Flyers' Craig Berube settles Michael Del Zotto before return to New York

NEW YORK — As the Flyers' practice wound down on Tuesday, amid the confusion about Claude Giroux, coach Craig Berube turned his attention to defenseman Michael Del Zotto.

Tonight is Del Zotto's first game back at Madison Square Garden, after spending the last four and a half seasons in a Rangers uniform.

It is more than just a standard reunion, though, given the circumstances of his departure.

To say the Rangers gave up on Del Zotto might not sum the entire saga up with justice.

Three years earlier, he broke into the NHL as a talented 19-year-old blue liner with swagger. He left last January, shipped to Nashville in exchange for an older and less flashy Kevin Klein, the beginning of a spiral that bottomed out when he lingered as a free agent for more than a month this summer.

Del Zotto, now 24, seemingly has turned the corner. Putting the Flyers' first 16 games into perspective, he has probably been their most consistent defenseman this season - an assessment Berube would agree with.

Berube didn't try to pretend in his conversation with Del Zotto that tonight would be just another one of 82 games. That isn't possible, even with all of the cliches Del Zotto might attach. Berube knows - he's been there.

"He's got something to prove to them, I'm sure," Berube said. "I think he's going to burr up to show that they gave up on him, or however it worked. But the thing is: don't try to do too much. Just play.

"It'd be best if he didn't (get emotional). I like him to focus on it just being another game, but that's probably not going to happen. He spent some good years there, he played really well for those guys at time.

"We just need him to play and be the player that he has been."

Del Zotto, for the most part, tried to play off his return. Whatever Del Zotto said, his teammates tried to pick up for him, multiple players saying they knew how much it meant for him to get a win.

"When I get there, it will hit me a little bit and bring back some memories," Del Zotto said. "Like I said, it's just another game. It's a big game, those are two points that we need. We need to get back to playing some consistent hockey."

In his short career defined by inconsistency, Del Zotto has so far been consistent. Berube has stressed defense-first for a defenseman who has defined himself to date on offense - and Del Zotto has bought in. So far.

"He doesn't have to do more," Berube said. "He doesn't have to get involved in all the hype and all. He just needs to go and play. A lot of times, with these guys, less is more in a big game like that."

Berube closed his conversation with Del Zotto by saying: "Go play and keep doing the things you're doing. You're doing a good job."

QUICK HITS

> Scott Laughton is expected to play in his first NHL game since Jan. 26, 2013 - two seasons ago. A prominent role in the lineup is expected, just based on Ron Hextall's previous comments about not wanting Laughton to play 10 minutes a night.

> Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (separated shoulder) skated on Tuesday but will not play tonight.

> The Rangers (7-7-4) have won just four games in regulation this season.

> New York has won eight consecutive regular season home games against the Flyers, dating back to March 6, 2011. The Flyers finally broke that skid at the Garden with a Game 2 win in their first round playoff series.

> It's a late start (8:00) and it might go late, considering 7 of the Rangers' first 17 games so far have gone beyond regulation.

> Henrik Lundqvist is 27-13-3 with a 2.49 GAA and .917 save percentage against the Flyers. Martin St. Louis has 58 points in 46 career games. Defenseman Dan Boyle is nearly a point-per-game player against the Flyers (31 in 35) and has more goals (9) against them than any other team.

PROJECTED LINEUP
With Laughton's promotion, this is pure projection/guess since the Flyers haven't yet taken the ice at the Garden for their morning skate:

B. Schenn - Laughton - Voracek
Read - Couturier - Simmonds
Umberger - Bellemare - Lecavalier
Rinaldo - VandeVelde - Akeson

Grossmann - Streit
Del Zotto - Schultz
Coburn - Colaiacovo

Scratched: Andrew MacDonald (right knee), Luke Schenn (left shoulder), Michael Raffl (left foot/ankle).

QUOTABLE
Berube looking back on the Flyers' 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Rangers in the first round last May, which propelled New York on a run to the Stanley Cup final:

"I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT ANYMORE. ONCE IT WAS OVER, IT WAS REALLY OVER WITH ME. I THINK THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS WE PLAYED GOOD HOCKEY AT TIMES, BUT WE DIDN'T PLAY VERY GOOD HOCKEY A LOT OF THE TIME. IT COST US. IF WE WOULD'VE PLAYED MORE CONSISTENTLY, WE COULD HAVE BEAT THEM. THEY'RE A GOOD TEAM - A VERY GOOD TEAM. I'M NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THEM. WE GAVE THEM A GOOD BATTLE, BUT IN MY MIND, WE COULD'VE PLAYED BETTER."

On Twitter: @frank_seravalli