Getting Nashty With It: Rick Nash beats Anton Khudobin in the shootout.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

At least the losing streak is over. That’s my half-gallows approach to last night’s Rangers ugly 2-1 shootout win over the lowly Hurricanes. After suffering humiliations to Toronto and the Islanders, they found a way to win for the first time on home ice. Albeit a game that many of our fans called “boring,” and “good nap time.”

I was out working but caught the skill competition with my brother at Applebee’s in Tottenville while watching the Jets latest debacle. Rick Nash scored on a wonderful forehand deke faking Anton Khubobin out of his jock strap. Then Henrik Lundqvist stopped a third consecutive Carolina shot by denying Ryan Murphy and pumping his fist in celebration.

”I think we needed to feel we could play a solid, 60-minute game,” said Lundqvist after stopping 29 of 30 shots. ”You need every point you can get. Just because we had a great comeback (from early-season doldrums) last year, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen this year. We need to … stay in the (playoff) race from the get-go.”

Of course, he’s right. Even if it was dull hockey and the team turned over the puck a lot (20 giveaways), they needed to get two points. Especially with the Islanders remaining the only undefeated team, the Devils taking it on the chin to Washington and the Pens and Jackets remaining strong. If you can’t beat depleted Carolina without both Staal brothers sans Marc, who was re-teamed with Kevin Klein by desperate coach Alain Vigneault, then you have issues. If you give away the puck as much as they did, they still have some work to do before Sunday’s final home game versus San Jose before visits to the Devils and Canadiens next week.

After two periods, the Rangers trailed 1-0 on a Chris Terry neat redirection of a Murphy shot. As I checked Twitter, there was plenty of concern. Even this early, our fans are in panic mode. They see a struggling team that hasn’t gelled. Still without Dan Boyle and Derek Stepan, it’s forced Vigneault to make changes. Despite 19-year old rookie Anthony Duclair drawing two penalties, he only took one shift in the third period on the fourth line. Instead, Vigneault moved Ryan Malone up to a line with Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. The move worked with Brassard scoring on a double deflection of a Dan Girardi point shot to tie the game. Both Zuccarello and Brassard got a piece of it with the latter getting credit for his third goal in three games.

”I was looking to find nine guys that I felt could give us a little spark,” Vigneault said. ”I wanted to see what Malone could do a little bit more there with Brassard and Zucarello. (Chris Kreider) was fighting it a bit, so I was just trying to find nine guys that could give me a little more there.”

”Sometimes you just got to shuffle the deck a little bit,” Vigneault added. ”Took (Martin St. Louis) away from the center position there, tried a few different combinations, sometimes you just got to see what can happen, and see what might click.”

One might ask what Duclair did wrong? Nothing. Even if I disagree with sitting one of our most dangerous forwards, it worked. With Vigneault finally souring on St. Louis at center, it looks like he’ll shift back to right wing which means the team had to make room for another center. Not surprisingly, they sent Jesper Fast and J.T. Miller down to Hartord and recalled Chris Mueller. With the Rangers getting destroyed on faceoffs (44-23), it makes sense. Plus Fast and Miller weren’t playing. Even if I don’t know exactly what the plan is with Fast, he’s better off. Plus Miller needs it after looking lost.

The one other change was Matt Hunwick replacing Michael Kostka on the blueline. He received 14 shifts (10:07 TOI) and was on for Carolina’s goal. What did Vigneault do? Played new captain Ryan McDonagh a ton. He and Girardi saw 34 shifts with Mac Truck logging 30:19 to Danny G’s 27:24. That included plenty of power play duty where the team continued to baffle firing blanks in five chances. They have yet to score on it. Sound familiar?

At this point, they’re 2-3-0 without a single point from McDonagh or a single goal from St. Louis. Carl Hagelin is also without a point and minus-five. Even Kreider has disappointed with only one goal over the first five. Sure. He has three assists but he passes too much. This is a guy with immense talent. It wouldn’t hurt to shoot more. The team must play a lot better. The next three aren’t easy. We’ll get a better answer next week.