Lundqvist backstops weary Rangers past Kings

October 15, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

The win streak is now at half a dozen. However, the Rangers don’t get there without the steady play of their franchise goalie. On a night when his team was running low on octane, Henrik Lundqvist earned every cent of his hefty paycheck that pays him as one of the league’s best. Indeed, King Henrik had his best game of this young season, making 34 saves with many of the quality variety in backstopping the home club past a vastly improved LA team, 4-2 at a quiet Garden.

“You just find a way to win when you’re not on—and we were not on,” John Tortorella boldly stated of his club getting outshot 36-21 but coming out on top to snap the Kings’ four-game win streak. “We were behind in every facet of the game but we still found a way to win.

“That’s a good sign.”

Playing their third home game in four nights against a fresher Kings team that had yesterday off, the Rangers ran into a mirror image of themselves. Terry Murray’s club plays a very similar aggressive style reliant on solid forechecking and smart step ups in the neutral zone. As the match went on, his team got better taking away time and space from Tortorella’s tired club. That resulted in much more puck possession for LA, who outshot the Rangers 36-21 including 10-1 in the third period.

There was one problem. That one shot happened to come off the electric stick of Marian Gaborik, who seems intent on silencing critics. With his team nursing a 3-2 lead, he took a Vinny Prospal backhand cross ice feed and then smoothly turned it over to his forehand before roofing a perfect laser past a helpless Erik Ersberg, who got the start in place of Jon Quick versus his Swedish countryman. It extended Gaborik’s season scoring streak to seven (6-4-10). Most impressively, the Big Ticket has notched all six markers in the third where the Blueshirts have now outscored opponents 13-3.

“That is where game breakers make it. That is just a great shot tonight,” Tortorella praised of the superstar who has a 14-game point streak (13-10-23) dating back to his final days in St. Paul. “He killed penalties tonight. I thought Gaborik was our best player in all facets of the game. Third period is crunch time (and) he makes another big play tonight. He is that guy that you need to make a big play. Early in the season he has done that for us.”

True enough, Gaborik was the team’s best player outside the goalie dominating shifts highlighted by some splendid PK work that saw him force Ersberg to make two big stops which prevented it from being 4-1 in a second mostly controlled by the Kings. Nobody would debate that they were the superior team tonight but it was the game’s top offense (YES) which made the most of their opportunities. The first such instance came early when Prospal scored his 200th career goal by deflecting home rookie Michael Del Zotto’s shot pass giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead 3:11 in.

“Obviously it is a milestone, but there are a lot of other players who have scored more goals than me. … I remember the first goal I scored here was my 600th point and I tried last year to get that point and get it over with. I am glad my personal milestones are behind me,” a pleased Prospal said after being named the game’s No.2 star with two goals and an assist. He nearly had the hat trick when an unselfish Gaborik tried to feed him in the waning seconds but it was broken up.

It proved shortlived with resurgent power forward Ryan Smyth scoring a similar goal with his bread and butter, beating Dan Girardi to the spot to redirect Davis Drewiske’s one-time blast past Lundqvist 70 seconds later. In what was the best period with each team taking turns mounting an attack, the Blueshirts were a little better. Once again, they used their sizzling power play to hurt LA on the scoreboard. The Kings got into penalty trouble when Raitis Ivanans followed up a Peter Harrold goalie interference handing the Rangers a 5-on-3. Last year, it wouldn’t have mattered. But the difference in skill level thanks to perssonel that includes Ales Kotalik has made them one of the most potent power plays already.

Already having scored once to extend to five consecutive games with a PPG, the home club caught a break when a Prospal banker off Ersberg was overturned following the intent to whistle rule. On the play in question, Ryan Callahan got two cracks at it but hit the side of the post before Prospal snuck in and flipped a backhand off the LA backup that clearly crossed the goal line. Initially, the late whistle prevented the goal. Normally, under such instances, the scoring team gets screwed due to circumstance. However, after protests from both Callahan and Prospal, vet ref tandem Dan O’Halloran and Dan O’Rourke decided to take a look. After a few minutes, they awarded Prospal with his second to mild protests from the LA bench.

“I thought it was an unfortunate break for us. In my understanding of it, it is not a reviewable situation,” Murray astutely pointed out. He certainly had a case even if the clear evidence showed that the whistle came after the puck was in. I’d love to get the official explanation as to why.

Due to benefiting, the Rangers got out of the first leading by one. This was also a special game of sorts for Brian Boyle, who came over in a trade for a third round pick. Though the big guy doesn’t play a ton, he notched his first goal in Ranger blue. Del Zotto started the play and then Michal Rozsival found Boyle late, who then wired a shot off the post that caromed off Ersberg and in, becoming the 13th different Ranger to make the score sheet. It was extra sweet and as fate had it, held up as the decider.

But briefly after Sean O’Donnell turned banged up Donald Brashear replacement Aaron Voros into a human punching bag, LA took over forcing the Rangers into minor infractions. After killing off Christopher Higgins’ first, they couldn’t keep the pesky Kings from making it closer. With Boyle off for a hook, his former ‘mates connected late when Jack Johnson’s point shot went off Michal Handzus and in, cutting to 3-2 with 12:42 left in the second.

The rest of the night saw the Kings take it to the Rangers, who went long stretches without a shot while going in the sin bin six straight times including two from top D Marc Staal. Partner Dan Girardi (4 PIM) also had trouble containing Smyth, who looked strong along with talented linemates Justin Williams (assist) and Anze Kopitar. They got plenty of looks on the man-advantage but just couldn’t find a way to beat Lundqvist when it mattered. Time and again, he stopped the Kings in their tracks.

“Going into the third, we felt this game was ours to have,” LA captain Dustin Brown said following being thwarted by Lundqvist from in tight late in the second. “We realize this is a good game for us and we are all comfortable with everything that happened.”

The final period saw the Rangers come out better but they never hit the net on a few chances generated by Artem Anisimov’s line. However, the Kings again responded by moving their feet and clogging up the neutral zone. On one PP, Lundqvist would deny Kopitar from 10 feet out. But that was after Gaborik converted his team’s only shot when he released a lightning quick shot from the top of the left circle  that was in and out that fast.

“He just beat me fair and square,” Ersberg admitted. “It was a good shot, but if we want to win this game I have to stop that.”

“Third period is crunch time,” Tortorella said. “He is that guy that you need to make a big play.”

That along with some solid defensive work and timely Lundqvist saves allowed the Rangers to extend to their longest win streak since 2005-2006. “We have a lot of confidence right now,” Lundqvist said. “It’s not easy to play the third game at home in a row … you get a little comfortable.”

They shouldn’t have that problem Saturday against a winless Toronto club at Air Canada Centre.

Notes: Dating back to last season, the Rangers have won 12 of their last 13 at The Garden. Their next home game is Monday versus Dany Heatley and the Sharks with the Devils crossing the Path next Thursday. … With two more PPG in three chances, the Rangers are 9 for their last 25 (36 percent). … Ersberg finished with 17 saves taking the loss. … Callahan’s assist gave him points in four of five while Prospal’s three-point effort (2-1-3) extended to a six-game point string (3-7-10). No coincidence they’ve won every single one. … LA, who hadn’t lost at MSG since Nov.28, 2000, were seeking their first five-game win streak since Feb.11-Mar.7, 2006 during the Olympic year in Torino. … Originally credited with an assist, Kopitar saw his five-game point streak snapped. … Kotalik finished with two helpers extending to five games in a row with a point (3-4-7). … Del Zotto had two assists. … Faceoff Saturday at ACC is after 7.

… Gaborik on Prospal’s big night:

“He is a great player. He has been around for a while, for many years. (He is) a great playmaker who works hard out there on every shift and you can see it. He looks for players, he battles hard and it pays off.”

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Vinny Prospal, (2 PPG/assist incl.200th NHL goal, 2 SOG, 2-of-5 draws in 17:37)

2nd Star-Marian Gaborik, (team-leading sixth goal, 3 SOG, 2 takeaways, 2 blocked shots in 21:18)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, (34 saves incl.23 of 24 last 2 periods)