It’s a busy Turkey Eve in the NHL. There are 13 games tonight with 26 teams in action. That includes all four Battle Of New York teams. The Sabres play host to the Canadiens while the Devils are at The Rock for the Hurricanes in a home and home that concludes Friday in Raleigh. The Islanders look to snap a three-game losing skid when they host the Jets at Nassau Coliseum. Those three games all go off at 7 EST.

Meanwhile, the Rangers continue their five-game road trip with a visit at the Panthers in Sunrise. They’re looking to avoid a two-game losing streak following a disappointing effort that resulted in a 5-0 shutout defeat at the Lightning. It was so uninspiring that Alain Vigneault went out of his way to critique a listless performance referencing how they watched Martin St. Louis. The former Hart winner put on a show scoring twice and setting up another after being honored for playing in his 1,000th game. When the soft spoken coach calls it “a St. Louis love fest,” that’s not a ringing endorsement. Neither are the team’s offensive struggles. They’ve been shutout five times and been held to two goals or less in 15 of their 24 games. A point not lost on Vigneault.

“(Monday night’s 5-0 loss to the Lightning) was our 24th game, and in 15 of  those games we’ve scored two goals or less,” Vigneault told Daily News reporter Pat Leonard following yesterday’s practice. “That’s a pretty good chunk if you want a segment that tells  you what you have. There’s a chunk there that tells us we’re not scoring a lot.  Maybe we’ve got to play even tighter to the vest than we are and go into games  with that mentality of (trying to win) 2-1.”

At basically the quarter mark, the offensive-minded coach is already hinting at playing a more defensive style similar to former coach John Tortorella. That’s disturbing. When he was here, he tried a higher tempo but rebuffed after seeing mixed results where the D was getting caught. Similar results have the Blueshirts a mediocre 12-12-0 sitting in third place of the Metro a point ahead of the Devils. Brad Richards also came away frustrated following Monday’s loss, referencing missed scoring chances.

Taylor Pyatt returns to the lineup tonight. Hopefully, it’s for Benoit Pouliot or we have a problem. Like many Ranger bloggers, I’ve complained about Vigneault’s faith in Pyatt. But one thing you can’t question is his effort. Something you can’t say for Pouliot, who looks like another Glen Sather mistake. At least it’s only for a year. With Pyatt healthy, the Rangers finally sent down J.T. Miller. He was a healthy scratch four straight games and had just a goal and assist since his recall. Dwindling ice-time and not playing wasn’t helping his development.

“You always wonder where a guy can fit in,” Vigneault said. “Can he fit in your  top-six or top-nine or your bottom-six? And with J.T., I haven’t figured out yet  what exactly he is. Is he a top-six forward? Is he a top-nine or is he a third-  or fourth-line player? He’s a young player who has a tremendous amount of  upside. How that is going to unfold and how that is going to develop, we’re not  quite sure. I am sure about one thing, though: You can’t develop if you don’t play.”

I fail to understand why they didn’t make this move before last weekend so he could play for Hartford. As it turned out, they would’ve been better off keeping Brandon Mashinter up. With this organization, you never know what the thought process is. The Wolf Pack have been struggling mightily and definitely could’ve used Miller recently when they were getting shutout four times.

In any event, it doesn’t impact what happens with the big club. It’s up to some of the established players to start producing. Ryan Callahan has slumped with one assist and an uncharacteristic minus-four rating over his last five. He’s also taken a couple of undisciplined penalties where he wasn’t moving his feet. It caused Vigneault to drop him off the Richards line. He finished the other night with Derick Brassard. Probably the most mystifying player on the roster. With just nine points (4-5-9), it’s not the production they’re expecting. With Rick Nash healthy and the lineup deeper, he must pick it up.

Carl Hagelin has also predictably slowed down. He’s not a point-per-game type. Chris Kreider has played well but must find the back of the net more regularly. Three goals in 17 games isn’t enough. Mats Zuccarello has two. Goal scoring is an issue. In order for them to turn it around offensively, they all must do a better job finishing. Brian Boyle isn’t a goal scorer. He has one goal so far. Even he can chip in more.

Good offense can start from the blueline. Outside of Ryan McDonagh, no one else has produced. The clock is ticking on Mike Del Zotto. John Moore has shown flashes but is tied with Del Zotto and Dan Girardi with four points. The combination of Marc Staal and Anton Stralman are being used as a shutdown pair. Unfortunately, Staal’s play has suffered. He was beaten badly by St. Louis. With just two goals and a helper, that isn’t enough production to merit his inconsistency. Stralman has been steady defensively. But two assists isn’t enough. In the past, he’s shown an ability to contribute.

Overall, this roster isn’t as talented as the one Vigneault had in Vancouver. There are no Sedins, Kesler or offensive type defensemen such as Jason Garrison that can aid the offense. Maybe he didn’t know what he was getting into. For years, the Rangers have lacked a true offensive D who can control the power play and carry the puck. Del Zotto is their most talented but remains an enigma. Will they give up on him? It’s hard to say. What kind of value does a struggling young defenseman have? I’d rather see Vigneault give him added responsibility and see if he responds. When Staal went down the last two seasons, Del Zotto elevated his level.

As far as Henrik Lundqvist, there’s nothing to discuss. He had a dreadful night. Move on. I probably would’ve started Cam Talbot tonight and saved Hank for Boston. I’m guessing Vigneault didn’t want the media asking more silly questions. So, he’s going back to Lundqvist and expecting a money performance. There’s no goalie controversy. In fact, it’s a big plus to have two good goalies. Especially in an Olympic year.

The real dilemma is what Vigneault can do with the roster. He must get more out of our core. There’s no reason they can’t score more with everyone healthy. Contrary to popular belief, there’s enough depth to have three capable scoring lines. Tortorella accomplished it with Brassard. AV wanted the challenge. We’ll see if he can get it turned around.