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Straka, Hossa lead Rangers over Blackhawks

Feb 19, 2007 - 1:21 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Embarrassment proved to be a great motivator for the New York Rangers.

Martin Straka and Marcel Hossa scored first-period goals to lift the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Coming off a humbling 5-3 loss to the league-worst Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, New York played crisply throughout despite being without Brendan Shanahan.

The team's leading goal scorer with 28, Shanahan was placed on injured reserve with a concussion on Sunday, a day after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher following a vicious open-ice collision with the Flyers' Mike Knuble in the third period.

"We came out hard, we had a good first period" Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "The guys wanted this one so the two-goal lead coming out of the first period was essential to us moving through the balance of the hockey game. If it would have been even or even down a goal, I'm not sure how this would have ended up. But we went out there with a single purpose of winning a hockey game and it starts with the first shift."

The Rangers came out swarming and cashed in almost immediately, with Straka scoring his 27th goal of the season on the power play just 1:42 into the contest. Straka just had to shovel the puck into an open net after a pretty feed from Jaromir Jagr.

Hossa doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, taking a pass in the slot from Matt Cullen and whipping a shot between the pads of goaltender Patrick Lalime, a surprise starter appearing in just his third game since returning from back surgery on February 7.

"I think the key when you have back-to-back games and you lose the first day is you go right back," Straka said. "We just have to come here today and be ready for the next game. It's better when you lose and come back right away instead of having to wait three or four days to think about it."

The Rangers received an emotional boost before the game when the 38-year-old Shanahan visited the locker room.

"It was pretty impressive. I don't know too many guys that would do that," Cullen said. "It's not just to say that or the old cliche but it really was pretty inspirational to see him come when he's supposed to go right home and just rest. To see him come out of his way, it shows how much he cares. It was really impressive."

Martin Havlat brought the Blackhawks within one by tallying with 1:15 left in the middle session, firing a bad-angle shot from the goal line that deflected off Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist.

But that was all Chicago could manage against Lundqvist in absorbing its third straight bitter setback. The Blackhawks had lost their previous two games in shootouts.

"We turned the puck over too many times and that gave them momentum," Chicago coach Denis Savard said. "We regrouped after that. The second and third periods were better but we've got to have better starts. Those are the things we talk about first thing in the morning in our meetings."

Lundqvist, who left Saturday's game after the second period with a shoulder injury, made 21 saves as New York moved within a point of Toronto for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I got ready for this game last night," Lundqvist said. "I wanted to get in there right away and get a win. I know it's not a problem, it's just pain. I put some soft material on my shoulder in case I get a hard shot.

"It's all about confidence. Winning a lot of games like this is good for the confidence that you come out and play a solid third period and keep the score (the same). So it was a great effort by the whole team."

After the rough start, Lalime finished with 27 saves for the Blackhawks, who were 0-for-1 on the power play. The Rangers were 1-of-3 with the extra skater.

"We had a lot of chances in the first and we could have put the game away early," Straka said. "Going into the third period, it could have been 4-0 or 5-0 and we wouldn't have to be nervous in the last minutes of the game. I think we had a lot of chances to bury these guys down and couldn't do it.

"It was a big game for us. I'm glad we won it."