Zuccarello’s hat trick no treat for visitors
NEW YORK— Lou Lamoriello was surrounded by the New York media, who also had covered him during his time running the New Jersey Devils, in his first trip to Madison Square Garden as general manager of the Maple Leafs. And he spoke without irony. “Toronto is Toronto, that is hockey,” said Lamoriello. “I don’t apologize for saying it: Toronto should be the Yankees of the NHL. Some people might get upset about it. I can’t help that. That’s my feeling.”
Think what you will about the Yankees, given it’s the cross-town Mets who are in the World Series. But the Maple Leafs — to many the most important team in the NHL with its biggest and most influential fan-base — are trying to build a team that will always matter in the standings.
The Maple Leafs took their rebuilding road show to Broadway, and it fell flat.
Mats Zuccarello scored all three goals, the last into an empty net, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped just about everything the Leafs fired as the New York Rangers skated to a 3-1victory, their sixth straight game with at least a point.
Joffrey Lupul scored late in the third but the Leafs continue to struggle in the winloss column, dropping to 1-6-2. And there’s no time to rest, as they face Phil Kessel and the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night at the ACC.
“We poured it on in the third period, it was a close game, but no one is happy about it,” said Lupul. “We’re not getting on the bus saying, ‘Oh, we played pretty good.’ ”
Lamoriello refused to let the team’s losing ways get to him, calling these “early days” in the process.
“We know there’s a plan and a process and along that way there’s going to be maybe some tough sledding,” said Lamoriello. “When there’s tough sledding, and you really don’t have that strong foundation yet, it’s more difficult. “You have to get a foundation.” The Leafs made some roster changes, hoping it might add a spark.
Centre Tyler Bozak and defenceman Jake Gardiner returned from undisclosed injuries, adding some depth, while just-signed Richard Clune saw regular action on the fourth line.
The Leafs did a lot of small things right: they were good on faceoffs, winning 60 per cent of draws. Bozak and Byron Froese each won 12 of 16.
After a slow start, they got some pucks at the Rangers net.
“All in all, we did a lot of good things — it’s hard to say that to the guys. You have to find ways to win games,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock afterward. “Frustration is an absolute waste of time. I don’t know why you get frustrated. You just come in tomorrow and get better.”
Goaltending is the Rangers’ big strength.
New York may be the second-best Original Six team of the salary cap era after the Chicago Blackhawks, who’ve won the Stanley Cup twice in the past six years.
The Rangers have been to the Cup final once in the cap era and have missed the playoffs only one season since 2005.
The biggest difference between the Leafs and Rangers in that time was probably goaltending.
The Rangers have had Lundqvist in net as their undisputed No. 1 goalie since 2005 while the Leafs have gone through a dozen wannabes in that time.
“Any team that is being successful and winning games are doing it because they’re getting solid goaltending,” said Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.
“You can’t win in this league if you don’t get goaltending.
“Any team that expects to win, you need goaltending. That’s just part of the NHL today.”