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Rangers look to avenge OT loss with new coach

Feb 25, 2009 - 11:30 AM NY Rangers (31-23-7) at Toronto (22-26-12), 7:30 pm EST

TORONTO (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers hope a coaching change can produce a different result as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday in the back half of a home-and-home series.

The Rangers salvaged a point in Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs because defenseman Michal Rozsival netted the tying goal with 40 seconds left. It wasn't enough to save Tom Renney's job.

Niklas Hagman scored exactly three minutes into the extra session for Toronto, which handed New York its 10th loss in 12 contests. With a playoff spot slipping away, the Rangers replaced the laid-back Renney with hot-tempered John Tortorella.

The 2004 Stanley Cup winner, Tortorella captured a pair of division titles and reached the playoffs four times during his six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tortorella, however, was fired following the 2007-08 campaign after guiding the Lightning to the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

New York led the Atlantic Division throughout the first half of the season, but has slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and trails the division-leading New Jersey Devils by 10 points.

Toronto, which is 12 points out of the final playoff spot in the East, had lost three straight and five of their previous six contests before the overtime win at Madison Square Garden.