Rangers Stay in Playoff Hunt With Comeback Win

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Led by their skilled players they count on to lead, the New York Rangers managed to stay in the playoff race and overcome a 2-0 lead to beat the Islanders, 4-3, on Tuesday night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Second period goals by veteran forwards Vinny Prospal, Olli Jokinen and Marian Gaborik, and an early third period tally by defenseman Marc Staal, were the difference. With the Bruins winning in New Jersey in overtime on Tuesday, the Rangers remain four points behind eighth place Boston for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. (Atlanta won in Toronto to stay two points back of Boston).

The Rangers have six games left, beginning Friday in Tampa Bay. "We didn't get any help tonight," said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, "but hopefully we will down the road -- and take care of our own business."

Of Jokinen, Gaborik and Prospal, Rangers coach John Tortorella said, "It was a matter of our top guys accepting responsibility to help us win."

It wasn't easy, as the Rangers came out looking disorganized. A bad D-tandem change resulted in a too-many-men penalty and power play goal by Islanders defenseman Mark Streit 2:09 into the game. Manning the point, Streit's slap shot struck Lundqvist in the arm before sailing into his goal for a 1-0 lead. Lundqvist flubbed a wrist shot by Blake Comeau exactly ten minutes later to put his team down by two goals early.


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Playing a crucial game against their crosstown rivals, the Rangers had four shots on goal in the first period. However, they took advantage of the first intermission breather.

"The Islanders came hard at us, forechecked us like crazy," said Rangers veteran defenseman Wade Redden. "We took the time to find some answers."

Added Staal: "I thought we did a good job after the first period staying calm and working on the aspects of the game we needed to get back in it."

Prospal blew a wrist shot by Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson just 1:14 into the second. "Huge," said Tortorella. "The most important play in the game was getting our first goal before they got their third."

After the Rangers killed off a 5-on-3 disadvantage, Jokinen scored an unassisted goal at 12:57, assisted by the broken composite stick of Kyle Okposo. When the Islanders forward was unable to play the puck ten feet in front of his goal, Jokinen sailed a wrister by Roloson to tie the game.

With three minutes left in the second, hard work by Aaron Voros behind the Islanders' net set up a wrister by Marian Gaborik to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. "[Voros] has had the hell kicked out of him by me for a year and a half," said Tortorella. "And the guy still plays well every time I put him back in the lineup."

Gaborik's game-tying goal was his 40th of the season. "Nice round number," he said with a smile. "More important that it was a big goal for us."

Staal's goal five minutes into the third period came in handy when Comeau scored his second goal of the game at 13:27. "I've had my chances," said the Rangers' standout young defenseman. "It was nice to put one home." Said Tortorella: "Staal's just gotta hit the net more."

Without feisty forwards Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery, the Rangers showed some grit rallying to beat one of their biggest rivals.

"We responded well," said Lundqvist. "We had to."

"We had the urgency," said Gaborik, before his team left for a flight to Tampa Bay. "This was like a playoff game. It was an unbelievable team effort."