New York has been a model of consistency in the NHL for nearly a decade, and part of that has been the team's ability to rebound following losses, especially ones like Thursday's against Toronto in which the Blueshirts turned the puck over often and didn't generate enough scoring chances against.
Zuccarello said Saturday is an opportunity for him and his team to "show some character" and bounce back with a strong performance against one of the NHL's best.
"I expect everyone to be ready to go," Zuccarello said. "Last night was not a good night for any of us. It's time to show some character and I'm pretty sure everyone is going to be ready to go."
Defenseman Brady Skjei said he and his teammates could use the 4-0 defeat as motivation heading into their matchup with the Predators. With just over two months remaining on the schedule, points in the competitive Metropolitan Division are too important to squander.
"We put on a really poor performance at home there," Skjei said. "We've got to bounce back because every game is huge now. You have to treat every game like a playoff game."
Skjei said he had faith in this group, some of which have been part of teams that have made the playoffs annually since 2011. He expects a better effort than the one on display Thursday at The Garden.
"We have a lot of guys in here that have been in this position before," he said. "We've got a lot of trust, a lot of faith in this group that we'll play the way we know how to play and get some wins."
Forward Pavel Buchnevich did not practice Friday and is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury he suffered following a hit midway through Thursday's game against Toronto.
Coach Alain Vigneault and his team have used the mantra of an absence is an opportunity for another player to take on a larger role, and it's no different with Buchnevich's injury.
"I'm thinking right away of a guy like Jimmy who all year long is begging for more ice time," Vigneault said. "Now he's getting an opportunity to play with Mike and Nasher, two pretty good players. He's got to elevate his game."
In fact, Vigneault said his entire team must elevate their games as the Blueshirts head into the stretch run of the regular season, which in many ways has become the playoffs for the Rangers.
"There's no doubt that I definitely believe there's another level to get here with this group," he said. "Tomorrow we're playing against the Stanley Cup finalist, a team that finished 16th to get into the playoffs [last year] and they made it to the Stanley Cup Final. We've got to find another level, we've got to upgrade our game and we're getting a great opportunity against a real good team.
