Sloppy debut for Blackhawks

NEW YORK - There was only one way to describe the Blackhawks' 4-2 loss to the Rangers Friday on opening night at Madison Square Garden.

Terribly sloppy.

The attention to detail on defense that Hawks coach Denis Savard preached all throughout the preseason wasn't there, particularly in the second period as the Rangers scored twice to snap a 1-1 tie.

"We were very sloppy with the puck," said defenseman Duncan Keith, who was on the ice for 3 New York goals. "Basically all their goals, 3 out of 4 I know for sure, were a direct result of us having control of it and just giving it to them, and they put it in the back of the net."

The Hawks outshot the Rangers 32-29 but failed to convert on some of their best chances, missing the net too many times with opportunities by Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook standing out.

"Scoring-chance-wise, we were pretty close, but obviously something we have to focus on is just hitting the net," Toews said. "One thing we've been working a lot lately is just getting shots to the net and driving to the net for rebounds, and we didn't do that."

Savard would like to have seen Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist put to more of a test.

"We had, what 30 shots? And probably missed the net 10 or a dozen times on good chances," Savard said. "We had some 2-on-1s in the first, two or three of them, and didn't get really a shot on it. That sums up the game. We had enough chances to win.

"And just turnovers, obviously, in crucial areas of the ice. It can't happen."

The line of Brandon Dubinsky, Nikolai Zherdev and Aaron Voros combined for 7 points for the Rangers, with each of them netting a goal.

Patrick Kane and Keith scored for the Hawks.

"We did some good things at times," Toews said. "But there were times we got lazy and made mistakes, and that's when they capitalized."

After a 1-1 first period that saw Wade Redden and Kane trade goals, the Rangers turned up the heat physically on the smaller Hawks in the second period.

Voros made it 2-1 at 5:15 after Keith, Bolland and Jack Skille each had the puck on their stick in their own zone and couldn't clear.

Dubinsky's goal at 15:36 came after a turnover by Brent Sopel in the neutral zone.

Another neutral zone turnover by the Hawks resulted in Zherdev's goal at 9:33 of the third period.

That goal came just over two minutes after Keith scored to bring the Hawks within 1.

"That hurt, definitely," said Hawks goalie Cristobal Huet, who was so-so in his debut. "That goal in the third was kind of a broken play."

The Rangers fed off their loud home crowd in the second period, turning up the hitting as the fans turned up the volume.

"We came out and played hard, but it's simple: We just didn't do the things we had to do to win," Toews said. "I think at some points they kind of overwhelmed us. It's tough to come out in the first game of the year on the road in this building. They played a great game. You've got to give them credit too."

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