Rangers don’t want Jacob Trouba changing style after costly Game 3 penalties

Gerard Gallant is not one to single out his players. A day after Jacob Trouba’s three penalties helped cost the Rangers a Game 3 win over the Lightning, the head coach wasn’t diverting from that philosophy.

“Penalties happen,” Gallant said when asked about Trouba. “He plays a lot of minutes. Unfortunately he got some penalties. I want him to play the same game. Keep working hard, keep battling hard.”

Exactly what Trouba thinks isn’t clear. The Rangers and the NHL denied a request from the media to speak with him Monday.

Trouba has accrued 25 penalty minutes in 17 games this postseason, none more costly than the six he picked up on Sunday.

With the Rangers holding a 2-0 lead at the halfway mark, Trouba was called for interference, and the Lightning scored on the ensuing power play. Tampa tied the game at two at the start of the third after Trouba was called for holding to give them a power play. His third penalty didn’t result in a Lightning goal, but came in the midst of a four-minute Rangers power play, negating two minutes of the advantage.

Corey Perry of Lightning collides with Jacob Trouba of the New York Rangers during the third period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final. Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images

K’Andre Miller, his defense partner, said that Trouba was “dialed in” at an optional practice Monday.

“Troubs has been such a rock for us all year,” Miller said. “He’s been such a leader for all of us young guys and really anybody on the team. Everybody looks up to him. So I don’t think that’ll really affect him too much.”

Trouba has been one of the best players for the Rangers throughout this playoff run, averaging 24:52 time on ice, playing on both special-teams units and making an impact with his physical play. His hits on Sidney Crosby, Max Domi and Seth Jarvis, respectively, helped change games in the Rangers’ favor over the first two rounds.

Gerard Gallant didn’t single out Jacob Trouba after he got penalized three times on Sunday against the Lightning. Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

It wasn’t that style that got Trouba into hot water on Sunday, but the penalties helped open the door for the Lightning when the Rangers looked poised to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Instead, the Rangers go into Tuesday’s Game 4 looking to prevent Tampa from doing what it did to the Hurricanes in the second round — holding serve at home to tie the series at two.

“Troubs, he’s a gritty defenseman who plays tough for us and plays hard,” Gallant said. “A couple tough calls that, a little trip, but they’re penalties, you gotta call them. And we didn’t get by some of them, but that’s the way it goes.”