New York is the focus John Tortorella fumes as New York Rangers can't muster offense in 2-1 loss to ...

New York

BY Michael Obernauer

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Originally Published:Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 10:21 PM

Updated: Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 10:21 PM

Dwayne Roloson accused his Islanders earlier in the week of mailing in an effort because they were looking ahead to playing the Rangers. So what exactly were the Rangers looking ahead to Wednesday night, Christmas dinner? Or was it golf in April?

Thirty-three games into the season, the Rangers are on the fast track to oblivion, and they greased the wheels Wednesday night at the Garden in a punchless, passionless and ultimately pointless endeavor, a 2-1 loss to the Islanders in the opener of a pivotal home-and-home between the archrivals. The Rangers lost for the fifth consecutive time and the eighth time in nine games (1-6-2), and if they haven't yet hit rock bottom, there is always the chance of sinking even lower tonight when these teams get together again at the Coliseum.

John Tortorella, fuming after the game, unleashed a profanity-laced tirade over the Rangers' effort and seemed to promise changes for tonight's rematch.

"There has to be something done, and we'll see along the way here, before tomorrow night's game, we'll see where we go with it," Tortorella said. "It's just simply unacceptable how we start that game. And I wish I could give you a ----ing explanation about it; I can't."

Asked what could be done differently tonight, Tortorella said: "Play ----ing harder."

That's about what the Islanders felt they had done following a 7-1 loss to Florida. Roloson made 25 saves last night and came within 55 seconds of his first shutout this season before Enver Lisin's tap-in broke it up with Henrik Lundqvist on the bench. That averted the Rangers' first blanking of the year, even as the goals have come like drips from a busted sink: this was the 17th time in their last 21games that the Rangers have failed to reach three goals, and the 10th time in that span that they have failed to reach two. Technically, Lisin's was the Rangers' first even-strength goal in a span of 231:55, even though it came six skaters against five. "It's unacceptable," said Lundqvist, who gave the Rangers a chance to steal a point. "We're in a really tough spot here, we have to realize that. To play like that in the first period, unacceptable. We all have to look in the mirror right now and see what can we do better to help this team. Because we're not doing enough right now."

Lundqvist, who has started 14 of 15, needs a rest at some point, but can Tortorella gamble on throwing Chad Johnson into this fire tonight for his NHL debut? Shots were 10-1 Isles after 17minutes had been suffered by the grumbling Garden crowd, with the visitors taking the lead for good at 14:25 when the Rangers only hinted at trying to retrieve Mark Streit's red-line dump-in. Wayne Redden's bullfighter defense in behind let Jack Hillen come around the net and fling the puck to the front, where it squirted into the air off Jon Sim's stick and knee, then off Redden's back and over Lundqvist's head. "It's horse---- coverage around the corners, he just brings it around the net; it's just a fluky goal," Tortorella said - and the kind of goal "that we don't get."

Sean Avery was perhaps the only Ranger with much pulse in the early going, but he was a spectator late in the third when Blake Comeau could have cruised a Zamboni in between him and Michael Del Zotto to pot the rebound of Matt Moulson's dump-in slap shot with 3:10 to play. That goal turned out to be the game-winner.

"Home rink against the Islanders, there's no excuse," said Marc Staal. "It's embarrassing."