With new head coach John Tortorella behind the bench, the New York Rangers failed to snap an eight-game losing streak on the road, losing to the Toronto Maples Leafs 2–1 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Wednesday night.
Tortorella’s attacking style, the same that won him a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, was evident throughout the game.
The Rangers seemed invigorated, checking their opponents at every opportunity, and putting plenty of pressure on Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala. In two first periods, the Rangers had 24 shots on goal, versus the Maple Leafs 12.
Feeding off their aggressive new style, the Rangers got a charge from veteran Markus Naslund, who uncharacteristically dropped the gloves against Ian White with about six minutes left in the first period.
Midway in the second period, Rangers defenseman Wade Redden scored on the power play with a long blast, putting the Blueshirts ahead 1–0.
The goal was Redden’s third of the season and broke a personal dry spell that lasted 58 games.
Five minutes underway in the third period, the Leafs would tie the score off a quick shot by Niklas Hagman.
With the game tied at 1–1, both teams played through a five-minute overtime before the Maple Leafs won it in a shootout. The Leafs Nikolai Kulemin was the only player to score in the shootout.
The Leafs and Rangers played a very physical game that was full of energy if not goals. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves, facing 24 shots on goal while Leafs Toskala faced 32 shots.
Rangers captain Chris Drury is looking forward to a new approach under John Tortorella but made no excuses for his team’s recent skid, “You’ve got to show up, play hard, and get ready to play every night.”
They come back to Madison Square Garden to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
The Rangers are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points while the Leafs remain in 11th with 58.
Tortorella’s attacking style, the same that won him a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, was evident throughout the game.
The Rangers seemed invigorated, checking their opponents at every opportunity, and putting plenty of pressure on Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala. In two first periods, the Rangers had 24 shots on goal, versus the Maple Leafs 12.
Feeding off their aggressive new style, the Rangers got a charge from veteran Markus Naslund, who uncharacteristically dropped the gloves against Ian White with about six minutes left in the first period.
Midway in the second period, Rangers defenseman Wade Redden scored on the power play with a long blast, putting the Blueshirts ahead 1–0.
The goal was Redden’s third of the season and broke a personal dry spell that lasted 58 games.
Five minutes underway in the third period, the Leafs would tie the score off a quick shot by Niklas Hagman.
With the game tied at 1–1, both teams played through a five-minute overtime before the Maple Leafs won it in a shootout. The Leafs Nikolai Kulemin was the only player to score in the shootout.
The Leafs and Rangers played a very physical game that was full of energy if not goals. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves, facing 24 shots on goal while Leafs Toskala faced 32 shots.
Rangers captain Chris Drury is looking forward to a new approach under John Tortorella but made no excuses for his team’s recent skid, “You’ve got to show up, play hard, and get ready to play every night.”
They come back to Madison Square Garden to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
The Rangers are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points while the Leafs remain in 11th with 58.
