THE New York Rangers arrived in Winnipeg Sunday with one purpose: to rebound from a dreadful effort during a 2-0 loss to the Oilers on Saturday night with a win tonight and approach the long-delayed home opener at Madison Square Garden above .500.

Neither a calmer coach John Tortorella, who took no questions after the loss, or the chastened players wanted to rehash or dissect the whitewash that dropped them to 2-2-2.

"We need to work on our overall game, top to bottom," said Tortorella, who is mulling changes in the lineup against the Jets and remains insistent, at least publicly, that the journey to Europe and this five-game road trip in North America haven't taken their toll. "I know it hasn't," he said.

Yet not everyone is completely healthy.

Defenceman Michael Sauer, who has missed four games with an injured right shoulder, took slap slots but said the trainers are wary of the impact of contact. Mike Rupp, according to Tortorella, has a "cranky" knee that limited him in the game and in Sunday's practice.

"Sometimes it flares up on him, so we tried to get him off the ice," he said. "We've got to monitor that. He has shown that he can give us good shifts, but he's inconsistent."

And the team's most important player, Henrik Lundqvist, who left Saturday's game after a recurring equipment issue with his left skate caused pain and pressure in his left foot, completed Sunday's practice and offered a thumbs up. Tortorella said there was no lingering concern.

Brad Richards, whose two shots and a 38 per cent faceoff percentage against the Oilers underscored the weakest match of his six-game Rangers career, was direct after a businesslike practice in Edmonton before the flight to Winnipeg.

"I think everybody realizes what happened," Richards said. "We have a great opportunity to finish off a tough four-game swing at 3-1. We've got to figure it out ourselves. I'm not saying we couldn't have won, I'm just saying that I don't think it would do us justice to worry about Edmonton. We have to get ourselves ready and gather as much emotion and intensity as possible for the last game of a long road trip."

Specifically, the power play (an NHL-worst 1-for-23) needs to click. "We're not idiots. We know we've got to score on that five-on-three Saturday," Richards said. "We need to bear down more... there's no mysteries here."

Michael Del Zotto said the man-advantage goals will come. "It's a completely different look with completely new personnel," he said. "We're gonna be successful, it's just a matter of time. We've had a few chances, just didn't score. I had a point-blank shot and missed. It's not so much X's-and-O's, it's a commitment to do the little things. We talked about it. Now we have to show it Monday."

-- McClatchy news service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 25, 2011 C2