Pavelec makes debut, first start may be on hold

TORONTO — The Rangers couldn’t even get through the first weekend of the season without having their best-laid plans spoiled.

It would have been too easy for backup goalie Ondrej Pavelec just to waltz into his first regular-season action as a Ranger with his first scheduled start Sunday night at the Garden against the Canadiens. Instead, Pavelec was forced into relief duty, taking over to start the second period in his team’s 8-5 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre.

Pavelec came in to replace Henrik Lundqvist, who gave up five goals on 17 shots in the first period, dropping his team into a 5-1 hole at one point. Pavelec stopped all 11 shots he faced in the second period to allow his team to come back to tie it 5-5. But with a dis- jointed third period in front of him, Pavelec finished with 21 saves on 24 shots.

Although it’s likely Pavelec still gets the nod against the Montreal, it’s far from a certainty. Coach Alain Vigneault said he needed to consult with goalies coach Benoit Allaire before making a decision.

“I’m going to talk to him right now,” Vigneault said, “and you guys [in the media] will find out [Sunday].”

Pavelec, 30, signed a oneyear, $1.3 million deal as a free agent this offseason and follows in the steps of two backups who have gone on to be starters — Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta.

With his team down 5-2 after the first period, Vigneault made large-scale changes to his combina- tions. J.T. Miller went from wing to center, put between Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello.

That was where 18-yearold rookie Filip Chytil was, but Chytil got just two shifts (on the wing) in the second period and none in the third, finishing with 4:59 of ice time.

Chytil now has played two of his nine games allowed before the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in.

Marc Staal was bumped up to the first defensive pair, with captain Ryan McDonagh moving to the right. Anthony DeAngelo, who had an awful turnover resulting in the Maple Leafs’ second goal, went with Brendan Smith while Brady Skjei went with Kevin Shattenkirk.

For the first time since being named alternate captain, Zuccarello wore an “A” on his sweater.