NEW YORK -- Alain Vigneault said the New York Rangers' activity at the NHL trade deadline should send a message to the players that management believes this group could win the Stanley Cup.
Monday night's 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators did nothing to change that thought.
The Predators came to Madison Square Garden with the most points in the league. They left with a loss to a Rangers team that moved back into a first-place tie with the New York Islanders atop the Metropolitan Division.
Defenseman Keith Yandle, acquired in Sunday's big trade with Arizona, played his first game with the Rangers. Center James Sheppard, also acquired Sunday, was scratched to allow him some rest after a heavy travel schedule.
But what stood out most is the way the Rangers who were already here before Sunday performed. Mats Zuccarello contributed on the first two goals, the Rangers kept the Predators tied up and goalie Cam Talbot had another strong game in place of the injured Henrik Lundqvist.
More to like: Zuccarello, whose four-year contract extension was announced as official just before game time, had a hand in both of the Rangers' first two goals. On the first, Derick Brassard's cross-ice pass was a little behind Zuccarello, but Zuccarello was able to get a stick on it. He perfectly set up Marc Staal, who beat Pekka Rinne for his fifth goal of the season to make it 1-0 at 6:36 of the first period.
Zuccarello's contribution to the second goal was even better, a perfect pass to set up a Chris Kreider shot and a 2-0 Rangers lead at 4:14 of the second period.
Rangers general manager Glen Sather suggested Monday that he never really intended to trade Zuccarello, even as he admitted floating the 27-year-old wing's name on the trade market during negotiations for the new contract.
"I like everything about him -- his tenacity, his hard work, the way he plays, the chemistry he brings," Sather said.
First impressions: No one is going to judge the Keith Yandle trade on one game, but everyone was watching the newest Ranger Monday night. Yandle had the most playing time of any Ranger through the first two periods, and there were some things to like and some not to like. He contributed to some of the Rangers' best offensive stretches of the night, but was also partly at fault for the goal that cut the Rangers' lead to 2-1 late in the second period.
Cam gets credit: Sather didn't acquire a goalie before Monday's deadline, a sure sign that the Rangers believe Lundqvist will return healthy (although they still won't provide any details on when that will be). But Sather said it also was a vote of confidence in Talbot, who has earned that with the way he has played since Lundqvist was hurt.
What's next: The Rangers play their next five games on the road, beginning with a Wednesday night matchup in Detroit against the Red Wings.
