John Tortorella, spiritual leader?
The irascible Rangers coach was asked on Tuesday after his team’s practice at Madison Square Garden what he needs to do in order to get his top forwards scoring more goals, and here was Tortorella’s response:
“Pray?” he said with an almost playful half-smile, half-shrug. “I don’t know what else to tell you. We’re going to keep on trying to play, pray, and hopefully something good happens (for) them.”
As the Rangers prepare for Game 5 against the Devils on Wednesday night at the Garden, their Eastern Conference finals series tied two games apiece, the only contributions he has gotten from his forwards this series is two goals from Chris Kreider, one goal in garbage time from Ruslan Fedotenko, and one empty-netter each for Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov.
Tortorella pointed to his team’s lack of puck possession as the key to their feeble offensive output, scoring just nine goals in four games.
“It has been a series so far of them having the puck a lot more than we have. That’s what we’re looking to try and change,” Tortorella said. “I think it’s tactical, execution, willingness – all of those things come into play in puck possession. It’s just a simple fact: We need to be better at it.”
Callahan said they need to do “a little bit of everything.”
“From our defensive zone, trying to limit time there and closing guys out to getting pucks in away from Marty [Brodeur] and try to get a forecheck and hold onto some pucks and get some shots on net,” the Rangers captain said. “It’s all about raising our level and that will create more offense.”
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One day after Mike Rupp threw a rogue left-hand punch to Brodeur in the Devils’ 4-1, Game 4 win at the Prudential Center, Rupp addressed the situation for the first time.
“It’s a hockey game and sometimes things happen in the moment,” Rupp said. “I’m just focused on this game tomorrow and we need to win on home ice.”
Rupp said he had not watched replays of the incident, which came 6:18 into the third period with the Devils up 3-0 and Rupp having just been called for roughing on a hit on Peter Harrold.
Rupp, the former Devil and teammates of Brodeur’s, said he was surprised he was called for a penalty on the Harrold hit, and that he is moving past the subject now.
“That’s not the storyline in this locker room,” Rupp said. “It’s all about playing the best in this series and we have a step in front of us to do that tomorrow.”
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Brandon Dubinsky and Mats Zuccarello both skated with the team on Tuesday in what was a full practice. There was no update the status of either of them – Tortorella saying he had not talked to the training staff – but Dubinsky said he’s “feeling better every day.”
Dubinsky had been out since Game 7 of the first round against the Senators with a right leg/foot injury, while Zuccarello has been out for seven weeks with a broken left wrist. They both participated in the spirited practice without any glaring restrictions.