New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella didn't say much at his postgame press conference on Wednesday night - barely a minute passed between the first question from Stan Fischler and the last answer from Tortorella - but it didn't take much to tell that the bench boss of the Broadway Blueshirts was disappointed in his club's effort in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils in the second game of the Eastern Conference finals.
What he shouldn't have been, however, was surprised.
After all, in each round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs the Rangers have opened the series with a multiple-goal win, only to follow it up by losing 3-2 to cede home ice advantage to the opposition. It happened in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Ottawa Senators, it happened in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Capitals, and Wednesday it happened against the New Jersey Devils, who came back from a 2-1 deficit to win on David Clarkson's goal early in the third period.
In the wake of Wednesday's game, it's worth asking if a pattern is forming, and whether there's something about the Rangers' game that the Senators, Capitals and Devils have all been able to adjust to between Game 1 and Game 2, allowing them to seize home ice advantage.
Devils captain Zach Parise wasn't seeing it.
"I think we just played better," Parise said. "We played much better tonight than we did in the first game, and that was the difference. We responded better tonight when they scored than we did in the first game, but I just feel like we were moving the puck better. We had a little more energy than we did in the first game."
Clarkson, on the other hand, might have hinted at the difference.
"That team blocks so many shots," Clarkson said. "It's unbelievable how many shots they block. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it and that was big for us tonight."
Of course, if there is a pattern, that could be good news for the Rangers. After all, the Blueshirts have bounced back from their two previous Game 2 losses to win Game 3 on the road and take back home ice advantage.
Of course, the Rangers have also required seven games to win each series, and have yet to win a game this postseason while leading a series, so at some point, New York would love to break up the pattern.
In the meantime, though, the similarity of the situation to the two previous rounds is a source of confidence.
"We've been in this situation before," Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. "We just have to go into Jersey and try to get that next game."
The Devils aren't expecting anything less.
You know what?" Parise said. "It's going to be back and forth all series. It's going to be hard."