In arguably the most impressive debut in Rangers history, rookie Derek “The Real Deal” Stepan stole the spotlight with a hat trick to lead the Blueshirts to a win in their season opener, 6-3 over the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena. The Rangers, who spent last season desperately seeking complementary scoring for Marian Gaborik, rode the precocious rookie’s big night to an impressive road victory.

The Blueshirts got strong performances from their entire lineup tonight as Brandon Dubinsky, whom the Rangers are counting on for a big season, scored 2 goals and Erik Christensen, who had a lackluster preseason, added a tally off a perfect pass from Gaborik early in the third period to give the team a 4 goal cushion. Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan played up tempo hockey all contest long and the defense led by Dan Girardi (2 A) and a solid game by Michael Sauer kept the Sabres at bay for most of the matchup. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 of 34 shots to earn his first victory.

Even with all the great performances, the story of the night was undoubtedly Derek Stepan. With his 3 goals, he became the first player in the long and storied history of the franchise to score a hat trick in his first NHL game. Stepan, who had an impressive training camp and preseason, still might not have been on the opening night roster if Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal were not forced to miss time with injuries. Stepan, who could have had 5 goals tonight but who missed high on a breakaway and hit the post in the closing seconds on an empty net, proved that he is ready to not only play but make an impact at this level, threw his hat into the ring for Calder Trophy very early on.

It would be foolish to expect this kind of offensive output from the Blueshirts on a nightly basis but it would not be a stretch to expect the level of effort we saw tonight consistently as the season progresses. The Rangers’ biggest problem last season was giving that type of effort on a nightly basis but with the competition to stay with the club from youngsters like Stepan and Sauer, newcomers like Ruslan Fedotenko and Steve Eminger and even players like Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust, whose jobs might be in jeopardy with the return of Drury expected soon, the effort we saw tonight might come easier for this group than last year’s squad. The Rangers will try to follow up tonight’s victory with another strong performance against the Islanders in a matinee at the Coliseum on Monday.

The Core: (Will be back next season)- Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal (RFA), Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Michael Del Zotto and Michal Roszival.

Should I Stay or Should I Go: (Players who may or may not be back, with my best guess)-UFA’s: Vinny Prospal (will be back if he accepts one year deal with small raise), Olli Jokinen (Don’t Let the Door Hit Ya!!!!), Alex Auld (probably gone), P.A. Parenteau (will get a better offer somewhere else), Anders Eriksson (gone), Jody Shelley (I think the Rangers will bring him back based on his play down the stretch), Corey Potter (I would let him walk). RFA’s: Staal (long term deal), Dan Girardi (might be priced out by Staal but my guess is he returns), Erik Christensen (50-50 I think he goes), Brandon Prust (could be a choice between him and Dane Byers, he gets my vote), Byers (probably edged out by Prust), Enver Lisin and Ilkka Heikkenen (nice to know ya!).

Fire Sale: (players who should be in Hartford or will be offered around for a bag of pucks)- Wade Redden, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle and Matt Gilroy.

I have read many articles over the last few days (from some great writers like Larry Brooks of the NY Post and Steve Zipay at Newsday) about what the Rangers need NOT to do this offseason. I agree with most of what they say about free agency and trades. The Rangers do NOT need Vinny Lecavalier, Patrick Marleau, Illya Kovalchuck, Joe Thornton, Pavol Demitra or any of the other big name, huge contract suspects that will most likely be available at season’s end. The one thing I haven’t read in any of these articles is a plan for what the Rangers SHOULD do once the final buzzer sounds on another NHL campaign. Most likely the Blueshirts will have anywhere from $10-14 million dollars in cap room this offseason to re-sign Marc Staal and a few others but Glen Sather should not go on a boldface buying spree in hopes of filling his team’s needs. He should show restraint, sit down behind his desk, light up a cigar and make three phone calls. That’s it, 3 simple calls.

Call 1: Dean Lombardi, GM, Los Angeles Kings- Jack Johnson is the type of physical, edgy, stand up defenseman the Rangers have not had put on their sweater since the days of Jeff Beukeboom. A 23 year old physical specimen who plays with a chip on his shoulder and goes right up to the whistle. The Kings would love to retain Johnson to a long term deal but Lombardi has been unable to come to an agreement with him (and may not want to, looking at the huge payday that Drew Doughty will no doubt seek in a few seasons) and he is currently one year away from hitting the open market with a cap number for 2010-11 of 1.425 million. Sather should call Lombardi and ask what it would take to get the hulking defenseman to Broadway and continue to listen even after the discussion begins with the name Evgeny Grachev (whom the Kings might have interest in if they lose Alexander Frolov via free agency). If Sather could get Johnson to MSG and lock him up long term, the Rangers could have their No.1 pair (along with Staal) under contract for the foreseeable future.

Call 2: Bobby Ryan‘s Agent- The Rangers have a number of promising youngsters in the pipeline (Stepan, Kreider, Grachev, McDonagh, Bourque, Hagelin) and nobody is suggesting that Sather mortgage the future by sending these youngsters away in a deal for a quick fix but signing a 23 year old forward who is on the verge of being a top 5 power forward in the league to an offer sheet and surrendering draft picks in return if the offer is not matched is not the kind of move that could hurt this franchise. The Rangers have built up depth through the draft as of late but no one knows if any of these youngsters or anyone that the Rangers draft during the next year or two will ever be stars at the NHL level. Here is a chance to get a young player who has already proven himself on the biggest stage and will only get better. John Tortorella wants younger players who come to work every night. If the Rangers got Ryan they could have three forwards under the age of 25 who could conceivably put up 30-goal campaigns with Dubinsky, Callahan and Ryan.

Call 3: Alexander Radulov- We already had the Nik Zherdev saga, with the young talented winger who left the NHL for Russia and now here is another young, supremely talented sniper who might just be ready to give the NHL another chance. Nashville GM David Poile has had enough of Radulov and his agents and would probably be more than happy to move this headache for a mid round pick and a prospect. Reports have said that Radulov is interested in returning to the league and the idea of playing on the brightest stage in NYC might just be the dangling carrot that gets the deal done. Wouldn’t Radulov fit perfectly playing across from Gaborik on the top line next season?

I know these three moves aren’t all the GM needs to do to make sure this team takes the next step. I know it’s easy to throw out names and scenarios and think that you know better than a guy who has multiple Stanley Cup rings. I know nothing is easy in the NHL especially winning. I’m not saying I have all the answers and that the powers that be (who get paid much more than I do) haven’t already pondered these moves but what I am saying is no one gets better by standing still or staying pat. Nobody gets better by hoping that players with potential will someday mature into leaders and superstars. The Rangers have a superstar backstop entering his prime, a game changing sniper ready to rise to another level, a shutdown defenseman about to become known on a league wide basis and a group of hard working youngsters on the verge of being valuable NHL performers. Now is the time for creative thinking, creative moves and creative building. Now is the time for Glen Sather to stop filling holes and start building a winner.

Marian Gaborik had a goal and 2 assists but it wasn't enough as the Rangers fell 4-3 to St. Louis

The Rangers missed another golden opportunity to gain ground on the eighth place Boston Bruins as they lost a heartbreaker to the visiting St. Louis Blues 4-3 at the Garden. St. Louis’ Paul Kariya scored his 400th career goal to give the Blues the victory in a contest where the Rangers just couldn’t find a way to take control of the game failing on a 5-on-3 advantage early in the third period. The Blueshirts are not out of the playoff picture yet, as the injury ravaged Bruins lost again, but now with the loss to St. Louis, Sunday’s game with Boston has become the most important game of the season for the Rangers.

Thumbs Up- Brandon Prust continues to take on all comers and gave his team a spark after an early goal could have deflated the momentum. Erik Christensen had another solid performance and is making a strong push for a return next season. Wade Redden scored his second goal of the season ($3 million per goal..that sounds about right?) and Brandon Dubinsky was once again in the center of the action throughout.

Thumbs Down- Henrik Lundqvist, who has carried this team for the last two months, had a terrible night. Ryan Callahan, who played a physical game, lost the backcheck on the winning goal, allowing Kariya to tap the puck past Henrik. Jody Shelley, in a very physical contest with numerous post whistle scrums, was once again a non factor. I really hope Glen Sather is watching closely as Olii Jokinen is a shell of himself and should not be brought back over the summer. Dan Girardi was average at best and Marc Staal had a non descript performance.

Three Stars-3- Brian Boyle- The thing about Boyle, much like his predecessor Blair Betts, is that he’s not going to end up on the scoresheet most nights but he finds a way to make his presence felt on the ice on a nightly basis. He played a very strong game at both ends tonight and even had a few scoring chances, including one in the third that was thisclose to tying up the game. Sather gets a lot of (much deserved) grief for his offseason moves, but taking a chance on Boyle is one move that has definitely worked out.

2-Sean Avery- Avery once again was “engaged” tonight as he played his third straight very strong game since his benching by Torts. Avery was a ball of energy early, drawing penalties and taking the body, and was the team’s most consistent forward throughout the game. If only the Rangers could find a way to capitalize on more of the power plays he has drawn, maybe Sunday wouldn’t be such a must win game.

1- Marian Gaborik- Welcome Back Marian Gaborik, We Missed Ya!. After gliding through the slate of post-Olympic games following his return from injury, Gaborik finally showed up tonight ready to skate and it showed with a 3 point performance. Gabs has had trouble finding space on the ice over the last few games but tonight (after being reunited with Erik Christensen and Brandon Dubinsky), he was able to use his speed to find some open ice and get some very good scoring chances. The Rangers are still going to need more out of the man who carried this team in the first half of the season (especially on the power play) but tonight was a good sign that finally he may be healthy enough to take over some games like he did so many times early on.

Aaron Voros joins the party with his first goal of the season.

All the Rangers coaches were hoping for following their impressive 6-2 win over the Canadiens on Sunday was a repeat of the effort the team gave during that victory. Not only did they receive the same effort but the players took it to another level as they jumped on the Lightning early and controlled play from start to finish during a dominant 8-2 dismantling of the visiting Tampa Bay club.

After a fight between Aaron Voros and Tampa’s Zenon Konopka off the game’s opening faceoff really got the crowd going, Brandon Dubinsky continued his inspired play of late and got the scoring started when he cleaned up a rebound in front of Antero Nittymaki to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. The Rangers controlled play for the rest of the period with their strong forechecking and used tallies by Vinny Prospal and the resurgent Chris Drury to take a 3-1 lead after one period.

Dan Girardi and Enver Lisin would extend the lead to 5-1 in the second period and chase Nittymaki from between the pipes. Alex Tanguay would score on the power play late in the period to keep the Lightning withing striking distance but Henrik Lundqvist would shut the door the rest of the way.

Marc Staal, Aaron Voros (on the power play) and Christopher Higgins would put a nice bow on the blowout with third period tallies and gave the Rangers their second straight game with at least 6 goals. It still may be too early to call the Rangers’ season long offensive struggles solved but these two performances are definitely a promising step in the right direction.

Thumbs Up- Brian Boyle, Sean Avery and Erik Christensen were amongst the few Rangers who didn’t score a goal tonight but continued their energetic play that has been the catalyst on many of the offensive opportunities the team has cashed in on over the last two contests. Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury once again excelled on the penalty kill. Vinny Prospal seems to have fully recovered from his injury and was a factor tonight with a goal and an assist.

Thumbs Down- It was hard to find any negatives with tonight’s performance but the only thing that stood out to me was Artem Anisimov’s inability to get anything going offensively. I’m sure if he keeps up the work ethic he has shown so far during the first half of the year, he will find a way to break through but this is a situation that might bear watching especially if Evgeny Grachev should begin to put up numbers in Hartford.

Three Stars- 3-Henrik Lundqvist- “The King” was very strong early when the game was still anybody’s contest. His big saves during the first period gave the Rangers the confidence to continue to attack offensively. Another impressive performance from Lundqvist, who is finally getting the support he deserves from his forwards.

2- Aaron Voros- The toughest thing to do is come to the arena each night knowing that you might not be in the lineup the next game, even if you have a good outing that night. Aaron Voros has had to deal with this situation and be ready to contribute when called upon all season and up to this point his results have been hit and miss. Tonight, it was a big hit for Voros as he got the crowd involved early with a fight, was a physical presence throughout, drew a late penalty by being smart and even contributed a garbage time goal (after being rewarded with power play time by John Tortorella for his drawing the man advantage). This was Voros’ best game since early last season and i’m willing to wager he has earned another start in the Blueshirts’ next contest.

1- Marian Gaborik- For most of the year, Gaborik has been the Rangers focal point on offense and only consistent goal scorer. Tonight, he was the team’s playmaker with assists on 4 of the Rangers first 6 goals. Gaborik has to love this new found offensive output from his teammates as it takes the pressure off him to have to carry the club each time they hit the ice. He showed this evening that he is just as comfortable being a support player as being the team’s biggest star.

The Rangers will try to continue their explosive run when they visit the Flyers in Philadelphia on Thursday at 7 PM.

In yet another contest where the Rangers could not find their offense, Henrik Lundqvist once again showed why he is this club’s “most valuable player” and in doing so, had arguably his best performance of the season but it still wasn’t enough to lift an anemic offense past a shorthanded Ottawa team playing without it’s two top scorers and starting goaltender. Ottawa’s Mike Brodeur, an afternoon call up from the AHL, shut down the Rangers in his second career NHL start to give his team the 2-0 victory. The Blueshirts have now been held scoreless for 144 minutes of play and are in desperate need of a spark on offense or they may be in danger of dropping right out of the playoff picture.

Thumbs Up- Chris Drury dominated in the faceoff circle and was the Blueshirts best forward tonight. Brian Boyle used his size to control play along the boards and had a strong game. Sean Avery showed some snarl taking on Jarkko Ruutu and was full of energy from the opening puck drop. Matt Gilroy skated well and played one of his best games since his return from Hartford.

Thumbs Down- Marian Gaborik was a non factor tonight as the Senators matched defensemen and were able to keep him mostly to the outside in the offensive zone. Gaborik also left the zone early, looking for a breakout, on the Senators late goal that broke the shutout. Michael Del Zotto looked lost at times tonight and wasn’t skating very well throughout. Wade Redden should be in Hartford tomorrow if anybody who makes decisions for this organization was actually paying attention to this game.I thought Vinny Prospal returned from injury…Did anybody notice him out there tonight?

Three Stars- 3-Sean Avery- Avery has suffered from Jekyll/Hyde disease this season and while he wasn’t the fireball he was against Dallas last week, he was a spark each time he took the ice and his willingness to mix it up was an example of what this team needs on a nightly basis.

2-Chris Drury- Drury was a monster in the faceoff circle and continued to show that he is ready to raise his game to a level that fans have been clamoring for since he came to Broadway. His strong skating and all out effort in the third period led to a power play opportunity and his back checking was key in keeping the Senators scoreless for almost 60 minutes.

1- Henrik Lundqvist- It’s a shame to see this kind of performance wasted for the second straight game. Lundqvist did everything he could to keep the Senators off the scoreboard and was only solved when Gaborik committed a defensive gaffe that led to a late tally that cost him a shutout. Henrik is playing his best hockey of the season and the Rangers need to give him some offensive support and take advantage of his mastery before the league shuts down for the Olympic break.

The Rangers played only their second overtime game of the season and participated in their first shootout of the year today against Ottawa and when all was said and done P.A. Parenteau was the hero for the Blueshirts. Parenteau, who was called up for the second time this season from Hartford on Friday, beat Ottawa netminder Brian Elliot with a quick wristshot to give the Rangers a 2-1 victory and two important points for a team that has been struggling as of late. Henrik Lundqvist played a strong game (allowing only one goal to Senators defenseman Brian Lee) and the Blueshirts’ defense corps stood strong in the face of a surging Daniel Alfredsson and the Senators power play on a late 4-on-3 in OT to send the game to the shootout and give the youngster the opportunity to win the game.

Thumbs Up- Vinny Prospal scored his first career shorthanded goal (a shocking stat considering he has played 894 carrer games) to tie the game at 1-1 and was once again a factor all over the ice. Marian Gaborik, who set up Prospal’s goal off a beautiful rush, has now scored in 16 of the team’s 18 games this season. Christopher Higgins adapted to his move to center seamlessly and had one of his best performances as a Ranger. Ryan Callahan was huge on the penalty kill (especially in OT when he blocked two big blasts from Daniel Alfredsson during the late kill) and Dan Girardi and Marc Staal had solid games both at even strength and on the penalty kill. Sean Avery looked like he was trying to ratchet up the intensity in his game today and it lead to a bad penalty but it was definitely a step in the right direction for the agitator hoping to return to being a factor every night. Wade Redden and Michael Del Zotto had strong games and some timely defensive stops.

Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival and Aaron Voros were once again invisible and continue to be non factors. Ales Kotalik took a horrible penalty late in overtime and had to be bailed out by an impressive penalty kill unit. Brian Boyle passed up a great scoring chance early and wasn’t much of an impact today and i’m not even sure if Donald Brashear took the flight to Ottawa with the club as I don’t remember seeing him on the ice at all during the contest.

Three Stars- 3-Matt Gilroy- While Del Zotto has gotten all the attention, Gilroy has been very quiet and has played a string of very good games as of late. Today, he showed his ability to join the rush and create offensive opportunities and also had some good moments in his own end including breaking up a 2-on-1 rush late in the third period to help preserve the tie and send the game into overtime.

2-P.A. Parenteau- The call up who told Rangers announcer John Giannone that his goal was to “stick with the big club this time and not be sent back down” took a big step in that direction this afternoon with a spirited performance at both ends. He could have lost confidence after whiffing on a wide open net late in the third period off a perfect pass from Higgins but instead he came back in the shootout and potted the game winner past Elliot. A very impressive game from the young man who wants to make a name for himself.

1- Henrik Lundqvist- The King was in control all game long. His ability to control rebounds and his lateral quickness when under duress from an attacking Ottawa squad were the biggest reasons that the Rangers came out of ScotiaBank Place with two important points.

The Rangers return to action Tuesday night when Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals visit MSG at 7PM.

Mike Cammalleri puts the finishing touches on a Rangers loss with his third goal of the game in OT.

In a wholly frustrating performance tonight, The Blueshirts failed to hold a two goal lead twice and were beat by a Montreal squad that wanted it more than they did. A third straight loss, after reeling off seven straight wins, has to have coach Tortorella seething and if he isn’t then I don’t know what game he was watching tonight.

The Canadiens jumped out to an early lead but the Rangers roared back with 3 goals including a beautiful rebound by Artem Anisimov to build a 3-1 lead at the end of one period. Once again, as they have done throughout the season, the Rangers came out flat in the second period and the Canadiens cut the lead to one on a goal by Matt D’Agostini. The highlight of the game for New York came 3 minutes later as Marian Gaborik took a pass from Enver Lisin and broke in untouched on Jaroslav Halak sliding the puck between his pads on the deke. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there as the Canadiens would get a power play goal off a blast from Marc Andre Bergeron (why didn’t we sign this guy again?) and would tie the game when Christopher Higgins (who has been nothing short of horrible this season) was late picking up Mike Cammalleri, who would score his second goal of the game to knot it at 4-4. Higgins would earn a seat on the bench (along with Brandon Dubinsky, who had his own costly gaffe) for the remainder of regulation and overtime. The third period was full of scoring chances on both ends but no one could solve Halak or Lundqvist.

The Rangers (minus two of their top 6 forwards) started OT with some strong play in the offensive zone but couldn’t get the game winner and when Mike Cammalleri skated all the way from his own blue line into the offensive zone (without being touched by any Ranger player) and ripped a laser over a down too early Lundqvist the game was over. Marian Gaborik knew that he didn’t skate and backcheck hard enough (coasting and just reaching with his stick the whole time) and you could see it on his face.

All night the Rangers gave the Canadiens too much room in the neutral zone and did not play an energetic game. Brandon Dubinsky, Christopher Higgins and Marian Gaborik (despite his highlight reel goal) had disappointing nights as they seemed to become complacent with the two goal leads and stopped skating hard.

John Tortorella has said after both previous losses that the team played well and just got bad breaks. It’s time for Tortorella to stand up and call this performance what it was, horrible. The Rangers may have fixed their scoring woes but their lack of discipline once they get a lead is alarming and if Torts doesn’t see this (or isn’t willing to admit it) then that is a huge problem going forward.

Thumbs Up- Tough to find bright spots in this performance but Artem Anisimov and Michael Del Zotto both had strong games and impressed in the opportunities they recieved. Brian Boyle stood up for his teammates and played with an edge.

Thumbs Down- Christopher Higgins needs to get out of his own head before this season passes him by and he’s looking for a new team come summer. Brandon Dubinsky had a terrible performance and has been invisible during the three game skid. Henrik Lundqvist had an inconsistent game and went down way too early (like in last year’s first round collapse vs. Sergei Fedorov) on the game winner. Sean Avery played hard but hasn’t been a factor and might be too worried about pleasing Torts and not worried enough about being a pest and playing with an edge.

3 Stars- 3- Wade Redden- Just an all around solid game by the much maligned defenseman.

2- Artem Anisimov- Anisimov took his demotion to the fourth line well and played a strong game, scoring one goal and almost converting on another late in the third period.

1- Matt Gilroy- The rookie blueliner who has gotten less buzz than his fellow rookie Del Zotto since the season began had a great first period (including a huge blast to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead) and an overall solid showing. He still needs to work on stepping up at the top of the circles and stopping a rush (he was on the ice for the game winner) but he is improving with each game and was a factor offensively throughout.

The Rangers hope to stop the bleeding on Monday night at MSG as the surprising Coyotes visit at 7 PM.

Henrik Lundqvist (6-2, 2.41 GAA) will get the start tonight at the Bell Centre. He will be opposed, not by Carey Price, but by Canadiens backup Jaroslav Halak (2-1 1.88 GAA) who will be making his third straight start. The Rangers have a history of struggling against lesser known netminders so let’s hope they jump on Halak early tonight.

Dan Girardi responded to yesterday’s comments by Torts about his play by saying “I thought me and Marc [Staal] did a good job in the second, kept it simple. That’s what Torts is known for, making sure guys are responsible for their play. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. We’re all grown men in here. We can take a calling out here and there.” It’s good to see Girardi taking responsibility for his play. I would hate to see a conflict develop between himself and Torts because he is a true team player and brings a lot of professionalism to the locker room.

The Rangers got a glimpse tonight at how hard it is to win a game in the NHL when you play undisciplined hockey and take way too many penalties against a team that can make you pay. Although the Rangers still came away with the victory, their sixth straight, Coach Torts will have plenty of things to talk to his team about before Saturday’s rematch against the Leafs.

The Kings came out this evening and matched the Rangers intensity and forecheck (something their most recent opponents had been unable to accomplish) but were ultimately undone by early penalties. Vinny Prospal took advantage on the first power play deflecting a shot from the point past Kings netminder Erik Ersberg to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Before you could blink, Los Angeles tied the score 1-1 when both Marc Staal and Dan Girardi left veteran Ryan Smyth (who has made his career by standing in front of the net) alone in the crease to redirect a shot past Henrik Lundqvist. After the Kings took two more penalties, The Rangers crashed the net on a 5-on-3 advantage and Prospal cashed in his second goal of the contest.

The second period was once again a horror show for the Blueshirts as they were thoroughly outplayed by the Kings on both ends. Brian Boyle, playing against his former club for the first time, gave the Rangers their only highlight of the period when he scored his first goal of the season at the 2:17 mark. From then on, it was up to Henrik Lundqvist to keep the Rangers ahead as the Kings outshot them 14-11 but had many more quality chances including Michal Handzus goal on the power play that pulled them within one at 7:18 of the period. John Tortorella took a timeout late to remind his team that they needed to wake up and bring the work ethic or this game could slip away very quickly.

The third period began with the Kings carrying play as they did in the second. The Rangers were outshot in the third 10-1. Fortunately for the Rangers, the one shot was off the blade of Marian Gaborik and beat Ersberg to give the Rangers a 2 goal cushion at 4:22 that they would hold on to despite a relentless Kings attack throughout the period.

The Rangers definitely did not have their “A” game tonight versus a very good opponent but they pulled out a victory. They really need to get back to their even strength game that helped them to impressive victories over the Ducks and Maple Leafs earlier this week. I’m sure Torts will get the message through before their next game.

Thumbs Up- Brian Boyle scoring his first goal as a Ranger against his old club was a nice moment and came at a time when the Rangers needed a shot of momentum. Ryan Callahan was all over the ice again and came close to scoring on the PP before Prospal cashed in his rebound. Michael Del Zotto had another strong performance and has all but secured his place on the roster for the remainder of the season.

Thumbs Down- Dan Girardi followed up two great performances with a miserable one in which he was outmuscled by Ryan Smyth leading to a bad penalty, took another bad penalty late and was out of position a few times, including on the first goal by Smyth. Marc Staal didn’t fare much better as he took a couple of bad penalties and wasn’t much of a factor physically. Artem Anisimov and Enver Lisin (who were praised by Torts yesterday) were invisible tonight and need to work harder to make an impact.

Three Stars- 3- Marian Gaborik- Once again, Gaborik scored exactly when the Rangers needed it most and once again, he made it look easy. He extended his point scoring streak to seven games with his sixth goal of the season and with each game becomes more and more of a danger for opposing defenses.He also was a factor on the penalty kill.

2- Vinny Prospal- Prospal scored his 200th and 201st career goals in this game and gave the Rangers an early push in this hotly contested matchup. Prospal has been a perfect fit so far with the Blueshirts and should be a leading candidate for the second alternate captain spot once Torts decides to bestow the honor on someone.

1- Henrik Lundqvist- Henrik had to endure many quality chances and tough shots (not to mention being run two more times in what is becoming a recurring theme that should concern the organization) and was outstanding. His two saves early on Dustin Brown set the tone and his stellar play and positioning late helped carry the team to the victory.

The Rangers go for seven straight on Saturday when they travel to Toronto to face a Leafs team that will be looking to avenge the 7-2 beating at the hands of the Blueshirts earlier this week.

Donald Brashear returned to the ice today after missing yesterday’s practice due to soreness from Monday’s game against Toronto. He will be a game time decision. If Brashear cannot go, Aaron Voros will get the start in his place.

Tonight will be Brian Boyle’s first game against the team that drafted him. Boyle, acquired by the Blueshirts in a draft day trade with Los Angeles, spent 5 seasons in the Kings’ organization and is looking forward to facing his old team. “It should be fun,” says Boyle. “They’ve been doing pretty well and had some success, but we need to just go out and win and keep playing well ourselves.” “I still have a lot of friends over there, but they won’t be friends (tonight), for sure,” explained Boyle, who notched eight goals in 36 games with the Kings over the past two seasons. “I want to go out and do well for this club first and foremost, for the Rangers. That’s my main focus, doing well for us, and contribute to a win for us.”

For more comments from Boyle about tonight’s game, Here is a video of his meeting with reporters: