wide open and had its share of miscues and great saves by Lundqvist and Johan Hedberg, who started all 13 games since Brodeur last played on Feb. 21.

Nash’s goal might have been one of the mistakes by Hedberg, who helped set up Del Zotto’s third goal of the season by playing the puck near his bench on a power play.

Nash’s team-high 10th goal came on a counterattack shortly after Lundqvist made saves on a blast by Ilya Kovalchuk, a backhander by Steve Bernier on the rebound and an in-close rebound by Alexei Ponikarovsky with Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman in the penalty box.

Del Zotto found Nash on the right wing, and the big forward skated into the Devils zone and beat Hedberg with a shot from the right circle at 7:25 to break a 2-all tie

“He (Lundqvist) definitely gave us the momentum, coming off a penalty kill,” Nash said. “Del Zotto made a great play up the ice and sent me and Richards on a two-on-one. The D man was kind of cheating the pass so I thought I would shoot.”

New Jersey had about five good chances to tie it but Lundqvist stoned them, making a great stop on David Clarkson from between the circles in the second period and stopping a couple of slap shots by Kovalchuk on a third-period power play. He also made a save on Patrik Elias in the final minute.

The Rangers, who hadn’t scored two goals in regulation in their previous four games, scored twice in the first period, but the Devils tied it on goals by slumping players.

Shortly after Kovalchuk banged a power-play shot off the post, Del Zotto swatted a shoulder-high pass from the corner by Derek Stepan into the net at 11:49 for New York’s third short-handed goal of the season.

The Devils’ second power play was more productive, and a little bit luckier at 15:15. A shot from the point by Peter Harrold was partially blocked. Del Zotto tried to kick the puck to the corner, but it went to Zajac’s stick in the right circle for his first goal in 11 games.

New York took the lead again less than two minutes later on Hagelin’s eighth goal.

It also was a little lucky.

Dan Girardi’s shot from the right point was wide of the net but it bounced off the end boards right to Hagelin on the left doorstep for a stuff-in.

Volchenkov tied it 2-2 just 23 seconds later with a shot from the left point that found its way past about five players and Lundqvist. It was the Russian’s first goal in 36 games, dating to last season, and his 19th goal in a decade in the NHL.

NOTES: Del Zotto’s goal was his 100th NHL point. … Defensemen Stu Bickel and Matt Gilroy were healthy scratches for the Rangers. … Devils C Andrei Loktionov (undisclosed injury) hopes to be back in the lineup in Carolina on Thursday. … Devils D Marek Zidlicky played in his 600th NHL game. …Ponikarovsky left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The New York Rangers earned a crucial two points by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Monday’s 2-1 overtime shootout victory.  New York is now within striking distance of a playoff spot, as they’re two points off the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

While the Blueshirts lifted the gloom by snapping a three-game losing streak, some big questions remain about the Rangers, who haven’t earned back-to-back wins since March 7.  New York is 3-4-0 in back-to-back games this season and 0-3-0 in the second game of a back-to-back.

If there’s ever been a game where the Rangers must make a statement, it’s against the Devils across the Hudson at Prudential Center.  Defenseman Michael Del Zotto called Tuesday night’s meeting “a huge rivalry game for us.”

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan understands the importance of putting together a streak and gaining some momentum back by beating the Devils in their own building — a task easier said than done.

“Obviously, the two points is the big thing,” Callahan said after Monday’s victory. “It means nothing if we don’t go into Jersey and get a win.  You’re only as good as your last game, so you’ve got to go to Jersey and show that kind of effort we did in the second and third.”

In their past four games, the Rangers have averaged less than one regulation goal per game.  A confident Callahan believes there’s no question that the Rangers will find their scoring touch in games to come.

“Pucks will start going for us, too,” Callahan stated. “There’s no concern in this room, no matter what reporters say or anybody says. We know we have guys in here who can score goals, and it’s going to come.”

Monday’s shootout hero, J.T. Miller, is never short of confidence.  Miller patiently drew Hurricanes goalie Dan Ellis out of his net to score the shooutout-winning goal.  Even though the 20-year-old Miller is just 20 games into his NHL career, it’s clear that he has the right sort of mentality needed to handle the rigors of the NHL.  Miller knows that every remaining game is of playoff intensity, and he brings energy and focus every night.

“Going forward here, we have to look at it as playoff hockey,” Miller explained.  ”We have to take it day-by-day and try and worry about tomorrow.  We have a big game tomorrow.”

Linemate Brian Boyle said of Miller: “He’s got a lot of ability and some confidence on the puck.  He’s smart, he communicates on the ice.  He’s impressive, he wants to get better, he’s ultra-competitive.  He’s a little harder on himself than I think he should be, but that’s going to keep him going and that’s great.”

Like Miller, Henrik Lundqvist is always very self-critical of his own game and understands the crucial nature of Tuesday’s rivalry meeting at The Rock.

“It’s going to be a tough game for us, but hopefully we can start winning here.  We’re in a tough spot and it’s going to be a critical game for us,” Lundqvist said.

If the Rangers can earn a hard-fought win in Newark, it could be the springboard for things to come.  Should they not get off to the right start at Prudential Center, they will be eaten alive by a max-effort Devils team that also has individuals that can make any team pay. All-world winger Ilya Kovalchuk, superb sophomore Adam Henrique, ageless Patrik Elias and gritty pest David Clarkson can do major damage.

If the Rangers give anything less than a full effort over three periods at The Rock, there’s no chance they’ll come away with a victory.  All season long, the Rangers — and particularly some of their biggest stars — have gone missing for large stretches during games.  That can’t happen on Tuesday night against the Devils in a game that means everything to the Rangers’ psyche.

Should the Rangers not get the job done at Prudential Center, bigger questions will be asked of their underperforming stars, and the pressure will be tightened on John Tortorella.  It’s up to the Blueshirts to bury their demons in New Jersey.

How damaging would a loss to the Devils be to the Rangers’ hopes of making the playoffs?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

Back at home Monday night after a four-game trip that concluded with losses at Buffalo, Winnipeg and Pittsburgh, the Rangers were sluggish early against the Carolina Hurricanes and started the second period in a familiar hole.

But Derek Stepan scored the tying goal, and Henrik Lundqvist was perfect in net the rest of the way as the Rangers outlasted the Hurricanes 2-1 in a shootout.

Lundqvist allowed a goal to Eric Staal in the final minute of the first, but no other pucks got past him — including two shootout attempts.

Now the Rangers will look to build on this win as they get set to face the Devils in New Jersey on Tuesday. Carolina and New Jersey are part of a four-team logjam with 32 points in the Eastern Conference — two more than the ninth-place Rangers.

“It means nothing if we don’t go into Jersey and play the same way,” captain Ryan Callahan said of the Rangers, who have scored only three goals in four games. “We have to go to Jersey and show that kind of effort we did in the second and third, and pucks will start going in for us, too.

“There’s no concern in this room. We know we have guys in here that can score goals, and it’s going to come.”

Rangers coach John Tortorella put his three biggest offensive threats — Rick Nash, Brad Richards, and Marian Gaborik — on one line against the Hurricanes. The trio didn’t produce a goal.

Nash scored in the opening round of the shootout, and rookie J.T. Miller fumbled his way to a goal in the third round to clinch the win. The 20-year-old Miller skated in slowly on Dan Ellis and briefly lost the puck before calmly gathering it and scoring from a tough angle near the goal line.

Miller also had trouble with the move earlier in the season, but Tortorella felt confident about using him in another big spot.

“He almost fanned again,” Tortorella said. “He went so slow, I think he missed it about three or four times before he scored. It wasn’t a great move, but you give him credit … just to hold onto it and keep it and put it in the net.”

Carolina (15-11-2), tied in points with Winnipeg atop the Southeast Division, dropped its third straight (0-2-1). It was the Hurricanes’ first shootout this season.

Lundqvist made 29 saves through overtime. Ellis stopped 35 shots in his third start since No. 1 goalie Cam Ward was injured March 3.

“He gave us the opportunity to get a point,” Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said of Ellis. “He made some real key saves, especially late.”

New York had a couple of close calls in the third period, including a chance in front by Gaborik. The Rangers also had the only power play in the third, the first time in six games they had more than two advantages in a game, but couldn’t do anything with it.

Carolina had only 13 shots after the first period.

“We played a very strong first period but you saw them come out and match our intensity in the second,” Ellis said. “They outworked us. This has happened a couple of times where we come out with a good start and then get off our game plan. We’ve got to learn from it. It’s starting to cost us.”

Injured Rangers defenseman Marc Staal watched from a suite high above the ice, watching his brothers Eric and Jordan, who are star forwards with the Hurricanes. Marc Staal missed his seventh game since he was struck in the right eye by a puck against Philadelphia on March 5.

“I got a chance to visit with him last night and spent some time at his apartment,” Eric Staal said. “It was good to see him. He’s doing good.”

Stepan netted the elusive goal for the Rangers when he scored his eighth of the season at 11:06. Stepan spun around in front of Ellis and whipped a shot in after Callahan created the chance by charging the net and bumping into Ellis.

The Rangers, beaten 3-0 Saturday in Pittsburgh, scored for the first time in 120 minutes, 55 seconds — dating back two games to Callahan’s second-period goal in a loss at Winnipeg on Thursday.

“The whole game, especially starting in the second period, we created a lot of chances,” Gaborik said. “We were way better than we were in Pitt. This is a very important win for us to snap the losing streak and move forward to (Tuesday) night’s game with confidence.”

New York couldn’t forge the lead in the second, but the Rangers had a 15-4 edge in the period and 20-18 overall through 40 minutes.

The Hurricanes had the better of the play in the first and turned that into the lead with 50.4 seconds left. Eric Staal, who less than a minute earlier came out of the penalty box, took a cross-zone pass in the right circle from defenseman Joni Pitkanen and fired a quick one-timer that beat Lundqvist for his 14th goal of the season.

Staal had taken a goalie interference penalty when he was shoved into Lundqvist at 16:33, wiping out the final 47 seconds of a power play Carolina received when New York defenseman Steve Eminger was called for interference.

The Hurricanes didn’t generate any shots on their first advantage, called just 24 seconds in, when Gaborik was whistled for tripping Staal in the offensive zone, but Carolina led 14-6 in first-period shots.

GAME NOTES: Eric Staal has two goals and four assists during a five-game point streak. He has six goals and 10 assists in 12 games — earning at least one point in 10. … Alexander Semin, who had the second assist on Staal’s goal, also has a five-game point streak. … Stepan has a point in eight of 10 games, notching five goals and five assists in the spurt. … Marc Staal’s brothers said he is waiting for facial fractures to heal and for his vision to fully return. He is hopeful of returning this season.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Lately, the Rangers don’t have much of a pulse as they’ve dropped their last three games and have only scored two goals in their past three games.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 23 shots to break a tie for Pittsburgh’s career shutout record with 23, and the Penguins beat the New York Rangers 3-0 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.

Beau Bennett, Pascal Dupuis and Tyler Kennedy scored, and Dustin Jeffrey added two assists as the Penguins continued to dominate the reeling Rangers. Pittsburgh has won seven consecutive meetings with New York, which lost for the fourth time in its last five games.

Fleury broke a tie with Tom Barrasso for the club shutout record.

Catching the high-flying Penguins might be tough for just about everybody else in the East if Pittsburgh continues to play solidly at both ends of the ice.

Still, it was just 1-0 until early in the third period, when Kennedy drew a tripping penalty from New York’s Anton Stralman then cashed in a minute later when he rocketed a one-timer from the left circle past Lundqvist.

Less than 60 seconds later it was 3-0 as Dupuis scored his 14th of the season and left what little drama remained focused on Fleury’s pursuit of the shutout record. The goalie had come close earlier this season only to see the shutout disappear in the final minute.

Not this time. When Dupuis dumped the puck into the New York zone as the clock expired, the crowd rose to its feet in appreciation while Pittsburgh’s bench raced onto the ice to pay respect to the team’s career leader in goaltending victories.

Bennett gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead barely 90 seconds in, taking a nifty tap pass off the boards from Dustin Jeffrey and blistering a slap shot from right circle over Lundqvist’s shoulder. Only brilliant play from the New York goalie prevented things from getting any worse for the Rangers, who needed more than 10 minutes to get off a shot and spent most of the first 20 minutes in a general malaise.

The only real spark came from defenseman Dan Girardi, who tangled with NHL leading scorer Sidney Crosby frequently. At one point both players lost their cool, drawing matching minors for roughing when Girardi knocked off Crosby’s helmet and the Pittsburgh captain responded by sticking his glove into Girardi’s face.

New York recovered in the second, getting into Fleury’s face and generating some momentum. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma called timeout to get his team settled, and the Penguins responded by playing the kind of responsible defensive hockey that’s fueled the second half of their winning streak.

Pittsburgh began its run by winning a series of one-goal shootouts, allowing at least three goals in each of the first four games. Things have changed quickly. The Penguins have surrendered just four goals in their last 16 periods thanks in part to shying away from the sometimes reckless play that can Fleury or backup Tomas Vokoun into tight spots.

NOTES: Penguins C Evgeni Malkin did not skate on Saturday and he remains out with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Coach Dan Bylsma says there is no timetable on Malkin’s return. The reigning NHL MVP has missed the last four games and eight of Pittsburgh’s last 11 … Pittsburgh hosts the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Rangers are off until Monday when they host Carolina. … The Rangers scratched D Stuck Bickel and Matt Gilroy while the Penguins scratched D Deryk Engelland and Roberto Bortuzzo along with Malkin.

Is this rock bottom for the Rangers?  Share your thoughts below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Jets captain Andrew Ladd believes momentum can carry Winnipeg into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ladd finished off the Jets’ 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night with an empty-net goal. Winnipeg has earned nine of 10 points in the past five games (4-0-1).

“We’ve got to feed on what we’ve done the last couple games and the success we’ve had and the good feelings that come from that,” Ladd said. “When things are happening and things are going well, you get a sense of your game.

“You know what to do, you realize why you’re doing things, and it makes it easier to make those decisions.”

Nik Antropov scored the game’s first goal, and Antti Miettinen had his first of the season for Winnipeg (14-11-2). Ladd’s clinching goal — his 14th tally of the season — came with 39 seconds left for the Jets, who also had a pair of assists from Dustin Byfuglien.

Antropov has two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak.

Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves to earn his 11th win.

Ryan Callahan was the lone scorer for the Rangers (13-11-2), who have dropped two straight in the middle of a four-game road trip. Hendrik Lundqvist stopped 30 shots.

Eighth-place Winnipeg has a two-point lead over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the Jets have played one more game than New York.

“It was a tough game to play,” said Pavelec, who stopped Marian Gaborik on a penalty shot. “They have some big guys in the lineup, and I think we handled it pretty well. In that third period, I think we played really well.”

The teams kept the tempo high in the second period, and the Jets went ahead 2-1 on Miettinen’s first goal of the season in his seventh game.

Byfuglien sent a wrist shot from the point at Lundqvist, who was screened by Miettinen. The puck deflected off Miettinen and found the net at 14:52.

Both teams had 22 shots on goal through two periods.

Both goalies made some good saves in the third, with Lundqvist making two big stops in the final three minutes to keep it a one-goal game.

Lundqvist was pulled for an extra skater just over a minute and a half remaining, but the Rangers turned the puck over in Winnipeg’s end.

Olli Jokinen passed it up in the neutral zone to Blake Wheeler, who moved it ahead to Ladd for an easy 14th goal of the season.

New York paid for a penalty early in the first period after defenseman Michael Del Zotto went to the box for cross-checking at 1:46.

Just 12 seconds later, Jets center Kyle Wellwood passed the puck across the ice just inside the blue line to Byfuglien, who fired the puck at the net. Antropov flipped the puck past Lundqvist with a backhanded shot.

Antropov is on a four-game point streak with two goals and four assists.

The Rangers got a free chance to score when Gaborik was awarded a penalty shot after Byfuglien hooked him at 11:17 of the first period, but his attempt to stuff the puck under Pavelec’s pad was unsuccessful.

“We’ve got to capitalize,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “When you have a penalty shot, you have a breakaway, some really good looks there, you need to get something done there.

“Hopefully, we can get our next game, some guys gain some confidence and we score some goals along with defending the proper way.”

The Rangers, who lost three of four, will complete a four-game trip on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Callahan tied it 1-1 at 1:11 of the second period when he stood in front of the net and redirected a shot by Derek Stepan.

NOTES: Winnipeg will play at Toronto on Saturday and at Ottawa on Sunday.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

NHL owners have made it official: The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets are heading east.

The league announced Thursday that its board of governors approved a realignment plan that will go into effect next season. The new format will feature two eight-team divisions in the Eastern Conference, and two seven-team divisions in the West.

That means Detroit and Columbus will switch conferences by moving into the East, while the Winnipeg Jets will move into the Western Conference.

Realignment will also create changes in determining the 16-team playoff field. The top three teams in each division will qualify for the postseason. The next two teams with the best records in each conference will then earn wild-card berths.

That will make it more difficult for teams to qualify in the East, because it will have two more clubs than the West competing for eight berths.

The NHL Players’ Association had already signed off on the realignment format, which will be in place for at least three seasons.

“The new alignment will place several clubs in more geographically appropriate groupings, and will intensify already-fierce rivalries throughout the league,” the NHL said.

The changes will also make it easier on team’s travel schedules, with Detroit and Columbus no longer having to make numerous and extended trips outside the Eastern time zone. The Jets will also gain some normalcy in travel after spending the past two seasons as members of the Southeast Division.

The Atlanta Thrashers’ relocation to Winnipeg two years ago helped precipitate the need for realignment.

Detroit will be placed in a division with Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Columbus will now contend with Carolina, New Jersey, the Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Winnipeg will join a division featuring Chicago, Colorado Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville and St. Louis.

The switch also allows both Minnesota and Colorado to move from the Northwest Division and into a more centrally based division.

All teams will play each other both home and away at least once each season. And teams will play division rivals at least four times a season.

What do you think of the realignment, hockey fans? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

A steaming John Tortorella let loose after the New York Rangers’ 3-1 defeat to a dismal Buffalo Sabres team.

“I don’t think the Sabres are the hungrier team; I thought we stunk,” Tortorella declared during his postgame press conference. “I’m not gonna give Buffalo any credit. Well, I will give their third line credit. They outplayed our top players, and that can’t happen. I couldn’t be more disgusted and disappointed with the way our top guys played, the way we handled ourselves through it.  We simply did not play the way we’re supposed to play.”

While Tortorella didn’t name any players specifically, it sounded as if he was talking directly about struggling winger Marian Gaborik, who was absent in Buffalo.  Tortorella had favorably matched up Gaborik against the Sabres’ third liners in an attempt to shake him out of his funk.

If there was ever a game where the stars were aligned for Gaborik to break out, it was against a shorthanded Sabres team that was without star goaltender Ryan Miller, playmaking center Tyler Ennis and suspended enforcer Patrick Kaleta.

“We sucked,” Tortorella stated.  “We sucked at a time that you can’t suck.  We have to get it straightened out.”

The Sabres had lost four games in a row going into Tuesday night’s game at the First Niagra Center.  As Tortorella put it, Buffalo was “ripe to be beaten.”

Gaborik found himself demoted to the third line while Michael Haley moved up to the Rangers’ second line.  To see a star forward like Gaborik lose his place on the second line to an enforcer who hasn’t spent a full season in the NHL speaks volumes about Tortorella’s absence of confidence in Gaborik.

“We fell to their level and played flat,” Gaborik told Pat Leonard of the Daily News.

Well, Gaborik has been flat for the majority of the season and has often found himself either relegated to lower-line duties or benched entirely for long stretches of games.  Ryan Callahan, Carl Hagelin, Rick Nash and Derek Stepan bring the right level of hunger and focus every night.  That can’t be said about Gaborik, who is playing like a passenger by comparison.

New York is currently sitting on the edge of falling out of an eighth-place position in the Eastern Conference, and are even on points with the ninth-place Winnipeg Jets, who coincidentally are the Rangers’ opponent on Thursday.  Should the Rangers lose to the Jets at the MTS Centre, they’ll be the team “that’s ripe for the picking” when they face the dominant Pittsburgh Penguins at the Consol Energy Center on Saturday.

Gaborik And Rangers Must Get It Together Now, Or He’ll Face The Chopping Block

The Rangers have high expectations for themselves.  This team wasn’t built to be an eigth-place team.  A second-half slide could have disastrous ramifications for the Blueshirts and particularly Gaborik, who has been besieged by trade rumors over the past two months

If Gaborik isn’t cutting the mustard, it’s up to Glen Sather to explore options that will give the Rangers the push they need as the April 3 trade deadline draws closer.

One option would be exploring the availability of Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who has not discussed an extension with the Flames and is set to become a free agent in the summer.

Like Rick Nash before him in Columbus, Iginla has been stuck doing much of the heavy lifting on a non-contending team.  While Iginla has been fiercely loyal to the Flames, news of agent Don Meehan confirming that there hasn’t been talks between the two sides is a clear indication that the 35-year-old Iginla desires to play for a winner.

A Gaborik-Iginla swap would make sense for Flames general manager Jay Feaster, who wouldn’t risk losing Iginla for nothing as Gaborik is under contract to earn $7.5 million in 2013-14.  Iginla’s $7 million salary nearly matches up with Gaborik, so the Rangers would actually be saving $500,000 in cap space if the deal was a straight swap.

No-Trade Clause A Hurdle

One holdup could be Gaborik’s no-trade clause, though it should be noted that if Gaborik isn’t getting star minutes and wants a change of scenery, he could consider moving to a team like Calgary that would be willing to build around him, or at the very least allow him to audition for top free agent dollars come the summer of 2014.

If Sather can pull off such a trade, he must make it to keep Iginla away from the Penguins and Boston Bruins, who have both been rumored to be strongly interested in the Calgary captain.

Iginla’s work ethic, determination and leadership are the stuff of legend.  Put him on line with Brad Richards and he’ll wake up Richards.  He’s that kind of player.  Swap Nash over to left wing, and a first line of Nash-Richards-Iginla and a second line of Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan would be a lot for opponents to handle come playoff time.

The Rangers are a win-now team, and acquiring Iginla would give them their best chance of reaching their ultimate goal of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1994.

That is if Sather is willing to pull the trigger on Gaborik.  It all really depends on Gaborik’s happiness and willingness to waive his no-trade clause.  Perhaps, the package deal floated by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun that would send Gaborik to the Senators for depth parts could take shape.

Things will certainly get interesting between now and the April 3 trade deadline.

Rangers fans, would you pull the trigger on a Gaborik-for-Iginla swap? Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

Foligno snapped a 20-game scoring drought with two goals, Enroth made 18 of his 32 saves in the third period to earn his first NHL win in more than a year, and the Sabres beat the Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Enroth, who started because Ryan Miller was sidelined because of a sinus infection, earned his first victory since a 5-1 win over Washington on Nov. 26, 2011. He was 0-10-3 in 16 appearances since then.

The victory was even sweeter because it came against Swedish countryman Henrik Lundqvist, who was in the Rangers net.

“That’s my big idol,” Enroth said with a smile. “It’s something special to me to beat him. It’s something I’ll remember forever.”

More importantly, it helped the Sabres end a four-game losing streak (0-2-2).

“You could see early on that he was tracking things well,” Sabres interim coach Ron Rolston said. “I’m real happy for him. To see him come back and have a big smile is really gratifying.”

Enroth was especially sharp in the third period, when he made four of his saves during the Rangers’ only power play.

“I felt very confident and in control of every shot,” Enroth said. “I didn’t give up bad rebounds. It was pretty much a perfect game.”

Foligno, who hadn’t scored since the fifth game of the season at Washington, made it 1-1 at 5:35 of the second period. He gave the Sabres a 3-1 lead with 8:12 left in the game.

“It’s been tough,” said Foligno, who recorded his third NHL multigoal game. “You want to contribute to the team and play well. I want to be in front and do what I did tonight.”

Thomas Vanek also scored for Buffalo (10-14-3).

Derek Stepan scored a short-handed goal for the Rangers (13-10-2), who lost for just the second time in seven games. Lundqvist made 19 saves.

New York’s Rick Nash had a 10-game point streak snapped.

“I thought we stunk,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “I couldn’t be more disgusted or disappointed with how our top guys played. That team was ripe to be beat and we simply didn’t play the way we were supposed to play.”

Tortorella tersely ended his 90-second press conference, criticizing his team for playing poorly at a critical point of the season.

Stepan gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead 4:17 into the second period. Ryan Callahan got to a rebound in the Buffalo zone and skated toward the side of the net before delivering the puck to Stepan.

Foligno tied it 78 seconds later, stuffing in a rebound of Christian Ehrhoff’s shot that bounced off the back boards.

Vanek put the Sabres in front after taking a long pass from Jason Pominville, that banked off the side boards in the neutral zone, and getting behind Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi.

Foligno banged in his second of the night after Lundqvist stopped Andrej Sekera’s slap shot. Sekera had two assists for his first multipoint game since Feb. 8, 2012, against Boston.

Lundqvist made a pair of acrobatic saves on Vanek with about 8 minutes left in the first period. On the second shot, Lundqvist was on his belly when he kicked up his leg to turn away a backhander.

Enroth made his second start in three games. He allowed two goals in a 3-2 shootout loss at New Jersey on Thursday, but was unable to finish the game after his right leg cramped in the final minutes of the third period.

Buffalo, which entered the game with the worst power play in the NHL, went 0-for-5, allowed a short-handed goal, and incurred two icings during the advantages.

NOTES: Buffalo played without C Tyler Ennis, who sustained a cut on his forehead when he was checked from behind on Sunday at Philadelphia. … Marc Staal sat out his fourth game since being struck in the eye by a puck on March 5. He is out indefinitely. … Buffalo has allowed a league-high five short-handed goals. … The Sabres have played on March 12 in each of the last six seasons.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The New York Rangers may have been slow to join the party, but they appear to have found their way as the NHL season has hit the second half.

The Chicago Blackhawks certainly dominated the first half of the season by shooting out of the gate with a 21-0-3 record.

While the Blackhawks were setting records in the West, the Rangers were falling in the East. Instead of picking up where they left off last year, they were a .500 team for much of the first half, losing games to the Devils, Islanders, Flyers and Canadiens.

WEB EXTRA: Hartnett — Grading The Rangers At The Midway Point

John Tortorella was seething behind the bench and wondering what was going wrong with a team was the presumed Stanley Cup favorite.

Goals were hard to come by and Henrik Lundqvist was not at his best in the net. The short season was slipping away.

But on the last day of February, the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1. That game seemed to get the Rangers going in the right direction. They have won five of their last six games and have developed an identity.

That identity has been defined the play of Rick Nash.

The former Blue Jackets All-Star has been skating hard and impressively since the first game of the season, but it took him a while to find his rhythm with his new teammates. But the feeling-out process is over and Nash has hit his stride.

Nash leads the Rangers with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 20 games. He is also an impressive +13 for the season.

Nash is not unstoppable, but when he gets the puck in stride you know he is going to get a scoring opportunity. It might be for himself or he may pass the puck to a teammate, but he is skilled big man who uses his size and speed to make plays on nearly every possession.

When Glen Sather acquired Nash from Columbus during the offseason, the thought was that he would become the perfect complement for Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. The Rangers would have enough scoring to get through the Eastern Conference Finals and play for the Stanley Cup.

Nash is not a supporting player. He has become the showstopper and the star. There were some thoughts that the pressure of performing on Broadway would be too much for a player who had earned his stripes in Columbus, but it seems like the bright lights of Madison Square Garden are bringing out the best in Nash.

Not only does he lead the team in scoring, but he does his scoring in the third period when the game is on the line.

He has relieved pressure on Gaborik, Richards and Ryan Callahan. They know that they don’t have to do it every night and they can play their game. Nash is there to carry the load, and the 6-foo-4, 220-pounder is more than up to it.

Nash gave the Rangers a lifeline just when they needed it most, and it seems like they have established their foothold.

They are barely qualifying for a playoff spot at this point, but it seems quite likely that they are about to climb over teams like the Devils, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs in the near future.

The Devils have been slumping badly, the Senators have been torn apart by injuries and the Maple Leafs are prone to choking in the latter half of the season.

The Blackhawks were the story of the first half of the season. Don’t write off the Rangers, because they could be the story of the second half.

Rangers fans, are you fully confident that the Blueshirts will make the playoffs? What seed will they be heading into the postseason? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

Few expected the New York Rangers to be sitting on the bubble of the playoffs at the halfway point of the season.  The Rangers begin their second half with 28 points and currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.  They’re aiming to climb up the ladder, though that ability may have taken a hit due to an unfortunate eye injury suffered by key defenseman Marc Staal.

Still, this team possesses the talent and locker-room personalities required to be an upper-echelon team in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.  Rick Nash has gotten hotter as the season has gone on, and the Rangers are following his lead by winning five of their last six.

Forwards

Rick Nash (A) – Nash has been everything that the Rangers expected him to be and more.  While 23 points in 20 games is impressive, more telling is how the Rangers play without Nash in the lineup.  He wants the responsibility placed on his shoulders, and that’s always a good thing for a star player in his first season in New York.  Nash certainly does not shy away from the pressure — he embraces it.

Ryan Callahan (A-) – Heroic shot blocking, relentless forechecking, hard hits and now, Callahan has added a new dimension to his game — highlight-reel goals.  Whether it’s on even strength, on the power play or in the shootout, Callahan has scored a number of stylish goals.  That being said, he still scores a number of gritty goals in front of the net and has always been an underrated playmaker.

Carl Hagelin (B+) – Hagelin brings a lot of energy every night he laces up his skates.  Whenever he and Nash are paired together, their lightning speed causes huge problems for opposing defensemen.  The 24-year-old Swede has proven that last season wasn’t a fluke, and he has taken his game a step forward in his second season in the NHL.

Derek Stepan (B+) – Stepan has certainly elevated his game in all areas this season.  In a full 82-game season, Stepan could be a 60-point player.  More importantly, he’s developing into a very capable penalty killer.  As far as the complete package goes, Stepan is playing close to the level of a No. 1 center.  He’s become an all-situation player and is averaging 20:58 minutes of ice time per game.

Marian Gaborik (B) – This hasn’t been an ideal year for Gaborik, who has been dogged by trade rumors and has found himself in John Tortorella’s doghouse.  At times, Gaborik has been sat down by Tortorella for large stretches of games and at other times, he’s been demoted to the fourth line.  I can’t see Glen Sather dealing away Gaborik for depth parts.  I’m certain Sather would only entertain a trade offer that would bring back another star player in exchange for Gaborik.  His production — 17 points in 24 games — hasn’t been terrible, but perhaps his recent overtime-winning goal against the Islanders will give him the confidence he needs going forward.

Brad Richards (B-) – Richards hasn’t been a stranger to Tortorella’s doghouse, either.  The pressure is on Richards to live up to his high-earning contract as the Rangers have the option of exercising an amnesty buyout after this season.  It’s been a first half to forget for Richards, and he was fortunate not to suffer a serious injury after Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta ran him into the boards.  Lately, Richards has scored goals in consecutive games, and the Rangers need him to play like the elite centerman of his Dallas and Tampa years.

Jeff Halpern (B-) – Obviously, Halpern wasn’t brought in to score goals.  He’s yet to light the lamp this season, but that isn’t what Halpern’s game is predicated on.  Halpern is a defense-first forward who excels on the penalty kill.  While he doesn’t do a lot of things that immediately stand out, he brings consistent, hardworking attributes to the ice every night.  His -4 statistic is misleading compared to what is seen by the eye if you watch him closely.

Taylor Pyatt (C+) – Pyatt is a physical, trustworthy winger who has earned the trust of Tortorella.  He got off to a fine start offensively early in the season, but lately his production has dried up.  Pyatt is the sort of player whom Rangers fans probably won’t fully appreciate until the playoffs roll around and he comes up with an important goal.

Darroll Powe (C+) – Similarly to Halpern, Powe’s role with the Rangers is to be a defense-first, checking-line forward. And like Halpern, he brings a lot of energy and tenaciousness.  It was a smart move by Sather to offload Mike Rupp to the Minnesota Wild to bring in the versatile Powe.

J.T. Miller (C+) – Like Hagelin before him, Miller has established himself as an energy player in his rookie year.  Miller seems to have plenty of confidence in his game and that’s something that has caught the eye of Tortorella, who opted to keep Miller up with the big club.  There will be growing pains for Miller over the course of his rookie season, but he’s doing everything possible to keep his mistakes to a minimum.  Tortorella has noted that Miller needs to improve his level of play when tired at the end of a shift.

Brian Boyle (C) – After making a big impression during the 2012 playoffs, Boyle was expected to take that wave of confident play into this season.  Unfortunately, Boyle has struggled offensively by only scoring two points in 20 games and is a -6.  Still, he’s a smart player in the defensive zone and a faceoff specialist.  He finally scored his first goal of the season against the Capitals on Sunday and the Rangers are hoping Boyle finds his game in the second half.  When Tortorella sat Boyle down, he appeared to receive the message, and that’s a good sign for Rangers fans going forward.

Chris Kreider (C-) –  Much was expected from Kreider after his exciting performances last playoffs.  Unfortunately, his production was lacking, he demonstrated poor puck control and suffered through defensive frailties.  He’s currently working on improving his game in the AHL.

Arron Asham (C-) –  Throughout his time playing for all four of the Rangers’ Atlantic Division rivals, Asham developed a reputation of being an effective and physical forward who was able to put up decent production for an enforcer.  He’s currently on the injured reserve due to a back injury, and that might explain why Rangers fans are yet to see the best from Asham.

Defensemen

Marc Staal (A+) – Before his unfortunate eye injury, Staal was the Rangers’ most consistent player of the first half of the season.  When finally healthy, Staal had emerged as the Rangers’ number one defenseman and was contributing in all areas of the ice and in all situations.  As a true shutdown defenseman, the Rangers are crossing their fingers that his recovery time will be weeks rather than months.

Ryan McDonagh (A-) – Last season, McDonagh was the Rangers’ best overall defenseman.  He isn’t playing quite at that level, but McDonagh is still a tremendous minutes eater and hardworking all-situation player.

Dan Girardi (B+) – Girardi’s toughness is unquestioned, especially after he did not miss a game after taking a heavy slapshot from Montreal’s PK Subban off his ankle.  Like Staal and McDonagh, Girardi is one of the Rangers’ three horses on defense whom Tortorella can heavily rely on.  He leads the Rangers with 24:40 of total ice time per game.

Michael Del Zotto (B) – 2013 has been another opportunity for Del Zotto to take strides forward, and he has done so by adding further consistency to his game.  Occasionally, you’ll see Del Zotto make positioning mistakes, but these kind of flaws have become fewer and fewer.  There’s still a high level of potential for him to reach as an offensive defenseman, and he needs to improve on his physicality.

Anton Stralman (C+) – Stralman is the kind of player who blows hot and cold.  On some nights he looks like a very capable offensive defenseman who can score from the point.  Most of the time, Stralman isn’t very effective in his own zone and doesn’t bring much physicality.

Steve Eminger (C) – It’s been somewhat of a love-hate relationship between Tortorella and Eminger.  That has a lot to do with Eminger’s inconsistency and proneness toward making errors in the defensive zone.  He’s the sort of player who has the tools, but doesn’t necessarily know how to use them.

Matt Gilroy (C-) – In his return to the Rangers, Gilroy is yet to score a point and is -3.  The Rangers need him to start contributing offensively soon, because his overall play is lacking.

Stu Bickel (D) – Bickel has long draw the ire of Rangers fans, yet somehow he often gets a pass from Tortorella.  He frequently makes costly errors and finds his average ice time limited to 5:31 per game.  When he’s not fighting, he isn’t doing much to justify his place in the lineup.

Goaltenders

Henrik Lundqvist (A) – While Lundqvist isn’t playing at the level of last seasons’s Vezina Trophy campaign, he’s still been pretty exceptional between the pipes.  Sure, you would expect a better record than 11-8-1 from Lundqvist, but anyone pointing the finger of blame at Lundqvist is looking at the wrong guy.  His level of desire and accountability is second to none among NHL goaltenders, and King Henrik is a tremendous self-motivator.  He’ll push himself harder than anyone to get the Rangers where they need to be in the second half.

Martin Biron (B+) – Biron, as always, has been a capable understudy when Tortorella calls upon him. In a shortened season, Tortorella would be wise to give Biron more starts to ensure that Lundqvist is fresh come playoff time.

Receiving incomplete grades (less than four games played:) – Roman Hamrlik, Michael Haley, Benn Ferriero, Christian Thomas, Brandon Mashinter, Kris Newbury and Brandon Segal.

Coaching

John Tortorella (B) – While it’s easy to assign blame to Tortorella for the Rangers’ subpar record, it isn’t entirely fair as Tortorella has had to scramble to figure out how to incorporate new faces into his system during a short training camp.  The pieces are beginning to fall into place and this time of year is when the Rangers can make their run.

He hasn’t seen elite production from Richards or Gaborik and wasn’t afraid to sit either down.  Tortorella has always been a master motivator, as seen by the way Boyle responded against the Capitals. He clearly knows what he’s doing.

The Rangers’ penalty kill is near where it needs to be at 83.3 percent.  That number will only increase as Halpern and Powe become more familiar with their new teammates.  It’s very easy to poke fun at the Rangers’ dismal 15.8 percent power play, but I think they’re showing signs of becoming a more effective unit with the man advantage.

Front Office

Glen Sather (B+) – You make the trade to bring in Rick Nash 10 times out of 10.  For Sather to bring in a player like Nash without giving up any of the Rangers’ top prospects was an absolute steal.  I’m not convinced by the Rangers’ depth on the blue line and that’s something Sather needs to address as the April 3 trade deadline nears.  This was an issue even before Staal’s eye injury.  Even with the waiver pickup of Hamrlik, the Rangers need to find a more consistent and responsible third defensive pairing.  Another question mark is the Blueshirts’ lack of a heavy shooter on the power play.  Rangers fans would like to see Sather bring in a defenseman who can cause havoc with hard shots from the point.

It seems that Sather underestimated the value of Brandon Prust, who has had no problem fitting in with the first-place Montreal Canadiens, and John Mitchell, who is taking advantage of an increased role with the Colorado Avalanche.

Summary

The Rangers are in the process of digging themselves out of the hole they put themselves into.  Players like Nash, Callahan, Staal, McDonagh and Girardi are as dependable as they come, but the Rangers’ depth players need to establish themselves in the second half.  Right now the Blueshirts are looking like a top-heavy team, and it’s time that secondary scorers like Boyle and Pyatt find their game.

Picking up Hamrlik doesn’t really address the Rangers’ needs.  At 38, he’s not a power-play quarterback, and he needs to get into shape before Tortorella can place a heavy workload on his old legs.

Some of the Rangers’ depth players are on notice, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sather pull the trigger on a couple of trades and shake things up as the trade deadline approaches.

Do you agree with Hartnett’s grading of the Rangers? Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — About two hours before the opening faceoff, Alex Ovechkin asked for more respect from the refs.

His day went downhill from there.

The two-time league MVP was directly responsible for three of the New York Rangers’ goals, including a pair after a rare sequence in which he was cited for two penalties within seconds of each other without a stoppage in play.

Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle and Ryan Callahan took advantage of Ovechkin’s miscues Sunday to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals, New York’s fifth win in six games.

Boyle’s goal was an important one for the Rangers center. He was a healthy scratch in New York’s previous game and has been trying to work his way out of coach John Tortorella’s doghouse.

“I tried to start a new season, basically,” Boyle said. “I tried to put myself in position to do the things that I can do well. I tried to keep it simple.”

The Capitals were blaming themselves for making too many costly mistakes.

“When we’re parading to the box all the time,” Washington forward Troy Brouwer said, “we don’t have a hope.”

Steve Oleksy scored his first NHL goal for the Capitals, who endured a rough weekend against teams named New York. Washington lost 5-2 on the road against the Islanders on Saturday, a game in which Mike Ribeiro and Jeff Schultz each took double-minors in a span of less than four minutes in the third period, leading to two Islanders goals.

One of Ribeiro’s minors was for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Ovechkin said before Sunday’s game that “some refs don’t like some personalities on our team” and are too quick to call a penalty when they hear a complaint.

“You have to respect us,” Ovechkin said. “We’re emotional; we’re in the game. When we say something bad to linesmen or bad to referees, we can’t give them two minutes when they yell at me.”

It’s worth noting, however, that the rare double-call against Ovechkin a few hours later had nothing to do with yelling at an official. He tripped Callahan, and then, with the call delayed while New York was pulling the goalie, he dragged down Ryan McDonagh from the side for a holding call.

“I know I trip him, the first one … but I don’t know where he finds the second one,” Ovechkin said. “But it cost us the game.”

Washington coach Adam Oates had a beef with the second call as well.

“They said that he held the guy 10 seconds later, which obviously watching the tape, he didn’t,” Oates said.

Regardless, referees Dean Morton and Marc Joannette both had arms raised because of Ovechkin. As played continued, Boyle scored his first goal of the season, beating goaltender Braden Holtby glove-side to make the score 2-1 before Ovechkin’s first penalty could be assessed.

Ovechkin then went to the box to serve the second infraction, and he watched the score become 3-1 just 41 seconds later, when Rick Nash’s one-timer from the right circle grazed Callahan’s right leg on the way to the net.

The sequence led to the inevitable question: Did the referees’ calls against Ovechkin have anything to do with his pregame comments.

“I mean, they’re human beings, right?” Oates answered.

Ovechkin also whiffed on a neutral zone hit on Stepan that allowed the Rangers center to score in the first period. Stepan kept skating, giving New York a numbers advantage, and he took the puck past the goal line and banked in his shot off the back of Holtby’s right skate.

Ovechkin said he tried to make the hit, but that Stepan moved out of the way at the last second. Asked if it was the correct play for Ovechkin to make, Oates said: “No, it’s not. We have tracking rules and I think he was going to hit him and he let him go, and because of that we got a little out of position.”

The Capitals had a chance to make up ground when a pair of calls gave them a 5-on-3 power play for 31 seconds late in the second period, but Martin Biron (28 saves) and the Rangers held firm.

Brad Richards added an insurance goal in the third period.

Notes: Tortorella on Ovechkin’s pair of penalties: “That’s the first time I’ve seen it. I was asking about the faceoff. Shouldn’t the faceoff be in the end zone, instead of at center ice? It should be. We’ve got to put a new rule in the rulebook.” … After the Rangers’ third goal, Oates pulled Holtby in favor of Michal Neuvirth, who hadn’t played since Feb. 7 and had recently been sidelined with an illness. … With Neuvirth recovered, the Capitals assigned goalie Philipp Grubauer to Hershey of the AHL. … Washington D John Erskine sat out after sustaining an upper body injury early in Saturday’s game, while C Marcus Johansson returned after missing 12 games with a concussion. … Veteran D Roman Hamrlik, now playing for the Rangers after being claimed off waivers from Washington last week, was a healthy scratch. “He’s not in shape,” Tortorella said. “He needs work.”
___
Rangers have won 5 of 6, are they finally looking like contenders again…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The Senators grabbed a two-goal lead in the first period that was gone before the intermission, but Jakob Silfverberg broke a tie with 4:41 left in the third to help Ottawa snap a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

The Senators ended an 0-2-2 skid and won on the road for only the fourth time (4-7-2) this season. Ottawa had been 1-7-2 in its previous 10 road games, but the Senators improved to 12-1-1 in their past 14 visits to Manhattan.

“We haven’t had the killer instinct on the road,” Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson said of the Senators, who haven’t lost at the Garden since Oct. 3, 2009. “Tonight was a big boost for us. We laid it all out on the line in the third period.

“We do have good energy in this building. I can’t quite explain why. It’s always fun to play in New York. This is a fantastic building.”

Just moments after Silfverberg gave Henrik Lundqvist — his Swedish countryman — a snow shower when the Rangers goalie covered the puck, he made New York pay even more with the winning goal.

Silfverberg got a rebound of defenseman Eric Gryba’s shot and put it past Lundqvist for his fourth of the season. Zack Smith and Patrick Wiercioch scored in the first period, defenseman Sergei Gonchar had two assists, and Robin Lehner made 33 saves for the Senators.

“This was big for our team,” Silfverberg said. “It was nice for me to get one against Henrik. We didn’t think about losing. It was a special goal.”

Lehner helped set up Silfverberg’s heroics about 9 minutes earlier when he stopped New York’s Derek Stepan, who was left alone right in front of the crease off a feed from Marian Gaborik.

“He made a good save,” Stepan said. “He came across and had his blocker up. I could shoot myself for it, but it’s a good save.”

Rick Nash and Brad Richards, in his first game back following a two-game injury absence, scored in the opening period, but the Rangers had a season-best, four-game winning streak broken.

Lundqvist stopped 36 shots.

The Senators dominated the first half of the opening period, yet they couldn’t hang onto their 2-0 lead.

Rangers coach John Tortorella burned his only timeout right after the first goal. His team started slowly while playing one night after a road win over the New York Islanders.

Another Ottawa goal followed, but the Rangers found their legs and quickly rallied.

“We’ve just got to dig down deeper, play better and get the win,” Nash said. “We just had to get going. We came out a bit sluggish, so we take 30 seconds to regroup. I thought we came back a lot better.”

Just 13 seconds after Wiercioch doubled Ottawa’s advantage, Nash cut the Rangers’ deficit in half with his ninth goal of the season and first not scored in the third period.

Nash took a pass from defenseman Michael Del Zotto in the slot and snapped a shot that beat Lehner at 11:03. Since Nash missed four games in February — all Rangers losses (0-3-1) — the star forward has been on a tear.

Nash has six goals in five games, along with three assists, and he has a nine-game point streak that predates his injury.

Richards tied it with 2:21 left in the first off a feed from Carl Hagelin. Following a defensive zone faceoff, Hagelin raced the puck up left wing and dropped it back to Richards, who heeded the chants of the home crowd and fired a one-timer from the top edge of the circle that beat Lehner to the glove side.

It was Richards’ third goal of the season and first in 16 games, dating to Jan. 26 against Toronto.

“We could have had a better outcome,” said Richards, who created chemistry on a line with Nash. “We could have had a better third, so it’s tough to talk about anything else.”

Smith started the scoring with his second of the season — and in two games. Gonchar let go a shot from inside the blue line that was deflected in the slot by Smith. The puck then bounced off the ice in front of Lundqvist and slipped past him.

Wiercioch made it 2-0 with a long drive that got through a maze of legs and sticks and beat Lundqvist for a power-play goal.

NOTES: Brian Boyle took part in the pregame warm-up but was scratched to make room in the lineup for Richards. … Senators defenseman Chris Phillips was given 19 minutes in penalties after he came to the defense of teammate Jim O’Brien in the first period. Phillips charged at Micheal Haley after he flattened O’Brien at the side of the net with a hit. Phillips still had his gloves on when Haley started punching. Phillips was given a minor penalty for instigating and another for instigating a fight while wearing a visor. He also received a major for fighting and a misconduct. Haley was called for charging in addition to his fighting major. … Wiercioch has scored his two goals this season in the past three games.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Evgeni Nabokov was perfect for most of Thursday night and had his sights set on his 54th NHL shutout until Rick Nash scored with 5:23 left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

The Rangers were given their third power play — the only ones in the game — just seconds into the extra session, and Marian Gaborik ended his long scoring drought to give them a 2-1 win at 42 seconds of overtime.

“We didn’t quit. We kept working it,” said Gaborik, who scored for the first time in nine games.

The Rangers have won a season-high four in a row, and had plenty of supporters at Nassau Coliseum cheering them on despite being on enemy ice.

Nash again showed that the third period is his favorite time, scoring his eighth of the season — all in the third — and assisting on Gaborik’s winner.

Since he missed four games due to injury, all losses by the Rangers (0-3-1), Nash has five goals and three assists in four games. He has an eight-game point streak, and the Rangers are 11-2-1 when he has a point and 12-5-1 when he plays.

“The great part about Nash right now is his third periods are his best periods,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “He’s been a huge part to our club as advertised. He has been a game-breaker for us, and hopefully that will continue.

“He doesn’t speak, he just goes out and plays.”

Gaborik took a feed in the high slot from Nash and fired in a shot for his eighth of the season.

The Rangers earned the power play when Michael Del Zotto was hauled down as he crashed in on Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov 21 seconds into overtime.

When the winning goal was scored, the Islanders were irate and complained to the officials before leaving the ice. A handful of insignificant misconducts were assessed to the club.

“I felt like it was a pretty easy call,” Del Zotto said. “A penalty is a penalty, regardless of what time of the game it is, especially a Grade-A scoring chance like that. If it takes away from an opportunity it has to be called.”

Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves for the win. Nabokov stopped 35 in a tough-luck loss.

“I am pleased with the effort,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “We were 5 minutes away.”

Right after the Islanders used their timeout late in regulation, the Rangers broke through on Nabokov with their 32nd shot. Derek Stepan kept the puck in at the left point and sent a drive that Nash deflected in.

That evoked cheers and chants of “Let’s Go Rangers” that increased when Gaborik won it.

Until the Rangers’ late flurry, Michael Grabner’s first-period goal stood up for the Islanders.

“This was a big one,” Lundqvist said of the win. “I just kept telling myself, ‘I need to stop the next one.’ Great atmosphere in this building. It’s always fun to play here.”

Nabokov stood tall in the face of constant pressure in the opening minutes of the third. He denied J.T. Miller, Ryan Callahan, and Nash in tight as the Rangers pressed for the tying goal.

He couldn’t keep Nash down for good.

Both clubs entered playing their best hockey of the season, but the Rangers came in as the more banged-up squad as they again played without top center Brad Richards and key defenseman Marc Staal.

Staal sat out for the first time this season because of injuries sustained Tuesday when he was struck in the right eye by a deflected puck in a victory over Philadelphia. Staal is out indefinitely, but doctors are optimistic he will make a full recovery.

The Rangers held a 13-12 shots advantage in the first period, but the Islanders grabbed the early lead.

After creating a couple of early chances with his speed, Grabner scored with 8:09 left in the first period. He was set up in the middle of the slot when Colin McDonald found him with a pass from behind the net. Grabner fired a rising shot that beat Lundqvist to the upper right corner of the net for his 10th goal.

Grabner has scored in three straight games and four of seven. He nearly netted another just more than three minutes into the second period when he got free on a rush and fired an unimpeded drive from the left circle that Lundqvist blocked aside.

The Rangers received two power plays in the second period, but did little with them. The Islanders had the best chance when Matt Martin got free for a short-handed breakaway, but his in-close drive was knocked away by Lundqvist with 3:45 left.

NOTES: Richards missed his second straight game because of neck and back soreness following a hit into the boards from behind on Sunday. — Veteran D Roman Hamrlik, formerly of the Islanders, made his Rangers debut one day after being claimed off waivers from Washington. — Islanders LW Eric Boulton played in his eighth game of the season, and second since Feb. 14 against the Rangers, in place of David Ullstrom. D Lubomir Visnovsky missed his second consecutive game because of personal reasons. — Grabner became the Islanders’ third double-figure goal scorer, joining John Tavares (14) and Matt Moulson (11). The Rangers don’t have any. — The Islanders dropped to 0-10-1 when they score fewer than three goals. They are 1-7-2 when Tavares fails to record a point. He has been held off the sheet in four of five games.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Disaster was averted when Patrick Kaleta checked Brad Richards headfirst into the boards last Sunday.

Richards was on the ice at a very awkward angle with his neck bent in a direction that looked gruesome. Richards was able to get up and he should be back in the lineup shortly.

Disaster was not averted in Switzerland, however, when player Ronny Keller was left paralyzed by a hit to the boards on March 5 by an opponent named Stefan Schnyder.

The only difference between the two hits was that Schnyder raced a longer distance to hit Keller and he appeared to deliver more force than Kaleta brought in his check of Richards.

But the NHL should not be feeling very good about itself just because Richards got up after the hit by the Buffalo goon. It was simply a matter of physics and luck that Richards was not left paralyzed, just like Keller.

The Kaleta suspension needs to be revisited. This may be the United States, where the concept of double jeopardy applies in the courtroom, but it does not necessarily apply in the NHL.

Kaleta could have paralyzed or killed Richards with his hit. He has been guilty of horrible behavior on the ice before and this marks his third suspension by the NHL.

A five-game suspension for Kaleta is a joke.

Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes was suspended 25 games (later reduced to 21 games) by the NHL for his brutal hit on Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks in last spring’s playoffs.

If the NHL wants to take mayhem out of its games, it must severely punish all guilty parties. If you hit-check a player into the boards from behind, you must be hit with a severe punishment.

25 games is just the jumping-off point. If you want to save players’ lives or make sure they can walk away from the game when they decide to retire, it’s time to suspend them for a year for such hits or perhaps even ban them for life.

I had never heard of Schnyder or Keller before seeing the brutal check, and I would not be surprised if Schnyder is regretful about the incident. He may have had a clean record prior to the hit.

It doesn’t matter. He should never be allowed to play organized hockey again at any level.

Police are investigating the incident, and that’s just what should happen.

The NHL has reacted quickly to protect players from blindside hits and head shots. However, there are still dunderheads like Kaleta who still don’t get the message.

Kaleta was disturbed about his hit on Richards. He was upset that he put his team in the position of having to defend a five-minute power play.

“I’m just sorry for the position I put the team in, trying to kill that penalty,” Kaleta told the Buffalo News. “I feel for that, for putting the penalty killers out there and them getting the two goals. It makes me feel like a bag of garbage after seeing that.”

Kaleta is right. He is a bag of garbage. Not for leaving his team shorthanded, but for nearly causing a tragedy on the ice.

It is distasteful, but watch the video in the link above a couple of times. Watch how Keller gets catapulted into the boards by the ferocity and viciousness of the hit.

It only takes one hit like that to ruin a person’s life and damage the sport in a brutal manner.

This is no time to step back from serious justice being meted out to offending players.

Lives are at stake and so is the reputation of the National Hockey League.

Is hockey too brutal these days? If so, what needs to be done to fix the game? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

Staal was injured Tuesday night in the third period of New York’s 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old defenseman will be sidelined indefinitely, but was already showing improvement on Wednesday, the Rangers said in a statement.

Staal’s specific injury hasn’t been disclosed.

“Marc Staal was examined today in New York by Dr. Mark Fromer, ophthalmologist, and Dr. Mendel Markowitz, maxillofacial surgeon,” the statement said. “The injury has improved significantly and both doctors are optimistic that Marc will make a full recovery.”

Staal went down 5:45 into the third period when a shot by Philadelphia defenseman Kimmo Timonen from the blue line clipped the stick of Flyers forward Jake Voracek and caromed up into Staal’s eye, causing a cut. Staal, who wasn’t wearing a visor, writhed on the ice and kicked his legs. He held his face while he was down and when he skated off the ice, assisted by a Rangers trainer, toward the dressing room.

His injury again raised the debate of whether visors should be made mandatory.

“While the players support visor use being a matter of individual choice, we continue to regularly educate the players on the benefits of wearing a visor so that each player can make an informed decisions,” NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider said in a statement. “We will discuss visors and other important equipment-related matters at our player meetings this summer.”

Staal has two goals and nine assists this season while playing in all 21 games. He had one goal and seven assists in the 13 games before Tuesday, and logged a game-high 27 minutes, 14 seconds of ice time in New York’s shootout win over Buffalo on Sunday.

He was on the ice for more than 18 minutes on Tuesday before he was injured.

The Rangers added veteran depth to their defense corps on Wednesday when Roman Hamrlik was claimed off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

The 38-year-old Hamrlik, the active leader with 1,383 NHL games played, was waived by the Capitals on Tuesday after playing in only four games this season. He is in the final season of a two-year, $7 million contract.

Hamrlik played in Washington’s first three games this season before being scratched for seven straight games. He returned to the lineup Feb. 7 at Pittsburgh, then sat out nine more games before being waived.

After being chosen No. 1 overall in the 1992 NHL draft, Hamrlik has 155 goals and 483 assists with Tampa Bay, Edmonton, the New York Islanders, Calgary, Montreal and Washington. He has one assist this season.

The Rangers return to action Thursday night at the New York Islanders and then will host the Ottawa Senators on Friday before heading out on a four-game road trip.

Should visors be mandatory? Sound off in the comments…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The Rangers are adding veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik to the roster while they wait to find out the severity of Marc Staal’s eye injury.

New York claimed the 38-year-old Hamrlik off waivers from the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, one day after Staal was struck in the eye by a deflected puck in the third period of the Rangers’ 4-2 win over Philadelphia.

Staal, who wasn’t wearing a visor, writhed on the ice in pain before being helped to the dressing room. There was no update to his condition Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Hamrlik, the active leader with 1,383 NHL games played, was waived by the Capitals on Tuesday after playing in only four games this season. He is in the final season of a two-year, $7 million contract.

Hamrlik played in Washington’s first three games this season before being scratched for seven straight games. He returned to the lineup Feb. 7 at Pittsburgh, but then sat out nine more games before being waived.

After being chosen No. 1 overall in the 1992 NHL draft, Hamrlik has 155 goals and 483 assists with Tampa Bay, Edmonton, the New York Islanders, Calgary, Montreal and Washington. He has one assist this season.

Like the addition, Rangers fans? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Pressure? Rick Nash doesn’t feel it. The newest toast of the New York sports scene has made a seamless transition from the cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets to the bright lights of Broadway.

Nash has gone from playoff-starved Columbus to the Madison Square Garden penthouse on 33rd street, and he’s enjoying every moment on the big stage. Some players are just born to handle the pressured fishbowl of New York. Derek Jeter, Mark Messier, Joe Namath, Willis Reed and Eli Manning – you can now add Nash’s name to that list, because he delivers when it matters most.

All of Nash’s seven goals this season have come in the third period.  He was able to put two stylish goals past Ilya Bryzgalov in the third period of Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

His powerful, broad shoulders might be big enough to carry the hopes of the reignited Rangers, who haven’t reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994. Lay the pressure on him, because he craves it and thrives off it.

“That’s my job, that’s what I’m trying to do,” Nash stated. “These fans are great. It’s fun for me to play in front of a sold-out building in a hockey city that truly loves the Rangers. I think it’s fun for our whole team to perform in front of these fans.”

There’s a rush of anticipation inside the Garden whenever Nash touches the puck. This season, the atmosphere at MSG has been somewhat subdued, but there’s a rise of energy that builds whenever Nash picks up the puck and skates in dangerously on an opposing goalie.

Nash made Bryzgalov look helpless on Tuesday night. On his go-ahead first goal, Nash squeezed a snapper underneath Brygalov’s armpit. The enigmatic Flyers goalie flopped around like a fish out of water as he bit on Nash’s crafty deke on his back-handed second goal.

It’s not just the fans who are grinning from ear-to-ear whenever Nash turns an opposing net-minder inside out. Throughout his Rangers’ career, reigning Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist was forced to do much of the heavy lifting by playing near-perfect in net. From the time that Nash pulled on the Rangers’ sweater, Lundqvist could finally breathe a little easier knowing that Nash is capable of taking command of any game.

“I just started smiling after he scored the second goal,” a relieved Lundqvist said. “It just feels so good to have a player like that on the team who can be the difference every night. This guy’s huge for us. We have a lot of guys who can step up, but he just brings it to another level.”

‘Moves Like Jagr’

Lundqvist went on to directly compare Nash to another Ranger great, whose individual brilliance and game-breaking ability entertained the Garden faithful and left teammates stunned in disbelief. That player was former Rangers’ captain Jaromir Jagr.  With them moves like Jagr — he’s got the moves like Jagr, he’s got the moo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooves like Jagr.

“Jags was at his best here. He was that type of player. Nash is doing things right now that are very impressive to see and fun to see,” Lundqvist stated.

More than skills comparable to Jagr though, Nash has something else in him. He has this driven, carry-you-on-my-back kind of nature. Give him the puck, he wants to the be man to shoulder the burden.

“He wants that puck. He’s calling for it all game,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “It’s exciting to see. We want to give it to him, he creates so much. He creates chaos. D-men can’t hang with him. He scores in so many different ways – a heck of a guy to have on your team.”

You name the way, Nash knows how to score it. Chaos is certainly the right word to describe what Nash can do to any opposing defense and goalie combo. No team is safe.

“Nasher uses his reach, he uses his size, sometimes he uses a d-man as a screen. He beats guys in so many different ways. It’s incredible to see,” McDonagh explained.

With Nash, the Rangers are 11-5-1. Without his presence in the lineup, they’re 0-3-1. Since returning from a four-game absence, Nash has raised his game by collecting four goals, two assists and six points in his past three games.

The Rangers were very tight-lipped over the reason why Nash missed four games, causing some to speculate his brief absence was caused by a concussion. Either way, Nash has been incredible on his recent seven-game stretch. He’s on a seven-game points streak, totaling five goals, six assists and 11 points.

More importantly, the Rangers have elevated their play after dropping four games and only managing a single overtime loss point while Nash was sidelined. The Blueshirts are now officially in a playoff position at eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points.

It’s not where the Rangers expected to be near the midway point of the season, but Nash’s galvanizing presence gives reason to believe New York can make a run at toppling the Atlantic Division-leading Pittsburgh Penguins and perhaps repeating as the number one playoff seed in consecutive seasons.

Nash brings that kind of belief to this city, his fans and his teammates. He’s been everything the Rangers expected him to be – and more.

Is Nash the ultimate game-changer?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

Rick Nash broke a third-period tie and added an insurance goal in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Any feelings of euphoria were greatly lessened because of concern regarding regarding key defenseman Marc Staal, who appeared to be struck in the right eye by a deflected puck 5:45 into the third.

“I just looked at it. It’s scary,” said subdued Rangers coach John Tortorella, who hadn’t gotten an update on Staal’s condition.

“It’s a tough, tough one,” said Nash. “We’re hoping the best for him, just hoping it’s not the thing we all think it is.”

New York is riding high on a three-game winning streak, but instead of being able to fully celebrate their good fortune and the improved play of their newest star, the Rangers are holding their breath as they wait for medical news on Staal.

“That was scary,” said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who thought the puck hit Staal flush on the eye. “He was in a lot of pain. It was tough to focus after that.”

Staal went down when a shot by Kimmo Timonen from the blue line clipped the stick of Flyers forward Jake Voracek and caromed up into his eye, causing a cut. Staal, who wasn’t wearing a visor, squirmed on the ice and held his face before skating off.

“You can feel that it took the life out of the bench a little bit and the whole crowd,” captain Ryan Callahan said. “It’s a scary moment.”

Defenseman Dan Girardi called it a “scary play to see.”

“I heard the shot and I heard him,” said Girardi. “A guy that’s in a lot of pain and that’s a big part of our team. I think he’s OK, I haven’t heard much. I’m going to check on him and hopefully he’s OK.”

Leave your best wishes for Staal in the comments…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

New York is riding high on a three-game winning streak, but instead of being able to fully celebrate their good fortune and the improved play of their newest star, the Rangers are holding their breath as they wait for medical news regarding key defenseman Marc Staal.

Nash broke a third-period tie and added an insurance goal in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. Any feelings of euphoria were greatly lessened because of concern regarding Staal, who appeared to be struck in the right eye by a deflected puck 5:45 into the third.

“I just looked at it. It’s scary,” said subdued Rangers coach John Tortorella, who hadn’t gotten an update on Staal’s condition.

Madison Square Garden was rocking with delight following Nash’s goals that were scored about nine minutes apart and pushed the Rangers ahead of the Flyers in the standings, despite New York (11-8-2) playing three fewer games.

Nash, who played his first nine NHL seasons in relative obscurity in Columbus, has four goals in three games since returning from an injury that forced him to miss four.

All seven of his goals this season have been scored in the third period.

“That’s my job. That’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “It’s fun for me to play in front of a sold-out building in a hockey city that truly loves the Rangers.”

Nash fired a shot that sneaked under the right arm of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov 2:50 into the third to give New York its second lead. He doubled the advantage to 4-2 with 8:18 left, fighting off a hook on his hands by defenseman Kimmo Timonen and making a shift from backhand to forehand to score.

It is the second time this season the Rangers have won three straight. They are eighth in the East, one point ahead of Philadelphia and one point behind seventh-place New Jersey.

“I just started smiling after he scored the second goal,” winning goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “It just feels so good to have a player like that on the team that can be the difference every night.”

Ryan Callahan scored two first-period goals and assisted on Nash’s second, and Lundqvist made 23 saves for the Rangers, who played without Brad Richards. The star center sat out two nights after he was checked from behind into the boards by Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta.

Staal went down when a shot by Timonen from the blue line clipped the stick of Flyers forward Jake Voracek and caromed up into his eye, causing a cut. Staal, who wasn’t wearing a visor, squirmed on the ice and held his face before skating off.

“You can feel that it took the life out of the bench a little bit and the whole crowd,” Callahan said. “It’s a scary moment.”

Wayne Simmonds and Voracek both scored power-play goals in the first period for Philadelphia, and Bryzgalov stopped 16 shots.

The Flyers (11-12-1) got to NHL .500 for the first time this season on Saturday, but are back below again with games against Pittsburgh and Boston looming this week.

“We look at the record, but we can’t be looking at it every time we’re .500 or down, or have that one goal to be .500,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “This third period was good but not good enough. We made a couple of mistakes. It is just frustrating to see that we played a good game but can’t finish with the two points.

“We need to find a way to motivate ourselves whoever the other team is.”

The Rangers started quickly and nearly scored two minutes in. New York drew a holding penalty against Timonen at 1:09 and needed only 21 seconds to grab the lead.

Derek Stepan sent a pass left-to-right across the Philadelphia zone past defenseman Nicklas Grossmann over to Callahan, who settled the puck in the right circle and put it past Bryzgalov.

The Flyers made the most of their first advantage after New York forward Stu Bickel was sent off for elbowing at 6:50.

After Callahan couldn’t get the puck out of the Rangers’ end with a full-out lunge at the blue line, Voracek sent the puck across the zone to his left to Giroux, who quickly found Simmonds down low alone at the right post for an easy tip-in at 7:18 for his 10th goal.

Philadelphia struck again after Callahan was called for hooking at 16:53 and argued his case all the way to the penalty box.

Simmonds sent a pass from the goal line to the slot to Voracek, who kicked the puck onto his stick and let go a quick shot that Lundqvist blocked. The rebound came right back to Voracek, who found an opening for his 10th of the season with 2:53 left in the first.

Callahan got the Rangers even in the closing seconds of the period.

Ryan McDonagh forced a Philadelphia turnover in the neutral zone and sent a pass up to Callahan, who raced into the Flyers zone along the left-wing boards. As he darted toward the net, Philadelphia defenseman Luke Schenn sprawled on the ice in front of him. Callahan calmly skated around him, drove in on Bryzgalov and jammed a shot in from the crease with only 40.6 seconds to go.

Callahan unleashed an emphatic fist pump and a yell to celebrate his seventh goal.

“Anytime you let in a goal in the first minute of a game or the last minute of any period it gives the other team momentum,” Flyers forward Scott Hartnell said.

The teams combined for 14 shots in the first — eight by the Rangers — and scored four times. There were only a handful of good scoring chances in the second period when each team had six shots.

NOTES: Grossmann sustained an undisclosed lower-body injury in the first period and didn’t return. … Callahan has 13 two-goal games in the NHL. … Nash has four goals and two assists since returning. Nash also has a seven-game point streak. The Rangers are 10-2-1 when he has a point and 11-5-1 when he plays.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Sabres forward shoved Rangers center Brad Richards from behind and into the boards on Sunday night. Richards did, however, take part in New York’s morning skate on Tuesday morning.

The suspension will cost the gritty right winger more than $72,000 in salary, and he won’t be eligible to return until March 17, when the Sabres play at Washington.

The ruling came down a day after Kaleta blindsided Richards in the back and sent him sliding headfirst into the boards in the third period of Buffalo’s 3-2 shootout loss at New York. Kaleta was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct, which resulted in an automatic review by the league’s department of player safety.

In reviewing the play on a video posted on the league’s website, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan noted Kaleta shoved a defenseless player from behind. He added, “Kaleta is in full control of this play, and has ample opportunity to make a better decision.”

Shanahan took into account that Richards was shaken up, but returned soon after. He also noted Kaleta had been suspended twice before in his career.

The suspension is one game longer than the suspension handed out to Philadelphia Flyers forward Harry Zolnierczyk a day earlier. Zolnierczyk was suspended four games without pay for a charging penalty against Ottawa Senators defenseman Mike Lundin on Saturday.

Kaleta is one of the Sabres’ top penalty killers, and noted for his aggressive style. He has no points and a team-leading 46 penalty minutes in 18 games this season.

The Sabres (9-12-2) are in the midst of a four-game road trip, and play at Carolina on Tuesday.

Is five games not enough? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Can you blame them?

New York received a scare 3:28 into the third period when Brad Richards was shoved from behind into the half boards by Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta. Kaleta was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind and was given a game misconduct.

Richards was on the ice for nearly two minutes before being helped to the bench. He returned to the game.

“No need for it,” Richards said of the hit after New York’s 3-2 shootout win. “That’s not a hit that was ever in the game, I don’t think. That’s a little different than (a) headshot. That’s just stupidity.

“It’s not hockey. I don’t know what game he plays, actually. He doesn’t play hockey to begin with. It’s the same guy all the time.”

The Rangers were fuming after the game. Head coach John Tortorella called the hit “ridiculous” and “disgusting.”

“It’s probably one of the most dangerous hits I’ve seen,” Tortorella said. “It’s a lack of respect. Each team wants to beat the other team, but you need to respect what’s going on on the ice.”

HARTNETT: NHL’s image problem must be addressed

“It (ticks) you off, it gets you angry,” said defenseman Marc Staal. “It’s a cheap hit. The biggest thing is you do want to hurt them, you want to make them feel that. We were able to get two, but it doesn’t do that kind of hit any justice.”

Kaleta was not available for comment after the game.

“It was hard to tell how extreme it was. I’ll have to take a look at it. We have to be smarter in that situation,” Sabres interim coach Ron Rolston said. “Pat is a heart and soul guy. He’s a competitor. He lays it on the line every game so he’s a guy, I’m sure, (that) is disappointed about it.”

Derek Stepan’s power-play goal seven seconds after the penalty tied the game at 1. The New York center screamed after the puck hit the back of the net.

“When you get a chance, 5-on-3, I think any time you’ve got to score goals,” Stepan said. “It’s a big-time goal. Anytime you get a 5-on-3, you’ve got to make it count. (Richards) steps in there and takes a pretty big hit. You want to make sure you pop one in there.

“(Richards is) as tough as nails.”

43seconds later, on the same power play, Rick Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with his fifth of the season.

That’s great,” Tortorella said. “I’m glad we made them pay.”

Kaleta will have a hearing over the phone on Monday with NHL head disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.

“So the fact Kaleta’s 3 pm ET hearing with NHL is via phone means the maximum # of games he can be suspended is 5. So pick a #, 1 to 5,” McKenzie reported via Twitter.

Should the Rangers have done more in retaliation, or did they do enough talking on the ice? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Whether or not they’re willing to admit it, the NHL has a major problem on their hands.  Last year in the playoffs, Chicago Blackhawks star winger Marian Hossa was taken off the ice in a stretcher and sent to a hospital by ambulance following a head shot delivered by Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Torres sprung off the ice to drive his shoulder into Hossa’s jaw and was handed a 25-game suspension, eventually shortened to 21 games following an appeal.

On Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, New York Rangers assistant captain Brad Richards was fortunate not to suffer a similar fate as Hossa did last April.  Buffalo Sabres enforcer Patrick Kaleta cross-checked Richards from behind, driving a helpless and unknowing Richards head-first into the boards.

Richards ended up on his back, writhing in pain. He threw his gloves off immediately in reaction to what he would describe as “hurting all over.”  Richards would later question Kaleta’s place in the game.

“I don’t know what game he plays, actually,” Richards said. “He doesn’t play hockey to begin with. Same guy, all the time.”

Kaleta was rightfully ejected from the game and his fate is now in the hands of NHL head disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan and the league’s Department of Player Safety.  Unfortunately, the maximum suspension Kaleta will receive is five games as he will take part in a phone hearing rather than an in-person hearing.  Shanahan is dropping the ball by letting Kaleta off the hook this easily.

In addition to his role as the league’s “dean of discipline,” Shanahan serves as the NHL’s VP of hockey and business operations.  It isn’t good business for the NHL to allow the frightening image of star players sprawled out on the ice in serious pain to trump the breathtaking athleticism, powerful, yet clean checking and dramatic moments that the NHL produces on a nightly basis.

Unfortunately, ugly moments like these are the images that spring to mind among casual hockey fans and serve as ammunition for those who despise the sport. That image needs to change — immediately. It must be replaced by the images of skillful players such as Rick Nash or Patrick Kane making dazzling moves to beat defenders and roof the puck past an an all-world goaltender like Tuukka Rask or Jonathan Quick.

That’s the NHL I know and love.  In my eyes, the NHL is about skill, elite competition and meaningful rivalries.  Competition and rivalries are great and are meant to be enjoyed.  They’re supposed to get the blood rushing of players and fans alike.  Unfortunately, too many players aren’t getting the message on the seriousness of head shots and boarding incidents.

It’s time that the NHL delivers a stronger message to violators of the rules and spirit of their sport.  Torres’ suspension was a good start, though it could be argued that he got off lightly with a 21-game ban.

Want these kind of incidents to go away?  A 25-game suspension won’t stop a thug like Kaleta from doing this again.  Kaleta’s reputation around the league has already been set in stone.  He knows exactly what he’s doing and is near the top of the list of players reviled by fellow professionals.

The only thing that’s going to stop a noted cheap-shot artist like Kaleta is a full 82-game suspension.  Sound harsh?  Well, that’s because it is.  Kaleta’s list of disgraceful acts on the ice isn’t a secret and the NHL needs to put a stop to him and other repeat offenders.

This is the same guy who ended the career of one of the most gifted players in recent NHL history.  Paul Kariya was forced sit out the entire 2010-11 season due to lingering concussion affects after Kaleta targeted his head with a vicious elbow. Kariya took the advice of doctors and retired from the game at 36.  If not for the actions of Kaleta and other head shot artists, Kariya would still be playing today.

“The thing I worry about is that you’ll get a guy who is playing with a concussion, and he gets hit, and he dies at centre ice,” Kariya told the Globe and Mail in 2011.

On top of that, Kaleta has received suppelmental discipline on three headbutting/charging incidents in the past three years where he lowered his head and rammed opposing players in the head.

What needs to change is the behavior of players.  There is a clear lack of respect between players. Rangers head coach John Tortorella is on the right side of the fence.

“It’s probably one of the most dangerous hits I’ve ever seen,” Tortorella said during his post-game press conference. “It’s ridiculous. That’s what I thought. I’m glad we made them pay (by winning the game.) It’s disgusting. It’s a lack of respect. Each team wants to beat the other team, but you have to respect what’s going on on the ice.”

Kaleta’s teammates were in shock from what they saw from Kaleta, as Rangers’ forward Brian Boyle screamed in the direction of the Sabres’ bench.  None of the Sabres’ trash-talkers responded.  They knew what they saw and they knew their teammate was in the wrong.

According to MSG’s between the benches analyst John Giannone, former Dallas Stars teammate Steve Ott skated over to Richards and asked Richards, “You okay? That was scary.”

Harry Zolnierczyk of the Philadelphia Flyers recently propelled himself into the air to charge Ottawa Senators’ defenseman Mike Lundin.  Yet, Zolniercyk only received a four-game suspension.  It will be a shame if Kaletta receives a single-digit suspension, especially considering his history of suspensions and fines.

Fortunately for Richards, he isn’t feel concussion-like effects.  At least, not yet.

“I hit my head.  I hit everything,” Richards stated.  “I don’t know where to begin.  So far, that’s not an issue.”

What steps can be taken to ensure player safety?  Wel, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) requires their players to wear jerseys with red stop signs patches on the back of their jerseys to discourage players from hitting each other from behind and curtailing boarding incidents.  While NHLers have decades of experience under their belts, there are still notable players who have continued to step over the line throughout their careers by recklessly and gutlessly boarding opponents.

Would it look silly for a professional athlete to wear a red stop sign on the back of their jersey?  Of course.  Would it prevent players from hitting players in vulnerable positions?  Certainly.  Again, this is only one of many options the NHL could consider to curtail head shots and boarding incidents.

Other, more realistic options to cut down on head shots would be to introduce no-touch icing and bringing back the red line.  Seeing a European-style no-touch icing introduced and two-line offside pass return would diminish the speed and ferocity of the game, but these are measures worth taking if the NHL wants to keep their players safe during their career and long after their careers come to an end.

Does the NHL need to take boarding and head shot incidents more seriously?  How long would an appropriate ban be for repeat offender Kaleta?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

Ryan Callahan also scored for the Rangers in the shootout. Derek Stepan added a goal, and Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves. The Rangers have won two in a row.

Drew Stafford and Nathan Gerbe scored for Buffalo. Ryan Miller stopped 26 of 28 shots. The Sabres’ season-high three-game winning streak was ended.

The Rangers received a scare 3:28 into the third when Brad Richards was shoved from behind into the half boards by Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta. Kaleta was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind and was given a game misconduct.

Richards was on the ice for nearly two minutes before being helped to the bench. He returned to the game.

Nash and Callahan scored in the shootout while Jason Pominville and Tyler Ennis missed for Buffalo.

It was Buffalo’s third straight game that ended in a shootout. The Sabres had won the previous two.

Stepan’s power-play goal seven seconds after the penalty tied the game at 1-1.

Stepan one-timed a diagonal Nash pass over Miller for his second power-play goal of the season. The Rangers center screamed after the puck hit the back of the net.

Forty-three seconds later, on the same power play, Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with his fifth of the season.

Nathan Gerbe tied it at 2-2 at 8:19 of the third period on a nice pass from Steve Ott.

Stafford’s goal 8:04 into the second period opened the scoring. Rookie center Mikhail Grigorenko beat Richards on an offensive zone faceoff, winning the puck back to Stafford. The Buffalo right wing’s snap shot appeared to deflect off a stick and fluttered past Lundqvist.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The Sabres will try to extend their longest winning streak of the season on Sunday night as they open a four-game trek against the New York Rangers, who snapped their four-game skid in Rick Nash’s return.
Buffalo lost a season-worst four in a row – including its first two under interim coach Ron Rolston after Lindy Ruff was fired – before starting its turnaround with a win at Tampa Bay on Feb. 26 and then topping Florida 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday.

The Sabres (9-12-1) beat visiting New Jersey by the same score in the tiebreaker on Saturday for their first three-game winning streak since capturing five straight last March 19-27.

“It certainly feels better to win. But we’ve got a lot of work,” goalie Ryan Miller said. “I don’t want anybody in this room or organization to get comfortable.”

Jason Pominville had one goal in his previous 11 games before scoring twice against the Devils. Cody Hodgson added two assists, while Jochen Hecht ended a 32-game drought with his first goal of the season.
Leading scorer Thomas Vanek missed the contest with an upper-body injury, but is expected to play against the Rangers. Vanek, however, has one goal in his last nine games overall and one in his last 12 in this series.

The Sabres have also received almost zero production recently from their power play, converting 3 of 54 opportunities in their last 15 games. It isn’t likely to get any easier against a New York team that has killed 27 of 29 penalties over its last 10.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist finished with 24 saves and won for the first time in four starts in a 4-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday. Lundqvist, though, has lost four of five home starts with a 2.78 goals-against average against the Sabres.

It hardly seems like a coincidence the Rangers stopped their skid as soon as Nash returned to the lineup. He finished with a goal and an assist on a career-high 12 shots against the Lightning.

New York (9-8-2) went 0-3-1 in the four games Nash was out with what was believed to be concussion-like symptoms.

The Rangers averaged 27.3 shots in the four games without Nash, but have averaged 40.3 in the last three the star forward has played. Nash, who ranks among the NHL leaders with 4.6 shots per game, had six goals in his last seven games against the Sabres while he was with Columbus.

“We have to get streaky,” Nash said. “I think if we just build momentum off (this win) and carry it into the next one … we were doing a lot of good things, so I think we’ll be fine.”

Carl Hagelin, who is tied for the team lead with seven goals, and Derek Stepan also scored against the Lightning. Defenseman Marc Staal added only the eighth power-play goal in 67 chances for the Rangers.

Even though they’re finishing back-to-back games, the Sabres could start Miller again on Sunday. Miller, who won his third straight start on Saturday, is 1-2-0 with a 2.35 GAA at the end of back-to-backs this season.

Miller is also 5-0-1 with a 1.64 GAA in his last six trips to Madison Square Garden.

His most recent there was a 4-1 victory on March 23, Buffalo’s only win in last season’s series as the Rangers took three of four.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Superstar winger Rick Nash re-entered the Rangers’ lineup on Thursday night and his return paid immediate dividends for the struggling Blueshirts, who had previously dropped four straight games minus Nash’s services.

His presence galvanized the Rangers, who poured heaps of pressure on Tampa Bay Lightning net-minder Mathieu Garon.  Nash led the charge as the Rangers swarmed Garon’s crease all night.  By the time it was said and done, the Blueshirts had made life miserable for Garon by unleashing 42 shots on goal and secured a vital 4-1 victory that appears to be the turning point in their season.

It’s clear that Nash was champing at the bit for his chance to get back on the Garden ice.  He didn’t waste any time and took full advantage from the get-go. As soon as Nash’s skates touched the ice, he sprung into action like a wild, unleashed dog.

His enthusiasm spread like wildfire across the Rangers’ bench.  Suddenly, this was a different team than the one that struggled to establish a fore check in previous games. The Rangers’ skaters charged like a bat out of hell and forced Garon to buckle under a barrage of 20 first-period shots.  It was Nash who was the catalyst, as his force-of-nature play produced 12 of the Rangers’ 42 total shots.

When Nash is at the peak of his powers, he generates an enormous amount of havoc for opposing goaltenders.  His rare combination of strength, size, speed, tenacity and puck handling makes him almost uncontainable.

“When you get a guy like that back, everyone wants to bring their level up to where he is,” Carl Hagelin explained.  “He’s one of the best players in the league.  You can see how he brings size, and how the other team really respects him, and starts playing tentative around him.”

Pretty soon, Nash will capture the hearts of New Yorkers — not in a brief Jeremy Lin way, but instead in a Mark Messier way.  After all, Messier arrived in New York in 1991 with the goal in mind of delivering a long-awaited Stanley Cup to the Rangers’ organization.  Nash has the same goal in his sights and despite their struggles, the modern day Blueshirts have assembled a roster  worthy of a trip to the 2013 Stanley Cup finals.

It’s just a matter of the Rangers finding their consistency and staying healthy.  Last night, having Nash, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto back in the lineup provided a major boost for the Blueshirts.  It was Nash’s return that made a major difference.

“He was unbelievable,” Henrik Lundqvist said of Nash.  “He did everything out there and it’s impressive.  But, at the same time, I know how good he is – so it doesn’t surprise me.  It’s tough to come back and play a game like that, but great players can do that.”

Nash admitted, “he wasn’t there 100 percent, but it was pretty good” after the victory.  It makes you wonder how good he’ll be once he’s at full health and the Rangers begin hitting their full stride as a team.

“We have to get streaky,” Nash stated.  “I think if we build momentum off of tonight and carry it into the next one.  We were doing a lot of good things, so I think we’ll be fine.”

The prospect of a fully-healthy Nash is a frightening prospect for opposing goalies and headache for opposing head coaches.  His heavily-involved one goal, one assist performance against the Lightning is just a sampling of things to come for Nash – who’s ready to hit a higher gear and help propel the Rangers up the Eastern Conference ladder and lift this team above the unusual position of 10th place in the conference standings.

He’s fully capable of taking control of any given game and becoming a nightmare for opposition defensemen.

This is the reason why the Rangers dealt popular forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov to bring Nash to the stage of Madison Square Garden.  Sooner rather than later, Nash will be the toast of The Big Apple.

Will Nash’s play help rocket the Rangers up the Eastern Conference ladder?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

His play on the ice proved it.

Nash had a goal and assist Thursday night in the Rangers’ 4-1 win over slumping Tampa Bay, but the most telling stat was that the star forward registered a whopping career-high 12 shots on Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon.

New York had lost all four games (0-3-1) that Nash missed as he recovered from what is believed to be concussion symptoms. He showed no ill effects in helping the Rangers end their skid in dominating fashion.

“He played really well,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “He’s such a good one-on-one player with his range and his reach.”

Those talents were on display all night, and culminated in his third-period goal at the end of an odd-man rush that closed the scoring.

Carl Hagelin and Derek Stepan scored in a one-sided first period, and defenseman Marc Staal added just the eighth power-play goal of the season in the second period for New York. The suddenly healthy Rangers won the second game of a four-game homestand and completed a three-game, season-series sweep of the Lightning.

“We have to get streaky,” Nash said. “I think if we just build momentum off of tonight and carry it into the next one … we were doing a lot of good things, so I think we’ll be fine.”

That wasn’t the feeling across the hall in the dressing room of the Lightning, who lost for the fourth time in five games and are 3-9-1 in the past 13.

New York held a 20-3 shots advantage after the first period, 35-11 through two, and 42-25 overall.

“I don’t really know what to say,” said star Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, who had a six-game goal streak snapped. “Guys aren’t competing hard enough, and they wanted it more than us.

“It’s getting to a point where it’s embarrassing. We talk about work ethic, but it’s not there right now.”

The Rangers were bolstered by the return of not only Nash but defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto. New York moved one point ahead of Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Nash assisted on Staal’s goal and then netted his fourth with 1:33 remaining to give him a five-game point streak. McDonagh had two assists, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 24 shots.

Garon made 38 saves, and Martin St. Louis scored Tampa Bay’s lone goal in the first period. Stamkos had an assist to stretch his points streak to eight, but Tampa Bay fell out of a tie with Carolina for the Southeast Division lead.

“It’s embarrassing,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “Everybody has to look themselves in the mirror. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We put ourselves in this position.

“They were outbattling us, outshifting us, outworking us. We did a little better in the third, but it was too little, too late. They still played better than us.”

The Rangers carried a 2-1 lead into the second, but had to be shaking their heads they weren’t ahead by more following their most dominant period this season.

“They are such an opportunistic team. I was worried,” Tortorella said. “I thought we played really well, but it was still just 2-1.”

New York stormed to an early two-goal lead that was cut in half, despite the Rangers tying a season high with 20 shots in the first and allowing a season-low three.

“It was just one of those games. They deserved to win and we didn’t deserve anything,” Hedman said.

Hagelin started the scoring 7:23 in after he made a slick move to get free from defenseman Keith Aulie. Hagelin shifted at the left point as Aulie slid in front of him and crashed into the side boards. That gave Hagelin space to glide into the circle, and he fired a slap shot that beat Garon for his seventh goal.

The Rangers struck again 1:17 later when Stepan netted his fourth. Passes by defenseman Dan Girardi and captain Ryan Callahan set up Stepan in front for a quick, hard shot that he seemed to know was heading in when he let it go.

Tampa Bay got within 2-1 with 3:51 left on its second shot. The Lightning, who entered as the highest-scoring team in the NHL with 70 goals, added to their total when St. Louis got behind Nash for a perfect redirection in the slot off a drive by defenseman Eric Brewer.

Stamkos has seven goals and seven assists in his scoring streak — his second eight-game point run of the season. His best shot at a goal came midway through the third when his one-timer was stopped by Lundqvist.

The Lightning outshot New York 14-7 in the final period.

“We played good in the third,” Boucher said. “That was our team in the third period. The first and the second — just awful.

“You can’t win on the road or at home if you show up in the third period.”

NOTES: Stamkos has points in 17 of 20 games. … The Rangers also had 20 shots in the first period against Washington on Feb. 17. Their previous low for shots allowed in a period this season was four, done twice. … The first-period shot totals were also the most allowed by the Lightning this season and the fewest they have recorded. … Lightning C Cory Conacher had a six-game point streak snapped, the longest run by an NHL rookie this season. … Tampa Bay, 3-6 on the road, began a four-game trip.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Ryan Callahan used every fiber in his being to kick the Rangers into life in Tuesday’s 4-3 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets.  From start to finish, Callahan clawed, scrapped, inspired and sacrificed his body for the cause.

He can look in the mirror and know that he gave everything for the entire 60 minutes.  The same can’t be said about the majority of his teammates, who didn’t flip the “on switch” until the final 20 minutes.

Every Rangers fan appreciates Callahan, Dan Girardi, Carl Hagelin and Marc Staal, all of whom play with the focus and reckless abandon needed to win games. The same can be said for gutsy defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who missed Tuesday’s game after suffering an apparent head injury in Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens when Max Pacioretty boarded him.

Darroll Powe has shown that he has a lot of guts, and rookie J.T. Miller plays with a desire that matches his apparent talent that will shine through once he gains more experience. It’s clear that Miller has an edge to his game.

But still, two of the Rangers’ most highly-paid stars in Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik have gone missing for long stretches in recent games.  Neither player has given the Rangers anywhere near the production or level of inspiration they’re capable of.

More important than any concern about their effort is that Richards and Gaborik aren’t playing with the assured nature that’s required of established veteran players.  They’re supposed to lead by example and they aren’t.  That’s a real worry for the Blueshirts.

Tortorella benched Gaborik for the entire third period on Saturday in Montreal and Richards suffered the indignity of riding the pine earlier this month against the Islanders.  Throughout the season Richards has admitted that he’s struggling with confidence.  That’s not something you want to hear from an 11-year veteran who tasted Stanley Cup glory in 2004 and has been involved in countless playoff battles.

Richards and Gaborik aren’t going to suddenly gain a physical edge to their game or start playing with reckless abandon.  We know that their talents are predicated on skill rather than summoning an all-out effort.

Still, a distinct lack of confidence from the pair is apparent, and a troubling sign for two players who are above the age of 31 and are earning a combined $19.5 million this season.

What the Rangers really need is 12 forwards like Callahan and Hagelin, who are keyed into the game for the entire 60 minutes and don’t suffer from dips in confidence.  They are the only forwards who are relentless on the forecheck and are able to score goals because of their positioning and work ethic around the net.

Callahan’s motor is always running.  On Tuesday he put forth an incredible shift in which he slid to the ice to block a Zach Bogosian one-timer and then plowed Bogosian to the ice before clearing the puck down ice.

Still without a stick, Callahan directed his teammates like a quarterback improvising at the line of scrimmage and blocked yet another shot. He finished the shift by checking Bogosian once again on his way to the bench.

Confidence was the key word being spoken around the Rangers’ locker room after Tuesday’s loss.

“With wins you gain confidence,” Callahan stated. “We were making plays and controlling the play for most of the game. I thought our confidence was coming. Obviously, it has been lacking the past couple of games. We’re not winning and not scoring enough, but tonight I thought it was coming.”

The Rangers are mired in a four-game losing streak and are currently only a game above the Islanders, who sit in the Atlantic Division basement.

“Guys were trying to make plays and make things happen out there,” Girardi explained.  “That’s how we’re going to get out of this thing.”

Without Rick Nash, McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto and Arron Asham, the Rangers were significantly shorthanded against the Jets on Tuesday.

If the Rangers are to climb out of their hole, they must play with the same level of focus and desperation from start to finish when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.  Battered by injuries or not, the Blueshirts must find their consistency.

Are the struggling Rangers playing with enough desperation?  Share your thoughts below and send your tweets to @HartnettHockey.

Now the former Atlanta Thrashers need to do the same thing back at home to make it stick.

Olli Jokinen scored twice and Evander Kane had a goal and assist in the second period for the surging Jets, who completed a dominant road trip with a 4-3 victory over the injury-riddled and slumping New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Winnipeg went 0-3 at home before finding its stride and going 4-1 on its trip. The Jets’ spurt vaulted them past the Rangers, and Winnipeg (9-9-1) is in a three-way tie for eighth place in the East playoff race — one point ahead of 11th-place New York (8-8-2).

“The competition is really tight this year,” Jokinen said. “Every game is crucial, every point is crucial. We can be happy, and it’s a good feeling now in the room, and we want to keep this, but at the same time we can’t lose our focus.

“We’re not 10 games over .500, we’re .500.”

After a scoreless first period, Jokinen broke the deadlock 5:55 into the second off an assist from Kane, who then gave Winnipeg a 2-0 lead 1:07 later. Anthony Peluso also had two assists in the period.

Jokinen, who played briefly for the Rangers in the 2009-10 season, has scored three of his five goals this season in a three-game span.

Kane added his second of the game and ninth of the season in the third period — in between a pair of Rangers tallies — as three goals were scored in a span of 1:13 that brought New York within 4-3.

Kane has scored in four straight games and in five of six. He also has an eight-game point streak, notching six goals and four assists.

“I’ve been feeling good the last 10, 12 games,” Kane said. “The legs are there right now. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get readjusted when you’ve been off for so long, but I feel good.

“It was very important for us. After an 0-3 homestand we needed to respond in these five games on the road, and I thought we did a great job.”

Ondrej Pavelec, playing in his eighth straight game, made 30 saves for the win. Winnipeg now returns home to face New Jersey and Washington before another four-game trip.

Ryan Callahan cut New York’s deficit in half 2:26 after Kane’s first goal, but Jokinen struck again with 5:13 left in the second to give the Jets another two-goal advantage heading into the third.

Taylor Pyatt deflected in Anton Stralman’s shot to get the Rangers within 3-2 at 9:17 of the third, but Kane restored Winnipeg’s two-goal lead 20 seconds later.

That, too, was short-lived as Stralman scored his third of the season at 10:30.

Winnipeg held on from there to win and send New York to its fourth straight loss (0-3-1).

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist blamed himself for the fourth goal.

“Something I am going to think about for the next 24 hours,” said last season’s Vezina Trophy winner, who stopped 28 shots. “I’ve tried to find out a reason for why.

“It doesn’t matter. I need to stop it. For whatever reason, it squeezed through my pad and my glove. It’s a tough one. It really is.”

The Rangers had one more chance to get even, but couldn’t connect on a late power play. Callahan was also denied by Pavelec in the frantic closing moments.

Callahan’s goal snapped the Rangers’ shutout streak at 102 minutes, 53 seconds, dating to the third period of a loss at Ottawa on Thursday. New York was then shut out at Montreal on Saturday before returning for a four-game homestand that began Tuesday.

“With wins you gain confidence,” said Callahan, chosen as the game’s No. 2 star. “We were making plays and controlling the play for most of the game. I thought our confidence was coming. Obviously, it has been lacking the past couple of games. We’re not winning and not scoring enough, but tonight I thought it was coming.”

The Rangers have mustered 11 goals in six games, going 1-3-2, and have only six in the four games that star forward Rick Nash has missed because of suspected concussion symptoms.

New York was also without injured defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto, along with forward Arron Asham. Darroll Powe rejoined the lineup after missing three games because of a concussion.

Both teams had one power-play opportunity in the otherwise uneventful first period when Winnipeg held a 9-7 edge in shots.

Callahan provided a gutty effort in the second after his stick broke as he blocked a shot. The Rangers captain went on to block two more shots in a frantic sequence without a stick, swiped a puck away with his hand, and land a pair of body checks before he was able to get off the ice.

“I was just trying to block shots,” Callahan said. “It had nothing to do with trying to spark the team. It’s just the way we have to play, and that’s what you have to do to try to get wins.”

NOTES: The Rangers had been 18-3-2 in their previous 23 games against Southeast Division opponents. … The Jets lost all four games to the Rangers last season during the club’s first season back in Winnipeg. … The Jets are 3-5 at home this year. … Rangers defenseman Mark Staal assisted on Pyatt’s goal, giving him seven assists in the last 11 games.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The multi-year deal was announced Tuesday by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. It calls for the New York Rangers’ minor-league affiliate to play at the XL Center for the 2013-2016 seasons and includes a provision that could extend that by another two years.

The deal was reached between Global Spectrum and the Madison Square Garden company.

The governor’s office described the agreement as a critical milestone in contract negotiations for management of the XL Center and Rentschler Field that are under way between the Capital Region Development Authority and Global Spectrum.

Development authority director Michael Freimuth said securing a professional hockey team was a big factor in selecting Global Spectrum to manage the XL Center.

The franchise’s team name was the Hartford Wolf Pack from 1997 until 2010, when the team changed it’s name to the Whale.

Have you ever caught a Whale game in Hartford? What is the arena/experience like? Let us know in the comments section below…

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The 28-year-old has missed the last three games (all of which were Rangers losses), and he’s expected to miss his fourth consecutive game on Tuesday night when New York hosts Winnipeg.

The first overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft did return to the ice on Tuesday morning, however, during an optional skate.

Many have speculated that the Canadian is suffering from a concussion, but he wouldn’t admit anything on Tuesday when he was asked what’s been ailing him.

“Umm, I’m not a doctor,” Nash told The Record. “It’s tough for me to analyze that. It wasn’t something where I could look at myself and say I had that issue. That’s up for the doctors to decide.”

Nash did tell the New York Daily News, however, that ”a lot of different things” have kept him off the ice as of late.

He didn’t expound much on that statement, as expected.

“I don’t really want to go into specifics, specific things that it exactly was, but there was a bunch of things going on where I wasn’t good enough to play,” Nash said, according to the newspaper.  “I’ve been banged up quite a bit, and obviously just didn’t feel I could compete out there. But after last week and today it’s definitely (headed) in the right direction, and it’s a big positive.”

Nash was traded to the Rangers in the offseason in a package that sent Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky and Tim Erixon to the Blue Jackets.

In his first season with the Blueshirts, the 6-foot-4, 213-pounder has three goals and nine assists in 14 games played.

Are you angry that the Rangers haven’t been more upfront about Nash’s status? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…

X-Rays on top defenseman Dan Girardi’s ankle are negative for any breaks in his foot, TSN’s Bob McKenzie has reported. He added in a tweet: “Good news, although some bone bruises can be as painful/debilitating as a fracture.”

Girardi blocked a slapshot from Montreal Canadiens forward P.K. Subban during a penalty kill with 1:23 remaining in the third period.

The Rangers also lost defenseman Ryan McDonagh who left the game in the second period after Max Pacioretty plastered him into the end boards head first. The boarding penalty prompted the NHL to call a hearing to discuss a possible suspension but decided not to discipline the Montreal forward.

Compounded with losing their two best blueliners has been the absence of All-Star acquisition Rick Nash who missed his third consecutive game and did not travel with the team on their north-of-the-boarder road trip.

Nash’s injury has not been disclosed which has led to speculation of a concussion. The winger took a hard hit from Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Feb. 12 that rattled his head into the end boards. The team is 0-2-1 since his absence.

The first overall pick in the 2002 NHL draft has 3 goals and 9 assists in 14 games since joining the Blueshirts in the off-season. He has scored 30 goals or more in each of his last five seasons.

The Rangers finish up their Canadian trip on Tuesday, Feb. 26 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Should the Rangers be hitting the panic button? Let us know in the comments section below…

Each player on the line of Erik Cole, Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller scored a goal and added an assist for Montreal (12-4-2), which bounced back after Thursday’s loss to the New York Islanders and won for the sixth time in seven games.

Price’s shutout was his second this season. He allowed just one goal in two starts against the Rangers this week.

Martin Biron, in his third start of the season, stopped 15 shots for New York (8-7-2), which dropped its third straight and has just one win in five games.

After a scoreless first period in which the teams combined for nine shots total, the action picked up in the second.

Cole hit the score sheet for the first time in 10 games when he netted his third goal of the season at 1:20. A point shot from Montreal defenseman Raphael Diaz went through Eller’s skates and found Cole, who wristed a shot from the left circle inside the far post.

The Canadiens doubled the lead at 13:36 when Galchenyuk drove to the Rangers net and took a shot that deflected up off New York defenseman Dan Girardi and landed in the net.

Quick puck movement on a late power play helped set up the Canadiens’ third goal. Defenseman P.K. Subban dished the puck from the point to Galchenyuk behind the goal line, and the rookie passed it to Eller, who scored at 19:34 from in the right circle.

Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh left the game and didn’t return after being boarded by Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty in the second period.

Girardi was also helped off the ice in the third period.

NOTES: Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher made his return to the lineup after missing three games because of a concussion. — LW Rene Bourque missed the game with flu-like symptoms — The Rangers were without injured forwards Rick Nash, Arron Asham and Darroll Powe, and defenseman Michael Del Zotto. — Forward Christian Thomas, son of former NHL player Steve Thomas, made his NHL debut for New York.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The move allows the club to recall Christian Thomas, 20, to the 23-man roster who is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Habs. He was the Rangers second-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft and has accumulated 24 points in 52 games for the Connecticut Whale so far this season.

Nash’s injury has not been disclosed which has led to speculation of a concussion. The winger took a hard hit from Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Feb. 12 that rattled his head into the end boards.

The first overall pick in the 2002 NHL draft has 3 goals and 9 assists in 14 games since joining the Blueshirts in the off-season. He has scored 30 goals or more in each of his last five seasons.

Do you fear the worst for Rick Nash? Let us know in the comments section below…

It’s a lot more than a slow start for the New York Rangers.

The team that staggered through last year’s postseason has not improved this year. They have gotten worse.

When the Rangers added Rick Nash in the offseason, they had all they needed to become the best team in the Eastern Conference and become solid Stanley Cup favorites.

They have been unsure and indecisive through the first third of the 48-game season. They are in eighth place (8-6-2 with three losses in last four games) in the Eastern Conference, and if the season ended today they would have the conference’s final playoff spot.

That’s just how the Rangers have played this year. Not awful, but nowhere near the way they should have performed to this point in the year.

If you remember the way the Rangers played in last year’s postseason, they are following a pattern.

They held off the Pittsburgh Penguins to take the top spot in the Eastern Conference and they went into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed against the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers survived that series, but they were forced to play seven games.

The same scenario followed in the second round against the Washington Capitals.

They should have been able to dispatch both of those teams in no more than five games. Their confidence was shaken by the time they got to the Eastern Conference Finals, and they were shunted aside by the New Jersey Devils.

That defeat pained all Rangers fans and, of course, head coach John Tortorella, but the acquisition of Nash should have meant that the team was pushing forward and going all in during the 2012-13 season, which became the 2013 season because of Gary Bettman’s four-month player lockout.

But instead of rampaging when the puck dropped in mid-January in Boston, the Rangers have been unsure.

Every time they take a step forward, they take a half-step backwards.

Goal scoring is still an issue and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist hasn’t been the same lights-out puck magnet that he was last year.

Lundqvist hasn’t been bad by any stretch — he has a 2.29 goals against average and a .919 save percentage — but he has shown that he can be even better.

Nash has been a solid performer and is the team’s leading scorer with 12 points, but only three of those have been goals. They need him to put the puck in the net more than he has, and there are concerns about his health.

He has missed the last two games, and speculation has been that he’s been out because of a concussion or a groin strain. The Rangers are not providing details.

Assuming his health problems are not serious, Nash will be back in the lineup shortly, perhaps for Saturday night’s game at Montreal.

There’s one other issue that could be keeping the Rangers from competing at the expected level. It could be the hard-driving style of Tortorella.

He’s a hard man to play for under the best of circumstances. He’s a driver and a pusher who is never satisfied.

That’s his MO and it works well — up to a point. This is his fifth year on Broadway, and you wonder if some of his players are about to reach their limit.

It’s one thing to push hard with a team that is on the rise and has limited expectations. However, when it’s a well-established and favored team, keeping your foot heavy on the gas pedal at all times can wear a team down.

Tortorella is prepared and he cares as much as any coach in the NHL. But sometimes you need to ease off the throttle in order to get a team to play the way it can.

Preseason expectations don’t matter anymore.

It’s all about winning and consistency, and Tortorella has to find a new formula to get his team back on track.

Rangers fans, are you starting to tire of Tortorella a bit? How would you grade his performance thus far in 2013? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…