When Henrik Lundqvist was ruled out of action for an indefinite period a few days after taking that puck to the throat on Jan. 31, the Rangers pledged that they would tighten up their game in front of Cam Talbot.
Two weeks and eight games later, the Blueshirts have miles to go and a promise still to keep to the backup goaltender who has become the No. 1 in the King's absence.
And a promise to keep to themselves in the wake of Thursday's 5-4 shootout defeat at the Garden to the Canucks on a night on which decision-making and support in the defensive zone were deficient … in much the same manner as in Monday's 6-5 victory on the Island and across significant stretches of previous games last week in Toronto and Colorado, if not Arizona, as well.
"Before this game, we talked in here about tightening up in our end," Dan Girardi told The Post. "Over the last stretch we've averaged 18 or 19 scoring chances against, which is definitely too high.
"When we're at our best, we're under 15 against," said No. 5. "We've got to make sure we execute and be good in front and win our battles."
Talbot became the first Ranger goaltender other than Lundqvist to start eight straight games since Mike Dunham went nine straight in January 2004. It is unknown whether No. 33 will make it nine on Friday when the Blueshirts face the sad-sack Sabres, as coach Alain Vigneault declined to name a starter when asked following the match.
"I'm good to go," Talbot, who hadn't started three straight in the NHL before this stretch, told The Post. "Definitely."
But with Columbus at the Garden on Sunday completing the three-games-in-four-nights scenario, the Blueshirts may turn to 20-year-old Mackenzie Skapski against Buffalo. Skapski, a first-year pro no one ever dreamed would play an NHL game this season, became the AHL Wolf Pack's starter when veteran Cedric Desjardins went down with a torn ACL in mid-December.
Maybe playing in front of Skapski will be motivation for the Rangers to tighten up, because pucks have been coming at Talbot in frightening numbers and from alarmingly good ice.
The goaltender isn't entirely blameless, though. There have been far too many meaty rebounds and way too many puck-handling gaffes. Simple and economical are best for Talbot, who too often has been all over the place while his team scrambles in front of him.
If Cam Talbot plays Friday, it would be his ninth consecutive start since replacing the injured Henrik Lundqvist.Photo: Getty Images
Talbot is 5-1-2 in his eight straight starts, and the record is paramount, but the goals-against is 3.10 and the save percentage is only .894. Obviously, it's a small sample size whose results can be skewed by one or two bad ones, but still, Talbot and the Rangers have allowed three goals or more in six of the past eight matches.
The Rangers have been able to get away with a lot of careless plays through this stretch. They even got away with a point in this one despite yielding the lead with 2:00 to play in regulation. They were a step behind and a thought behind much of the night even though they were only behind for one brief stretch of 1:05 that came early in the third period.
How to explain the fact the Blueshirts allowed the Canucks to possess the puck for 40 seconds on a delayed penalty early in the third period? How to explain that the Rangers spent 1:35 of the 1:41 immediately preceding the game-tying goal in their own end of the ice?
Here's the explanation: a lack of communication and a lack of puck support.
The Rangers' now concluded winning streak was stoked by an avalanche of goals, 22 in four games that featured 11 in the third period. Four goals against Vancouver should have been enough. As Talbot said, "Four goals should be enough most nights, and that's on me. I have to come up with a way to make an extra save."
Lundqvist is going to be out for at least a few more weeks. There is no way for even the best medical minds to know. So the Blueshirts are likely no more than halfway through this extended period in which they must make do without their most important player.
If Skapski plays in Buffalo and can't handle it, and/or if Talbot continues to yield three or four goals a game, general manager Glen Sather may be forced to make a move for a veteran journeyman to become the interim backup. But that use of the club's limited and precious cap space might prevent the Blueshirts from strengthening the third pair on defense and/or the group of bottom-six forwards.
Better off for the Rangers that they keep their promise to tighten up in front of Talbot.
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