...great point by Torts bringing up the fact that it was a big win considering the Rangers recent travel. First game at home after a long road trip is always tough.

Players...

Bergen Record - Rangers beat Leafs in shootout, 3-2, to gain valuable points in playoff race

Bergen Record - Rangers' Marc Staal at morning skate

New York Post - Rangers earn key win over Leafs

New York Post - Mats makes rare scoring opportunity count

Daily News - Zuccarello answers Tortorella's call, giving Rangers shootout win over Maple Leafs

New York Times - Shootout Specialist Comes Through for Rangers

Newsday - Zuccarello, Lundqvist lift Rangers in shootout

Newsday - Staal takes step forward in practice

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The New York Rangers (20-16-4) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs (22-13-5) by the score of 3-2 in a shootout, tonight. For a box score go to Yahoo! Sports.

...so that game took 10 years off my life. I cannot understand how this team can come out with so little emotion and passion in such a big game. Sadly it was way too reminiscent of earlier this season. But got to give them credit for hanging in there and slowly changing the momentum back in their favor and picking up two titanic points.

...and how did the momentum begin to change? With a fight. I find it baffling that so many fans still refuse to admit that fighting can be such a huge part of the game and turn the outcome the way it did tonight. Big props to Clowe for knowing the team needed a spark. The Rangers didn't have someone who could do that pre-trade deadline.

...also helps to have Lundqvist back there. These last two weeks, he has put the team on his back and put them in position to get back into the post-season.

...McDonagh doing his best "Irish Jig" at the blueline before scoring his fourth goal of the season. Didn't know he had moves like that.

...Zuccarello earned a ton of respect in my book tonight as he didn't back down from Phaneuf once. Heck, he even went after Phaneuf and called him "another way to call a cat a kitten" after the Toronto defenseman high sticked him in the face.

...i was dizzy by the end of the game after all those line changes. The new guys must be like, "what the hell is this guy Torts doing?"

...even I couldn't find a way to blame Del Zotto for Girardi failing to keep the puck in the zone leading to Toronto's tying goal.

The New York Rangers (19-16-4) host the Toronto Maple Leafs (22-13-4) at Madison Square Garden starting at 7:00 p.m. For a preview go to Yahoo! Sports.

Rangers Game Notes

TV: MSG; Radio: ESPN Radio (98.7 FM), XM 92

Live Stream (Don't click on ads in stream, may download virus):
http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/180056/1/watch-new-york-rangers-vs-toronto-maple-leafs.html

Probable Lines:
Nash-Stepan-Callahan
Clowe-Richards-Zuccarello
Hagelin-Brassard- Boyle
Pyatt-Powe-Asham

McDonagh-Stralman
Del Zotto-Girardi
Moore-Eminger

Goaltenders:
Henrik Lundqvist - 17-14-3, 2.13 gaa, .926 sv%, 0 so.

Katie Strang at ESPN.com reports that after skating for a third straight day, Marc Staal says that while his peripheral vision is fine, his eyesight is still blurry and he needs to work on depth perception for reads on plays in tight.

Strang also notes that Staal also found it helpful reaching out to Dany Heatley, Colin White and Manny Malhotra, who each suffered similar eye injuries.

...i know Berard played with blurred vision, but I'm not so sure the Rangers should take a chance by just throwing him in there unless he's 100% comfortable and confident playing while visually impaired.

...maybe Staal can bring Del Zotto along when he works on his depth perception.

According to Andrew Gross at the Bergen Record, the Rangers organization was offended during Monday night’s first intermission at the Air Canada Centre when a video clip of Maple Leafs D Dion Phaneuf’s concussion-inducing hit on Michael Sauer was shown on the scoreboard.

Apparently, before the hit was shown, the segment host, in a Maple Leafs’ jersey, asked the Air Canada Centre crowd whether it wanted to see a particularly good hit by Phaneuf.

...absolutely disgusting. Good to know the Maple Leafs organization feels showing clips of players receiving career ending hits is the way they pump-up the crowd. Talk about poor taste. Showing that clip has put shame on the Leafs entire organization. Not that there isn't already after missing the playoffs nine straight seasons. Appalling.

...i hope the Rangers use this as extra motivation to pound the Leafs into the Garden ice tonight.

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The players...

To watch videos at Blueshirts United, click here.

...with the Islanders, Washington and Winnipeg winning last night, sort of a big game for the Rangers tonight.

So, apparently while I was renovating my bathroom there was some Rangers news. None bigger than Marc Staal reporting that he has begun skating for the first time since being sidelined by a puck to the eye on March 5th.

Staal, who took the ice for the first time yesterday and again today, said this about the injury (via Blueshirts United)...

"The first night the eye looked good, I didn't need surgery, so that was good. Every week or so from there the vision would clear up and get better, so that was encouraging. It's been tough, though. That first week was pretty scary, I don't think my wife slept the first four nights wiping blood off my eye and off my face."

Staal's vision is still not back to 100% and he does not have a timetable for a return.

Here's Staal's full interview...

The NHL announced Sunday that they have rescheduled the lockout canceled Winter Classic in Ann Arbor between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs for New Years Day 2014.

Now, there are reports out of Los Angeles (H/T to Pro Hockey Talk) that the NHL will hold two more outdoor games next January. One at Dodger Stadium and the other at Yankee Stadium.

The Kings and Ducks will reportedly play at Chavez Ravine on January 25th, while the Yankee Stadium game will be scheduled for January 26th. No teams have been connected to that game.

...the NHL has been drooling over a Yankee Stadium Winter Classic since its inception and it looks like they don't have the patience to wait for the stadium's contract with the "Pinstripe Bowl" to run out before scheduling an outdoor game there. Got to assume the Rangers will be one of the teams involved, but no idea who the second would be. If the Islanders can qualify for the playoffs this season that could be a huge feather in their cap.

...and apparently no one has filled Bettman in on the cluster eff that was the Rangers/Kings preseason outdoor game in Las Vegas. Not sure how in the world the NHL plans on keeping the ice intact in LA.

Las Vegas game video...

Jesper Fast missed his second straight game due to a lower body injury Sunday night, as the CT Whale lost to the Providence Bruins 1-0.

...sort of an inauspicious start to Fast's pro career. Let's hope this doesn't become a trend as sadly Fast has had issues staying healthy in the past, including a gruesome foot injury last season and a shoulder issue earlier this year.

Chris Kreider was held scoreless after he was stopped on a breakaway attempt.

It wasn't all bad for the CT Whale as Dylan McIlrath did this...