Eric Staal didn’t set the world (or Madison Square Garden) on fire during his New York Rangers debut, but a win is a win.
The Rangers beat their old pal Torts and the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Monday, riding a Derek Stepan shorthanded game-winner to victory.
This might shock you, but John Tortorella wasn’t very happy about the Stepan goal, pleading the fifth when asked to comment:
John Tortorella didn't want to discuss the Rangers' winning goal: "Nothing good is coming out of my mouth on that one."
— Rob Mixer (@RobMixer) March 1, 2016
Here’s the tally itself:
Staal didn’t make much of an impact, generating a shot on goal and zero points in a little under 16 minutes of ice time.
On the bright side, he seemed to avoid what would have been a pretty frustrating injury:
I think Eric Staal is hurt #NYR
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 1, 2016
Eric Staal just came back his next shift so all is well for now. Keep an eye, though #NYR
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 1, 2016
Eric Staal might not appreciate the novelty of playing with his brother, but Marc seems delighted.
Marc Staal on having Eric as a teammate: "It was a lot nicer than playing against him, let's put it that way. I enjoyed it a lot more."
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 1, 2016
Now, playing for a contender? Eric Staal hasn’t experienced that sensation in some time.
Eric Staal's on NYR: "There is a confidence and a feeling in this room regardless of score or what game is. They will be able to find a way.
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 1, 2016
If the Rangers want to go deep, they’ll eventually need Staal to lead the way, at least on certain nights.