John Tortorella has been adamant fatigue won’t be an issue for his team. This despite the fact the Rangers’ first two series went seven games, with four of the 14 contests requiring overtime, including one that went to triple OT.
In fact, you could replace the word adamant with indignant.
After the Rangers’ 3-0 victory over the Devils in Game 1, Tortorella told inquiring reporters, “I don’t know where you guys get all this stuff being tired. If we’re tired this time of the year, there’s something the matter. We still have a month to play. You might as well not even ask me questions about being tired. We’re not a tired hockey club. We are ready to play.”
But it didn’t look that way last night. New York spent much of Game 2 in its own end fending off a relentless New Jersey forecheck, eventually losing the contest, 3-2.
Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News called the Rangers “visibly fatigued” and suggested Tortorella “might have underestimated the postseason toll.”
But did you see it that way? Or, was this just one of those games where the more desperate team won?
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