Hartnett: Staal Shows Early Signs Of Importance To Rangers' Playoff Push

By Sean Hartnett
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Eric Staal's debut with the Rangers on Monday night appeared ordinary, but a closer look revealed why he's going to be a hit on Broadway.

The 31-year-old forward, who was acquired over the weekend from Carolina, finished the 2-1 home victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets without a point. He registered a single shot on goal, missed another attempt, logged one hit, surrendered a giveaway and won a takeaway in 15:43 of ice time.

The box score statistics were deceiving, however. Staal showed an ability to dominate with his large frame and long reach. It's impressive how he packages his power game with silky hands, a powerful shot and an underrated burst of speed.

With former Rangers head coach John Tortorella presiding over the Columbus bench, the game was always going to be lacking artistry and open spaces for the Rangers to operate. Despite a lackluster start, the Blueshirts did what they usually do against pesky opponents -- they worked and worked and found a way to win.

Derek Stepan proved to be the hero, notching a late shorthanded goal. Instead of talking at length about himself, the 25-year-old alternate captain opted to deflect praise, pointing out what impressed him about Staal's debut effort.

"He was fantastic, I really wish he got rewarded," Stepan said. "He played extremely well. It's something some of us can learn from. He's got so much experience, such a big body and a lot of skill. We can start learning from him. He's a veteran guy that's got leadership qualities to him, obviously being a captain in Carolina. He's going to be a big part (for us) moving forward.

"Any time you add a guy like Eric, he's won a Cup, he's got experience in the playoffs. He's a veteran guy who has been around a long time. He brings a lot to our group leadership-wise, and to boot he's a great hockey player," Stepan continued. "He's a great dude, too. I met him up in Thunder Bay one time. It's good to see him on our roster, that's for sure."

For nine seasons, alternate captain Dan Girardi battled and fought with Staal in the corners and for precious real estate around the Rangers' crease. It was a welcome relief for Girardi to see the Staal pulling on a Rangers sweater instead of Carolina red.

"He's a huge addition for our team," Girardi said. "Obviously, playing against him the last nine years ... he's a hard guy to defend. He uses his body down low. I think he handled himself pretty well, made some good plays. I think he's going to get better from here on in. You add a guy like that to your team, it makes you a lot better. To have him on our team and giving us some depth up front and helping us out, it's definitely something good going forward."

Staal began the night centering Oscar Lindberg and Kevin Hayes on the third line and later was bumped up to the left wing alongside Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. While employed at center, Staal won nine of 17 faceoffs.

But what stands out most about Staal is his mentality. You can tell this guy is a winner in the way he is wired. Some guys duck the pressure, some guys become consumed or overwhelmed by it. Staal is the type who thrives on it.

"You want to be counted on in those moments and you want to be out there," Staal said. "I thought our guys competed hard all the way through. Not the best start, but we got better as it went on and obviously a huge goal by Step there to close it out."

Not long after joining his new team, Staal talked about his new opportunity.

"The core group they already have in place -- obviously it starts with the goaltender -- but the group of players they have, they're battle-tested," Staal said. "They've played big games. They've played in moments that you need to prove yourself. They haven't gotten it done yet, but they're very close and I believe they've got the will to try and achieve that goal. And for me, I just want to fit in with this group. I feel like I know a lot of them over the years playing them. Obviously with (brother) Marc here I've gotten to know some of the guys. So I just want to fit. I just want to help this team win regardless where I'm put. I believe this is a capable group that can compete against anybody once the playoffs start."

Staal's sheer presence in the dressing room is a huge boost to the Rangers, who have set their goals at the highest rung.

"That's our mentality every year," Girardi said. "We want to win that prize at the end. We've been close the last couple of years. Hopefully, Eric can bring good experience for us. Our goal here is to keep pushing, keep climbing the standings. Hopefully we can get together here as a group and have a good run. I'll say it again, he can only help our team."

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey