So before we talk about the referees from Monday night’s 2-0 home-opener Rangers loss, let’s point out three important factors not related to officiating that led to New York’s defeat to Montreal:
 
1. Forwards Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and J.T. Miller all had terrific scoring chances, in the first, second and third periods, respectively, that were turned away by Canadiens goalie Peter Budaj. Budaj, despite being the Habs’ backup normally to Carey Price, was terrific.

COLUMN: GARDEN RENOVATED BUT LIFELESS, LIKE RANGERS OFFENSE, IN LOSS
 
2. The Rangers’ early offensive energy also didn’t translate into goals because Montreal blocked shots the way the Blueshirts typically do. The Habs had 28 blocked shots, led by defensemen Andrei Markov (six) and Josh Gorges (five). The Rangers actually out-attempted the Canadiens in shots by a wide margin, 64-46, but each team only got 27 through.
 
3. The Blueshirts trailed, 1-0, for most of the third period but managed just six shots on goal in those 20 minutes. Unacceptable.
 
Or, as Miller said of whether the Rangers had energy: “Yeah, but we couldn’t score. We’ve gotta score goals.”
 
Now on to the officiating crew of Gord Dwyer, Dave Jackson, Scott Cherrey, Steve Miller and the NHL’s review staff in Toronto that together was simply miserable.

RANGERS FALL FLAT IN 2-0 HOME-OPENING LOSS TO CANADIENS
 

The normally jovial Mats Zuccarello turned serious Sunday afternoon when asked about his early-season struggles and his bounce back game Saturday night in Detroit.
 
Zuccarello scored his first goal of the season in the 3-2 overtime win over the Red Wings, but being scratched the previous game in Philadelphia clearly hit home for the Norwegian winger.
 
“You put pressure on yourself to do well,” Zuccarello said after practice at the Garden. “When it’s not going well, it’s something you think about every night. But it was nice to get one (goal) yesterday and to get the win.”

LUNDQVIST RETURNING TO START HOME OPENER AT GARDEN
 
Zuccarello, 26, is an undersized forward playing on his second consecutive one-year contract, after rejoining the team last spring following a season in the KHL during the lockout. His NHL job security often feels tenuous, but the Rangers brought him back because there is a place for him if he can produce offensively at a regular rate.
 
He had no points in his first seven games and often got knocked off the puck too easily, leading to a scratch last Thursday in Philadelphia. Upon returning to the lineup Saturday, he committed a bad offensive-zone giveaway in the first period that led to Detroit’s Drew Miller scoring off the rush.
 
But Zuccarello, playing on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast, showed character not only in addressing his puck protection issues but in rebounding mid-game from the glaring giveaway. He scored a pivotal game-tying rebound goal in front, 2:18 into the third period, after Marc Staal put a slapper on net from the left point.

DETROIT – Nothing says Dan Girardi like a shot block off the collarbone, and maybe the Rangers defenseman’s self-sacrifice Thursday in Philadelphia indicated this team’s iron man is reclaiming his identity.
 
Girardi, 29, has been out of position and unsure with the puck often in October, nowhere close to his All-Star form of two seasons ago. But he had his best game in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Flyers, breaking up multiple odd-man rushes and anchoring a perfect penalty kill, including a painful block of a rising Matt Read wrist shot.
 
“I know I’m not playing my best, but I don’t think it’s panic mode,” Girardi told the Daily News Saturday morning before taking on the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. “I know I can be better. I’m trying to do the right things, but sometimes if I’m thinking too much maybe it gets in the way. I may overthink a pass or a play instead of just hitting a guy.
 
“When you lose games like 9-2 in San Jose and 6-0 in Anaheim, you second guess yourself in the defensive zone, on rush coverage,” Girardi continued. “Then maybe you’re overcautious. Instead, we have to be more confident and trust that everybody knows where they’re supposed to be.”

VIGNEAULT CALLS OUT UNPRODUCTIVE CENTERS BRASSARD, STEPAN
 
Girardi was exactly where he needed to be breaking up a Flyers three-on-one rush late in Thursday’s third period that kept it a one-goal game and gave the Rangers a chance.
 
“I like being a big difference-maker, making a big play or a big block,” Girardi said.
 
Coach Alain Vigneault took notice.
 

PHILADELPHIA – Rangers agitator Derek Dorsett said after Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Flyers that he fought Flyers enforcer Zac Rinaldo in the first period in retaliation for a hit by Rinaldo on Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
 
Dorsett felt Rinaldo had skated at McDonagh through the center of the ice with his knee out and his arm raised, possibly to catch McDonagh with “a chicken wing.” McDonagh avoided the brunt of hit, but it still was a dangerous run. So Dorsett came over the boards and dropped the gloves.

RANGERS WASTE TALBOT'S 25-SAVE DEBUT IN 2-1 LOSS TO FLYERS
 
Then in the second period, Dorsett flipped out at the end of a fight between teammate Brandon Mashinter and Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds. Here’s why:
 
Dorsett felt he had let Rinaldo up off the ice during their first period fight, and then in the Mashinter-Simmonds fight, Mashinter had paused to let Simmonds up at one point, as well. But when Mashinter was in a vulnerable position, Simmonds continued to throw punches. One of them, in Dorsett’s opinion and to the naked eye, appeared to show Simmonds punching down on Mashinter’s head and shoving his face into the top of the boards at the Rangers’ bench.
 
Dorsett lost his cool watching that unfold and received a 10-minute misconduct for trying to engage Simmonds and then Braydon Coburn.
 
During the second-period skirmish, Rangers rookie goalie Cam Talbot actually skated to his blue line and Flyers goalie Steve Mason skated to his, but that’s as far as they went.
 
WHERE’S BEN?