The loss to the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday night isn’t the only thing bothering Dan Boyle.
Despite the Rangers’ strong play leading into the All-Star break, they are still looking up in the standings.
“As well as we’ve played the last 20 games, we haven’t made up too much ground,” Boyle said Wednesday after practice. “That’s tough. But this was just one game. It’s not like the sky is falling here.”
Not with a four-game homestand coming up, beginning Thursday against Montreal.
“We can’t think about having four games at home,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who will start in goal against the Canadiens, according to head coach Alain Vigneault.
Vigneault said he was still working on his lineup for Thursday’s matchup, which could include Dominic Moore getting another chance on the third line, skating alongside Carl Hagelin.
“We finished that way [Tuesday] night,” Vigneault said. “I thought they were both playing with a good pace and making good plays.”
The pair has killed penalties before, one of the reasons Vigneault is comfortable playing them together.
Whatever lineup Vigneault chooses figures to be tested by a Habs team known for its quickness, in some ways similar to the Islanders squad that has dominated the Rangers in three showdowns this season.
“Montreal is a fast team, so you have to be smart and careful with the puck,” Lundqvist said.
That’s a combination the Rangers lacked on Long Island. Vigneault criticized the team for its sloppy play.
“Against any team that wants to play fast, you have to manage the puck well and we’re gonna have to do a better job of that [Thursday],” Vigneault said. “I do believe we can play better, but we have to make it more challenging on the goaltender.”
More than a few Rangers mentioned the challenge of facing standout Montreal goalie Carey Price. But they draw?confidence from previous success in bouncing back from losses.
“I think we’re a pretty tough team,” Lundqvist said. “We’ve shown that this season and we need to continue that. That’s something we were good at last year, too.”
Derick Brassard said: “We have to get back to doing things right, which is what we were doing before the All-Star Game.”