The biggest news from practice today was that Henrik Lundqvist (shoulder) participated in full and said this about his status for Game 3 (via Bergen Record)...

“I landed on the ice awkwardly and hurt it a little bit. It’s under control. Everybody’s sore. It’s the playoffs. You can’t sit out (because) it’s hurting a little bit. it happens and you just have to make sure you do the right things to keep it good.”

...and that sound you hear is the collective sigh of relief from every Rangers fan.

...even an injured Lundqvist is better than 3/4 of the goaltenders in the league, so this is great news.

Also on the injury front Marc Staal (eye) and Darroll Powe (concussion) skated with the taxi squad after practice.

...Torts went with the panic move of going to Staal after getting down 0-2 to the Caps, but I don't seeing him going back to that well this time around.

In another piece of good news, the woefully inept defensive pairing of Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto were split up during practice today as Girardi was back on the top duo with Ryan McDonagh.

...if this move surprises anyone, you didn't watch the game yesterday.

Meanwhile, Carl Hagelin responded to John Tortorella assertion that he stinks on the power play...

When you're up against a team as physical and as deep as the Bruins, you'd like to have all hands on deck.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, two guys they couldn't afford to not have in the line-up for this series are sidelined indefinitely.

The absence of Marc Staal and Ryane Clowe in this series has been obvious.

Their big bodies and toughness is sorely needed. Way too often I'm watching the Bruins bullying the Rangers with no response.

Think about having Clowe out there to match Milan Lucic's nasty, grinding style and challenge him when needed. Or Marc Staal being paired with Dan Girardi to form a shutdown pair that wouldn't allow players like Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell to roam free in front of the net. Plus it would allow John Tortorella to cut Michael Del Zotto's minutes.

I also think they would have been able to help the Rangers anemic power play. Staal's puck moving ability is sorely needed on the man advantage as the Rangers are having issues even gaining the Bruins zone, while Clowe's willingness to go to the front of the net and cause havoc could do wonders for a team allergic to the blue paint in the crease.

I know, not another 'the power play sucks' blog post, but when the Rangers are 2-for-36 with the man advantage, that kind of futility just can't be ignored.

Were they better yesterday? Sure. But when you're in the playoffs moral victories mean nothing to me.

This abomination of a power play is killing the Rangers in this series. Every team in the NHL gains momentum through the power play, but somehow the the Blueshirts lose it. So many times yesterday and in Game 1 they had a golden opportunity to grab hold of the game or get back into it and nothing but frustration.

A lot of the blame can be placed at the feet of John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan as it's their strategies and game plans on the power play that are failing so mightily. But at some point the finger has to be pointed at the players.

It's not like Tortorella is telling them don't get to the front of the net, make sure you're standing still and take as weak of a shot from the point as you can.

Rick Nash agrees that it's time for the players to step up  (via Daily News)...

Dan Rosen at NHL.com reports that Henrik Lundqvist said he experienced some discomfort in his left shoulder after making a save on Daniel Paille with 4:52 remaining in the third period during yesterday's 5-2 loss to the Bruins in Game 2.

"It's my shoulder, we'll see. We'll take a look at it."

...well that's not exactly what I wanted to hear this morning. The fact that he was able to finish up the game and Jim Ramsey never came out to check him has me at least a little optimistic.

...if Lundqvist isn't able to go in Game 3, this team is obviously finished. With Lundqvist not at the top of his game so far in this series, the Rangers have been exposed as the mediocre team that they are. He covers up for a ton of defensive miscues and giveaways on a gamely basis, so when he plays like a mere mortal this team has no chance. And no offense to Biron, but he can't be the eraser Lundqvist is.

...besides the shoulder injury, Lundqvist looks run down and tired in this series. He's just not as crisp as he normally is. I guess 23 straight starts will do that.

For more on Lundqvist, check out the New York Post and Daily News.

Here's post game video of Lundqvist, which includes him flexing his sore shoulder...

Bergen Record - Rangers fall to Bruins, 5-2, drop first two games of series

Bergen Record - Dan Girardi has rough night on defense for Rangers

New York Post - Blueshirts again in 2-0 hole after B’s wax Lundqvist

New York Post - Nash finally shows off some playoff flash

Daily News - Rangers dig another hole for themselves against Bruins

Daily News - Nash nets first in playoffs, but prefers a win

New York Times - Breakdowns Leave Rangers Reeling

Wall Street Journal - Rangers Dig Themselves Another Hole

Newsday - Rangers fall to Bruins, face 2-0 deficit again

Newsday - Girardi on ice for all five Bruins goals

Newsday - Rangers' 0-2 hole seems larger this round

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The best thing we can say about the ugly game we just witnessed is that it's over. Going back to New York down 2-0 in the series is not shocking or even completely unacceptable. What is shocking and unacceptable is how the Rangers, a few select players notwithstanding, completely failed to show up in an absolutely crucial game. The Bruins are a very good team, but the Rangers are right there with them. But for whatever reason they weren't today. The Bruins were superior in virtually every facet today. Their forechecking was better. Their defensemen were better than ours in all three zones. Their forwards were making more noise in the slot than ours were. Hell, though Lundqvist is far from the cause of this losing effort, there's a pretty good case to be made that Rask was the better goaltender tonight.

The good news is, as we learned against Washington, if you take care of business at home then you only need one win on the road. But being down 2-0 against the Capitals feels very different from this 2-0 deficit. The Capitals were an exploitable team and the Rangers seemed like a team that just needed a couple of adjustments and a few favorable bounces to turn the tide. This series is not a lost cause, but it's going to require a major shift in attitude to make anything of it. Let's review today's game.

The New York Rangers visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals match-up starting at 3:00 p.m. The Bruins lead the series 1-0. For a preview go to Yahoo! Sports.

Rangers Game Notes

TV: NBC; Radio: ESPN Radio (970 FM)

Live Stream (Don't click on ads in stream, may download virus):
http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/187497/1/watch-new-york-rangers-vs-boston-bruins.html

Probable Lines:
Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan
Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello
Pyatt-Boyle-Dorsett
Asham-Richards-Kreider

Del Zotto-Girardi
McDonagh-Stralman
Eminger-Moore

Goaltenders:
Henrik Lundqvist - 4-4, 1.76 gaa, .945 sv%, 2 so.

Tuukka Rask - 5-3, 2.36 gaa, .926 sv%, 0 so

Opponent Notes:
- David Krejci leads the Bruins with 5g, 9a in the playoffs.

Fitting shirt from my boys over at We Bleed Blue. To purchase one, click here.

Here's a couple of other Rangers/Bruins nuggets to get you fired up this afternoon...

...man, Torts really hammered Hagelin in this interview. Not sure saying a young player "stinks on the power play" is such a good way to continue developing him. What happened to Torts "leaving it in the room"? Hope he had a conversation with Hags afterward about his comments.

...as far as Hagelin getting on the power, he may stink, but so does everyone else, so why not?

Here's more video from the players yesterday...

Larry Brooks at the New York Post speculates that the Rangers are likely to pursue Capitals UFA Matt Hendricks this summer.

Brooks adds that the 32-year old Hendricks is a "jagged-edged center" who kills penalties and fits the "Black-and-Blueshirt" mold.

Hendricks, who was being paid $825,000 per, had 5g, 3a and was a -6 last season. He was also a 57% faceoff man during the regular season, however, that dipped to 40% in the Capitals series against the Rangers in which he also went scoreless.

...an older depth player, who doesn't score, is good on the penalty kill and can win faceoffs? Sounds like exactly what we heard about Jeff Halpern. How'd that work out?

...also just looking at the Rangers free agency situation, there really isn't any room for Hendricks on the roster, unless Sather makes a trade this offseason. Fourth liners such as Powe, Asham, Newbury, Boyle and Pyatt are all under contract next season. The only free agents the Rangers have are Clowe, Stepan, Hagelin and Zuccarello. And while I expect all three of the younger Rangers back, if the Rangers decide to pass on Clowe, I don't see Hendricks as a suitable replacement.