Considering how much Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has let a single loss in Montreal from Oct. 15 stick with him through his team’s terrific start to the season, it was surprising to hear him defer after what could very well have been a worse performance with Wednesday night’s 5-1 loss to the Canadiens at the Garden.
“I thought for the first two periods, we were pretty good,” Vigneault said, with his team entering the third period down 2-1, but playing a disjointed game fraught with turnovers and defensive-zone lapses.