FROM THE CREASE with Bruce Berlet 

By Bruce Berlet

When an athlete says his parents are his idols because of the strong faith they show every day, you know you have a special person.

Connecticut Whale defenseman Jared Nightingale is just such an individual.

While Nightingale is one of the toughest and most standup guys on the Whale, he developed his low-key, thoughtful demeanor thanks to a deep religious belief instilled by his parents, Ron and Debbi.

“I think the greatest example is just watching how your dad and mom carry themselves and how they treat each other,” Nightingale said. “Me and my brothers were very, very blessed and fortunate to have them as role models. Plus, we were raised going to church, and they lived the life as far as their character and the way they lived and raised us. They were hard-working and honest parents.”

Joe Shawhan, Nightingale’s hockey coach at his second high school, appreciated working with the three brothers and would have loved to coach more like them.

“There was definitely a solid, growth environment in their family,” Shawhan said at the time. “I give their parents so much credit for allowing their kids to chase their dreams of playing hockey.”

Nightingale was born and raised in Cheboygan, Mich., and played several sports with older brothers Jason and Adam. That included baseball, which Jared played for three years in high school, but he eventually gravitated to hockey after starting to skate on an outdoor rink with Jason and Adam when he was 6.

“Both my brothers were great role models who loved the game, and I just kind of followed in their footsteps,” Nightingale said. “And every player says you can’t do it without their parents, and that’s the way it was for me. They woke up early in the morning and traveled late at the night to get to where you want to play as a kid.”

Nightingale attended Cheboygan High School for two years, and then at 15, he moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., a little more than an hour from home, and went to Sault Area High School, where he earned the nicknames “Nighters” and “Jerry.” He spent two years playing for the Soo Hawks AAA midget team and then two years with the Soo Indians of the North American Hockey League. He earned Most Improved Player his first season, when he had three goals and 13 assists, and was voted captain and most dedicated in his second season after getting six goals and 21 assists in 55 games and being selected to play in the top prospects tournament.

Nightingale and his brothers were suppose to play together at Lake Superior State University for one year, but Adam left the school after his sophomore year and transferred to Michigan State University, where he was joined by Jared. Nightingale got a scholarship to Michigan State, and like most young, dependable players, his role and importance expanded through the years. He was an assistant captain his last three seasons and won the Spartan Fitness Award his senior year.

Nightingale wasn’t drafted but was signed as a free agent and played 10 games with the AHL’s Springfield Indians after his career ended at Michigan State. He sustained a season-ending knee injury while with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads in 2006-07, but his career got a shot in the arm with the New York Rangers organization thanks to Adam, who was invited to Wolf Pack camp four years ago.

Adam played two seasons with the ECHL’s Greenville Grrrowl (now Road Warriors) and then one season and three games with the Charlotte Checkers before leaving early in the 2007-08 campaign before Jared got lots of playing time from coach Derek Wilkinson and then two games with the then Hartford Wolf Pack.

“Looking back, it’s funny at the connection,” Nightingale said.

Though the Wolf Pack signed Nightingale to an AHL contract on Jan. 10, 2009, he started each of the last two seasons in Charlotte before getting promoted to Hartford because of injuries but never returning to the Checkers the rest of the season. But after showing steady improvement and a standup demeanor during the two lengthy stints with the Wolf Pack, Nightingale finally started a season in Hartford in October.

“Experience, confidence and getting the opportunity have enabled me to play more at this (AHL) level,” said Nightingale, who missed six games early in the season because of an infected right foot. “The last couple of years I had to start in Charlotte and pay my dues and wait, but just like our team, looking back now I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. It has made me a better player and person. You only get one opportunity at some things, so you have to constantly improve.

“And people like (assistant coach) J.J. (Daignault) have really helped me learn the game more. I lived in a hotel for two years like a lot of guys, but now at 28 years old, I’m finally paying bills.”

Nightingale lives in an apartment complex in Hartford where teammates Chad Kolarik, Ryan Garlock and Kelsey Tessier also reside.

“Growing up in Sheboygan, I never could have guessed I’d be here now, but it makes me more thankful to be here,” Nightingale said. “You try to enjoy every spot you’re at because you’ll never play forever. I enjoyed my time in Charlotte, but I feel really, really fortunate to be in Hartford with a really close group. I’m very proud to come back here and play hockey.”

And the Whale is happy to have someone who contributes more than in just categories that most fans focus on. Nightingale has only one goal and two assists in 20 games, but he’s plus-3 and leads the team in sticking up for teammates. That was never more evident than when he was part of a donnybrook with 1:37 left in the second period of a 4-3 shootout victory over the Worcester on Saturday night after Sharks center Andrew Desjardins slammed Whale wing Brodie Dupont head-first into the ice without his helmet. Dupont lay on the ice for several minutes before leaving the game for good and having to miss practice until Wednesday.

The fracas started when Garlock took a faceoff with Desjardins, and the puck went behind the net to the Sharks’ T.J. Trevelyan. DiDiomete and Soryal immediately went over to the Worcester center. Linesman Luke Galvin pushed Soryal away, but Soryal, Garlock and Nightingale crowded around Desjardins as the Sharks’ Dan DaSilva joined the brewing melee.

Nick Petrecki rushed in and grabbed Soryal, and the two went at it, with Soryal landing a hard right that sent the Sharks defenseman to the ice. Meanwhile, all of the other players squared off. Nightingale grabbed Kevin Henderson and pummeled him with hard shots even after the left wing turtled on the ice. DaSilva then dropped to the ice and turtled as Garlock laid on top of him.

Whale defenseman Jyri Niemi charged the scrum and grabbed defenseman Nick Shaus, tackled him to the ice and held him down.

But the main event was DiDiomete versus Desjardins.

“Obviously you want to get a lick on him,” DiDiomete said. “I just grabbed him and let him know (what he did to Dupont) was unacceptable. The next thing I knew we were fighting.”

DiDiomete won a unanimous decision, but Soryal was so incensed he went after Desjardins and Petrecki as they were being escorted off the ice. Nightingale, Soryal, DiDiomete and Henderson were given game misconducts, leaving the Whale four players short and the Sharks only one.

Despite being shorthanded and falling behind by a goal three times, the Whale prevailed in their grittiest effort of the season.

Nightingale’s standup nature stems from former Hartford Whalers defenseman Chris Pronger being his favorite player in high school. But he has switched to Nicklas Lidstrom, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and six-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings, his favorite team.

“I like the way Pronger plays, and I’m probably similar to him, but now my favorite is Lidstrom. No similarities there,” Nightingale said with a smile.

Why the change?

“I just think the Wings are so good and the most fun to watch,” Nightingale said. “But I think any defenseman would agree that Lidstrom is one of a kind, one of the best of all time. You can certainly learn a lot just by watching a guy like that.”

But what hasn’t changed since his high school days is his style of play. Shawhan said Jared had “a bit more of a professional nastiness to the game” than his brothers.

“He’s taller, bigger and nasty,” Shawhan said. “He’s a stay-at-home defenseman who likes to step up, scrap and hit.”

Nightingale couldn’t be overly aggressive in college because fighting isn’t allowed, but he took on a more physical style once he turned pro.

“I’m not the most talented guy, so I think you have to bring whatever you have in your tool box,” Nightingale said. “I think one of my assets is trying to play fearless and sticking up for other guys. I probably wouldn’t be in Hartford if I didn’t do that stuff. It’s one of my roles, play with an edge and do my job.”

Daignault, who handles the defense, said Nightingale excels at doing what he needs to do to get the job done.

“After he came to camp a few years ago and then went to the East Coast League, he realized he hadn’t been physical enough,” Daignault said. “He really didn’t play up to his strength, which is finishing everything and being tough around the net. He was just turning the corner at that point between being an ECHL player and knowing what to do to remain in the AHL. At times when you play like that, things are going to happen, and when he got called up later that year, you saw a little bit more of that.”

Daignault said his teammates like Nightingale and realize he’s willing to stand up for them.

“Obviously we don’t have that heavyweight or real tough enforcer,” Daignault said, “but we have a lot of guys who will stand up for themselves, and when you have that, I think it enhances your team character. We saw that in Providence (Friday night), and it was the same thing (against the Sharks). I think we’re a character team, and when we play that way, we play better. The emotion level and arousal level is heightened and enhanced, and guys play better that way.”

Daignault said Nightingale has learned a lot the past few years, including becoming reliable as a penalty killer and improving his positioning, net-front presence and passing.

“He always uses the first available outlet, which is usually the best option,” Daignault said. “He doesn’t bypass that and rarely looks for spectacular plays. He looks for the simple play or the available play, which is usually the best policy for a defenseman.”

Daignault said the Whale coaches like defenseman to try to make tape-to-tape passes, not just bounce the puck off the glass to clear the zone.

“The defensemen down here have that option,” Daignault said, “but if you’re at the AHL level, you’re here to improve your game and become a good passer and good quarterback (on the power play). It’s in your back pocket, but we like our defensemen to make plays, first and foremost. If there’s nothing available and they sense they’re boxed out or in danger, then they can use the glass.

“It’s just a matter of making good decisions, which is what makes a good defenseman. When you always make good decisions in the course of a game is where your game improves. And often times a guy like Nightingale, if he doesn’t fight or get a big hit, you sit down at the end of the game and say, ‘Well, I didn’t see Nightingale that much.’ But that often means he has done everything right and didn’t cost you any goals. I think that’s a good sign, and we’re very happy with Nightingale.”

Despite his improved play and season-long presence in Hartford, Nightingale isn’t resting on his laurels.

“He really wants to learn, and it’s good to show him some (game) clips,” Daignault said. “When somebody comes in (the coaches’ office) and we show them three or four clips, that’s good stuff. Guys like to see themselves doing well.”

While his brothers are now coaching hockey, Nightingale continues to play with an eye to the future after majoring in criminal justice at Michigan State. His father and grandfather were policemen, and dad retired last year after being a detective in the Michigan state trooper division. Nightingale is considering joining the Secret Service or becoming a federal marshal, but he has a more immediate goal.

“It excites me to get a transition,” Nightingale said. “I think it’s a lot like being on a team, like police officers or firemen. You see a lot of hockey players who transfer into that because it’s similar, something different every day. But I can’t picture that right now. I’d like to play a little bit longer.”

The Whale would second that emotion from a guy who has been spirited and spiritual from the get-go.

WEISE, REDDEN RETURNING; DUPONT RECOVERED

After a six-day layoff, the longest of the season, the Whale returns to action Saturday night at 7 at the XL Center against the Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Monarchs. Right wing Dale Weise will be back in the lineup after missing three games with a finger injury sustained in a 3-0 victory over the Adirondack Phantoms on Nov. 28, and veteran defenseman Wade Redden will return after missing one game with a groin injury sustained in a 3-1 victory over the Providence Bruins on Dec. 3. And Dupont has recovered from his run-in with Desjardins.

With Redden returning, Gernander may or may not change his five-forward alignment on his first power-play unit: wings Mats Zuccarello and Jeremy Williams on the points and Dupont, Tim Kennedy and Chad Kolarik up front. Williams has played on the point most of the season alongside Redden or rookies Ryan McDonagh or Jyri Niemi, and Weise and Kris Newbury have also been mainstays up front, along with Dane Byers before he was traded.

With his team at full strength for the first time since opening night, Gernander has more options with his lines and defensive pairings but might still try the five forwards when the Whale is on the power play.

“It’s about puck movement,” Gernander said. “If you outnumber them and outwork them, you should be all right defensively, so I thought we’d give it a shot. If you’ve got possession of the puck or we’re got an ‘outnumber situation’ and outwork them, you should be OK. We tried it a little at the tail end of one game and into the next game, but it didn’t fare so well so we changed it up.”

NOTEBOOK

Hall of Famer Mark Messier, special assistant to Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather, was at practice again Friday. “I watch a lot of games on television, but it’s always best to watch guys in person,” Messier said. He noted the Whale’s recent turnaround and good feelings about several players, especially rookie defenseman Tomas Kundratek. “He really looks like he’s going to be a NHL player.”

The Whale is 4-0-0-1 since rebranding themselves from the Hartford Wolf Pack on Nov. 27 and is 6-1-0-2 since a 1-9-2-1 slide that put them six games below .500 (4-10-2-2) for the first time in the franchise’s 14-year history.

The Whale has been in shootouts in four of their last six games, beating Bridgeport and Worcester and losing to the same teams.

Center Oren Eizenman’s game-winning goal in the victory at Providence on Dec. 3 was his second goal in four games after being acquired from the Syracuse Crunch for future considerations on Nov. 24. That equaled his career total in 49 AHL games with five teams before joining the Whale.

Goalie Cam Talbot allowed only one goal on 69 shots (.986 save percentage) in 3-0 and 3-1 victories at Providence. That includes a 41-save performance in a 3-0 win on Oct. 17 when Talbot became the first goalie in franchise history to record a shutout in his first pro start.

Saturday night is “Military Appreciation Night” and will feature the team’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss.” Fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped soft toys to the game and attach their names and phone numbers to them. When the Whale scores its first goal, heave them on the ice for holiday donation to local underprivileged kids. The fan whose toy comes closest to center ice will win four VIP tickets to the Whale’s outdoor game during Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 against the Bruins at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free poster of Whale wing Mats Zuccarello. Former Whalers defenseman Chris Kotsopoulos, the analyst for Quinnipiac University men’s hockey games, will sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m.

The Whale completes a weekend at home Sunday at 3 p.m. against the Adirondack Phantoms, who entered a game at Syracuse on Friday night having lost 10 consecutive games (0-9-1-0) and being 1-16-2-0 since starting the season 2-2-0-0. It was the longest the franchise had gone without a victory in its 15-year history, surpassing two nine-game winless streaks when the team was based in Philadelphia. High-scoring veteran Denis Hamel had six goals in his first five games with the Phantoms but had only three assists in the next nine games. Rookie Luke Pither had three goals in the last six games after going without a goal in his first 14 games.

The Whale has moved the start of their Jan. 1 game against Providence from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. so it doesn’t conflict with the University of Connecticut football team playing Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, which kicks off at 8:30.

Quote of the Day:

Gernander, on at least a partial explanation for the Whale’s turnaround: “Sometimes (opponents) hit a post, and you win a game. Sometimes they hit a post and it goes in, and you lose a game. There are funny bounces in any game. In golf, you can hit a tree and it goes in the fairway. Or you can hit a tree and it goes out of bounds. Or you hit a green, back spin and go into the pond.”

MONARCHS HAVE DOMINATED WOLF PACK/WHALE

Entering a game against the Sharks on Friday night, the Monarchs (16-9-1-1) had lost two of their previous three games after winning four in a row and eight of nine. The Monarchs have won the first three meetings with the Whale, 3-2 and 4-3 in New Hampshire on Nov. 5 and 17 and 4-1 at the XL Center on Nov. 3.

Center Andrei Loktionov led the Monarchs in points (20), assists (16) and plus-minus (plus-11) despite playing in only 17 of 27 games because he played seven games with the parent Los Angeles Kings, getting one goal and one assist. Former Yale forward David Meckler led the Monarchs in goals (nine), and left wing Bud Holloway was second in scoring (six goals, 12 assists) and on a six-game point streak (two goals, four assists) dating to Nov. 26. Center and captain Marc-Andre Cliché, the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2005, had two goals and two assists in a 7-2 victory over the Falcons last Saturday and has five goals and six assists in 19 games after missing the first eight games following offseason knee surgery. The four points were one shy of the team record of center Jared Aulin, who had five assists against the Saint John Flames on Dec. 21, 2002.

Jeff Zatkoff (9-8-1, 2.99 goals-against average, .898 save percentage in 18 games) had more time in goal, but rookie Martin Jones had better numbers (6-1-0, 1.52, .947). His 1.52 GAA was first in the league and among rookies, and his .947 save percentage was second in both categories.

GIROUX, WOTTON NAMED ALL-STAR GAME CAPTAINS

Former Wolf Pack/Whale forward Alexandre Giroux of the Oklahoma City Barons and Sound Tigers defenseman Mark Wotton have been named captains of the Western Conference and Eastern Conference for the AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 30-31 at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.

AHL president and CEO David Andrews selected Giroux and Wotton in recognition of their outstanding service and leadership to the league.

Giroux has been one of the leading offensive threats in the AHL for more than a decade, totaling 316 goals, tied for 14^th all-time, and 281 assists in 662 regular-season games and 100 points in 112 playoff games since turning pro with Grand Rapids in 2001. Giroux, who has played with the Wolf Pack, Binghamton, Hershey, Chicago and now Oklahoma City, was named the AHL’s MVP in 2008-09 and reached three Calder Cup finals with the Bears, winning titles in 2009 and 2010. Giroux, a Quebec City native who had 60 and 50 goals in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, will be playing in his fourth All-Star Game (2007, ’09 and ’10).

A veteran of 849 AHL game, most among active player and 20^th all-time, Wotton has worn the captain’s “C” in 11 of his 14 AHL seasons, including the last five in Bridgeport. A 17-year pro, Wotton has also played for Syracuse, Utah and Hershey, where he was a member of the 2006 Calder Cup championship team before joining the Sound Tigers. A native of Foxswarren, Manitoab, Wotton’s only other All-Star appearance was in 1998.

Gernander and former Whalers players Randy Cunneyworth and John Stevens are among the previous captains. On-line fan voting for the All-Star Classic runs through midnight Jan. 9 at theahl.com and facebook.com/theahl. The fans will pick the starters for each conference, and a committee of coaches will select the reserves, with all 30 teams having to be represented.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Former New Canaan High and Taft School-Watertown standout Max Pacioretty, the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round pick (22^nd overall) in 2007, has 11 goals in the last nine games, starting with a hat trick on his birthday Nov. 20 at Toronto.

A 5-3 victory over the Falcons on Wednesday night gave the Sound Tigers back-to-back wins for the first time since beating Manchester and Springfield on Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 The Sound Tigers have a point in seven of their last eight games (5-1-1-1) and have climbed into a fourth-place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Whale and Falcons. Rookie Rhett Rakhshani has gotten hot with a point in three consecutive games (two goals and four assists) and six of his last seven starts (four goals, six assists). Wing Josh Bailey, the New York Islanders’ first-round pick (ninth overall) in 2008, has three goals and three assists in six games since being called up.

Providence ended a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Manchester on Sunday, but the Bruins still haven’t scored more than two goals in their last six games (2-4-0-0) entering a game against Portland on Friday night.

The Falcons are winless in three games (0-2-0-1) for the first time this season and have only two victories in their last nine games (2-6-1-0).

The Greenville Road Warriors’ Dov Grumet-Morris was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week after recording three victories, including a shutout, with a 0.67 GAA and .976 save percentage. Grumet-Morris is 8-2-0 with a 2.10 GAA and .932 save percentage in 10 appearances for the Road Warriors. He’s second in the ECHL in GAA, tied for second in wins and tied for third in save percentage. The fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2002 was 0-1-0 with a 1.32 GAA and .935 save percentage in two games with the Whale.

THINGS TURN SWEET FOR SAUER

Former Wolf Pack/Whale defenseman Michael Sauer finally got his name in the NHL scoring book Thursday night when his first career goal with 5:19 left broke a tie as the Rangers erased three Ottawa leads and won 5-3, avenging a 3-1 loss to the Senators at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

Rookie Derek Stepan, Ruslan Fedotenko and Erik Christensen each tied the game, and former Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky iced it with an empty-net goal with 52 seconds left. The Rangers (17-12-1) have won three of their four games and five of seven despite the continued absence of injured veteran forwards Vinny Prospal (knee) and Trumbull native and captain Chris Drury (broken left index finger).

Sauer’s game-winner came after Chris Neil was called for charging former Whale forward Ryan Callahan with 7:14 to play. Sauer took a cross-ice pass from Brandon Prust and drove a shot from the right circle through a crowd of players and past Brian Elliott to give the Rangers their first lead with five seconds left on the power play.

“I saw just a lot of open ice,” said Sauer, who had a game-high three blocked shots and scored on his only shot of the game. “Prust and (Sean) Avery were grinding in the corner, and I was coming on the right side. I was the right (defenseman), and I just tried to find a good shooting area.

“It’s something you’re always going to remember. At every level, you remember your first one, and it was great that it was a game-winning goal, too. I’m definitely excited.”

Especially since the Rangers’ three-goal third period enabled them to become the first team this season to beat Ottawa after the Senators led after 40 minutes. They had been 10-0-0.

The goal atoned for a Sauer blind backhand pass into the slot to Mike Fisher, who scored on his own round for his first of two goals 2:54 into the game that ended a string of 11 consecutive penalty kills by the Rangers, who had been perfect in their previous six games. But 1:46 later, Stepan tied it with his seventh goal on the Rangers’ first shot.

“You have to have a short memory because things happen, and it was just one of those plays,” Sauer said. “It was early in the game, so I had to regroup and get going again, make sure I refocused because there was a lot of game to play. My job was to get the shot on net. It found its way, inside pad, hit the post and in. Once it hit the post, I was like, ‘Please go in.’ To finish like I did makes it sweeter, that’s for sure.”

Sauer’s roommate, Stepan, planned to give a ribbing to his fellow Minnesota native.

“I’m going to give him a hard time about how he shot it through the goalie’s chest,” Stepan said. “But a goal’s a goal, and it came at a big time for us.”

Sauer’s coach, John Tortorella, was pleased with how the rookie put the giveaway behind him.

“He’s a young kid that learns from those mistakes,” Tortorella said. “At training camp, who’da thunk he’d be playing the minutes he’s playing for us right now?” Tortorella said. “It was nice to see him bounce back and get rewarded. Hopefully, he continues to play well for us. If he just keeps it simple and just stays within himself, he’s a good player.”

Sauer got the puck for his first NHL and knew he would be calling his wife and parents after he showered and dressed.

“She’s gonna be really excited, you know what I mean?” said Sauer, the younger brother of Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Kurt Sauer and former NFL linebacker Craig Sauer. “She’ll be happy for me. My dad has always supported me, and my mom … they’ll be together, so that’ll be good to share it with them.”

Sauer was the Rangers’ 2005 second-round pick that was part of a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs the previous year for Cheshire native and Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch. Sauer missed much of two of the last three seasons because of injuries and started this season splitting time with Matt Gilroy, who had four assists in five games with the Wolf Pack last season.

“It was a battle on both sides,” said Sauer, who is a team-leading plus-8, including plus-5 in the last 20 games, when he has had a plus or even rating 16 times. “To get the win on the road is definitely important, a big two points. It was nice to have gotten this one.”

While the Rangers enjoyed the final moments, they weren’t too happy with Senators defenseman Matt Carkner, who got a misconduct penalty added to his roughing major after a fight with Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard with 2:31 left in the first period. Tortorella wouldn’t comment on what Carkner did as he passed the Rangers bench after the fight. Some Rangers players suggested Carkner sent blood toward them.

“I heard something like that, that he was swiping blood and flicking it at our guys,” Dubinsky said. “I’m not sure 100 percent.”

Not surprisingly, Carkner denied the accusation.

“I was getting off the ice, and maybe I made a gesture,” he said.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (24 saves) was more interested in the Rangers having won their seventh game in 10 starts and avenging the loss in the first half of the home-and-home series with the Senators.

“It was a really good effort coming back three times,” said Lundqvist, who won his fifth straight game at Scotiabank Place. “I think we were just determined to win this one after a tough loss at home where they got the late goal (by Chris Kelly with 2:24 left and an empty-netter to complete a hat trick with less than a second to go). It felt really good the way we responded.”

Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto (two goals, six assists in 29 games) was a healthy scratch for the first time in his two-year NHL career.

“I’m not a negative guy,” said Del Zotto, 20, who missed two games in his rookie season because of injuries. “It’s part of the learning curve, and it’s just something I have to learn from to get better. I have to make the most of this experience and use it as an incentive to get better and get back in there.

“Offensively, my production is not where I’d like it to be and certainly not where it was last year, but I think I’ve improved on the defensive side of it. But I can’t let my focus on improving defensively affect my offensive game because that is one big reason why I am here is to contribute offensively.”

Tortorella said he felt Del Zotto had struggled a bit lately, especially on the offensive end, and that he would benefit from a game off. After getting 37 points in 80 games last season, Del Zotoo had only two goals and six assists in 29 games this season, including three points in his last 17 starts.

“I think with young players, sometimes it’s good to watch, it’s not a bad thing,” Tortorella said. “(Del Zotto’s) game has not been bad, but it has teetered lately. So this won’t hurt him.”

Tortorella reinserted Gilroy, another second-year pro, in Del Zotto’s spot. Gilroy (three assists in 18 games) had been a healthy scratch since Michal Rozsival returned from an injury five games ago. Gilroy skated with Sauer, while Steve Eminger slid into Del Zotto’s spot with Rozsival until he couldn’t continue after his back “locked up” on a third-period hit where he appeared to bear the brunt of the impact with his hip. The usual No. 1 pairing was former Wolf Pack defensemen Marc Staal and Dan Girardi.

Del Zotto should be back in the lineup Saturday night, when the Rangers take their NHL-high 11 road victories into their game at the Columbus Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, Prospal and Drury are getting close to departing injured reserve and returning to the lineup, which would result in the Whale getting a player depending on whether there are any more injuries.

Prospal skated with his teammates in the morning skate Thursday for the first time since having knee surgery in mid-October. Prospal had been skating on his own, but this time it was with full equipment before practice with assistant coach Mike Sullivan. Since there was no contact in the morning skate, Prospal could join his teammates on the ice, making passes and even trying a few shots.

“It feels really great to be out there with the guys,” Prospal told reporters afterwards. “If it was a regular practice, I would have been on my own, but it was OK to me to be out there during an optional skate. I am gradually increasing the workload and going from there. Right now all I can say is that I am on schedule.”

Tortorella said he hopes Prospal would return “sometime after Christmas.” (Now that’s really narrowing it down, eh.) Prospal wouldn’t confirm or refute that timetable, saying he was taking everything “day by day.”

“By the time we actually get all of us on the line then we will have three or four really good lines and make it more difficult for the opposition,” Prospal said of his eventual return with Drury. “We have been missing our key guys – (Marian Gaborik) was out, Dru is out, (Rozsival) was out – it’s made it easier for the opposition. But the guys have done well.”

Drury’s return could be imminent. He will have another set of X-rays taken Sunday, when the Rangers return to New York, and he hopes the next step will be full clearance to play.

“I just hope the next test goes well and it doesn’t get more delayed, delayed and delayed,” Drury said. “I wished I had a crystal ball where I could say it’s going to take this amount of time and I’ll be ready at a certain time. Then it would have been a little easier. Feeling like you are getting close and then getting pushed back another two weeks is tough to take.”

MORE NOTES

Newsday’s Arthur Staple has compiled a list of the 10 best players in Rangers history. Not surprisingly, Hall of Famers Leetch and Mark Messier are 1-2. Visit www.newsday.com and offer your comments. I’m certainly not arguing with Arthur’s top two picks, especially the top choice of one of the classiest individuals ever in any sport. When informed he had finished second to his buddy Leetch, the six-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL’s third all-time leading scorer and No. 1 all-time captain smiled and said, “I’ve got no problem with that.”

HAMDEN’S JONATHAN QUICK STRONG AGAIN FOR KINGS
While the Rangers rallied to win Thursday night, Hamden native Jonathan Quick came within 3:21 of his second shutout of the season as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 for their third win in a row after losing seven of eight games to fall from the top of the Western Conference standings.

Kyle Clifford, 19, the Kings’ second-round pick in 2009, deflected in Wayne Simmonds’ centering pass for his first NHL goal in his 22^nd game, and Anze Kopitar converted Jack Johnson’s rebound for his third consecutive game-winner to support Quick (26 saves), who improved to 14-5-0 with a 1.87 GAA and .930 save percentage. Quick, who is third in the league in wins and GAA and fifth in save percentage, lost his shutout when former Rangers forward Olli Jokinen scored on a power play after the puck deflected off the post, ending the Kings’ 45-for-45 run of killing penalties at home this season. The Kings came within one game of becoming the first team to avoid allowing a power-play goal in 13 consecutive home games since the Colorado Avalanche did it in 2001-02.

Quick, who played at Hamden High and Avon Old Farms, was named the No. 1 star of the game after recording his third win in a row. He should earn his first All-Star berth after winning a silver medal in February as the third goalie on the U.S. Olympic team for the first time. Meanwhile, Flames coach Brent Sutter and assistant Ryan McGill, who coached the Wolf Pack for three seasons before Gernander took over in 2007, could be on the hot seat. The Flames fell to 12-15-2 and are in fourth place in the Northwest Division, while the Kings (16-10-0) are two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Dallas Stars before Friday night’s games.

FANS ABUZZ ABOUT YALE HOCKEY BEING RANKED NO. 1

The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has rightfully received constant accolades and coverage for 48 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the national rankings and a winning streak that reached 87, one shy of the all-time NCAA record set by the UCLA men of legendary coach John Wooden in the 1970s, with a 79-47 rout of Marquette on Thursday night as Maya “Ms. Everything” Moore had a season-high 31 points, eight rebounds, a career-high five blocked shots, four steals and three assists.

Unfortunately, college hockey is almost totally overlooked, except by WTIC-Ch. 61 sports director Rich Coppola and the New Haven Register. The Yale men’s hockey team reached No. 1 for the first time this week, but the Bulldogs received minimal – if any – coverage when they shut out perennial Hockey East powerhouse Vermont 3-0 on Wednesday night in their first game as the top-ranked team. The Register covered the game and WTNH-Ch. 8 in New Haven led its sportscast with game highlights, but it hardly got a mention in the Hartford area, if at all.

For those who didn’t get much of a report, the game was business as usual for the Bulldogs as Ryan Rondeau made 32 saves in his second successive shutout and Chris Cahill scored twice before a sellout crowd of 3,500 at Ingalls Rink. Attracting a sellout alone should warrant worthwhile coverage by all phases of the Connecticut media.

“It really doesn’t change how we play,” sophomore forward Andrew Miller (one goal, one assist) told the Register. “We’re not motivated any more by being ranked first or if we’re not ranked at all. We want to go out and beat every team we can.”

Though the Catamounts (1-8-4) are struggling this season, the Bulldogs (11-1) enjoyed some payback since Vermont eliminated Yale from the NCAA Regionals in Bridgeport in 2008 and dealt them a 1-0 loss last November on a questionable goal. But it was a hard-earned win because the Catamounts have played one of the country’s toughest schedules, as eight of their 13 games have been against top 10 teams.

Rondeau, who blanked No. 13 Union 5-0 on Sunday to assure the Bulldogs would become No. 1, ran his shutout streak to 134:37 and became the first Yale goalie to record back-to-back shutouts since Alex Westlund beat Cornell 11-0 and Colgate 2-0 on Feb. 6-7, 1998. While spending much of his pro career in Europe, Westlund played seven games for the Wolf Pack in 2006-07 and two seasons with the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he had his best season in 2004-05 with a 27-15-7 record, 2.72 GAA and .911 save percentage with one shutout. Westlund, whose Yale teammates included former high-scoring Whale and Sound Tigers right wing Jeff Hamilton, also had a 2.43 GAA and .937 save percentage in 15 playoff games as the Checkers advanced to the third round with former Wolf Pack players Thomas Pock, Jason Dawe, Mike Harder, Dwight Helminen, Jake Taylor, Dave Liffiton, Dusty Jamison, Lee Falardeau, Martin Grenier, Ryan Cuthbert, Brandon Cullen and Rory Rawlyk.

“My positioning was really solid,” Rondeau told the Register after the Bulldogs beat Vermont for the first time since 2003. “My rebound control was a little suspect. But I was able to get in front of the pucks, and the ‘D’ did a good job of boxing out and keeping them to the outside.

“When you get a shutout you usually need a little luck as well. There were a couple of scrambles, a shot off the post, late in the third a guy threw it in behind me through the crease. But when your ‘D’ ties up sticks and they can’t get to the puck, it helps out a lot.”

Cahill, named ECAC player of the week Tuesday, scored a power-play goal on a rebound with 14 minutes left and added an empty-net goal in the closing seconds. He has five goals and an assist in his last three games.

The only down side for the Bulldogs was senior left wing Jeff Anderson leaving only 16 seconds into the game after crashing hard into the boards. He had to be helped off the ice, unable to put any weight on his right leg, and didn’t return. Yale coach Keith Allain wouldn’t comment on Anderson’s condition, but the injury appeared to be severe. No updates were available Friday.

The Bulldogs are off for the holidays until an exhibition against a Russian national touring team at Ingalls Rink on Dec. 29. They resume their regular-season schedule on Jan. 2, when they host Holy Cross. During the Christmas break, Allain is taking a leave of absence to coach the U.S. Junior National team at the world championships in Buffalo, N.Y. He will return after the Holy Cross game.