The Rangers weren't a beaten team Tuesday night, they were a hopeful one. They lost for the second straight time, 4-3 to the Jets, but they were pleased with their play after digging themselves a two-goal hole.
At the top of the list was the work of the patchwork defensive corps, which was integral to the three-goal output — the Rangers' highest output since Feb. 14 — and in shutting down Winnipeg over the final 20 minutes.
"I thought we grew. We made more plays," said defenseman Marc Staal, who logged an enormous 24:38 of ice time. "I thought we were more confident with the puck, more patient. Guys were going tape to tape, buzzing around the net."
The Jets' fourth goal, an Evander Kane wrist shot from the right circle, was a soft one, which Henrik Lundqvist later said he has to stop. After a free-for-all in the Blueshirts zone in the second period — when Winnipeg scored three of their four goals and took advantage of breakdowns and missed assignments — the Jets managed just six shots on goal in the third, a credit to the Rangers' desperate and relentless attack, but also a credit to the team's blue-liners, who were without key pieces Michael Del Zotto (lower body injury) and Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed injury).
"I got to watch the tape," Rangers coach John Tortorella said, when asked about his defensemen's performance. "There was some running around, there was some struggling. I got to go watch the tape and we'll go from there."
Said Staal: "Those are two big pieces obviously back there, but I thought [Steve Eminger] played a great game, Gillie [Matt Gilroy] played a great game. The guys who came in played well for us. I don't think [the loss] had anything to do with that."
Eminger, a recent Connecticut Whale call-up, performed well in his return to Broadway after a three-week minor-league conditioning stint, assisting on Ryan Callahan's goal, the Rangers' first. Gilroy picked up extra time in that final period and was solid. Defenseman Anton Stralman nearly led the comeback, scoring once and setting up another goal in the third.
"I thought the guys who got more minutes played pretty well," Lundqvist said. "We didn't change that much of our game."
***
Tortorella praised the play of rookie left wing J.T. Miller but also raised concern about fellow youngsters Chris Kreider and Brandon Mashinter. The two received a combined 8:03 of ice team, putting added pressure on the Rangers' other forwards.
"Chris and Mash, it's a tough spot for them," he said. "Chris and Mash, it was a bit of struggle there a couple of times. That's going to happen when you have some injuries and you have the kids. I really worry about putting them in a spot they're not ready for yet."
zbraziller@nypost.com
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