The most interesting sidebar on an otherwise pretty unremarkable game?

Coach John Tortorella's fiery outburst behind the Rangers' bench following an absurd charging call to rookie Carl Hagelin.

The speedy rookie was racing Alex Goligoski for a loose puck when rookie Stars goaltender Richard Bachman skated out to challenge him at the left circle, initiating a collision that ultimately left the Rangers a man down.

“I told him to do it again,” Tortorella said of his advice to Hagelin when he returned to the bench. “The goalie charged him. The goalie’s out 20 feet and [Hagelin] is going after the puck That's his job. So I said 'Do it again'.”

Tortorella declined to say whether he thought the phantom penalty was a knee-jerk reaction to the recent uproar about protecting goalies, a debate that was ignited last month when Boston's Milan Lucic ran Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller.

However, Hagelin thought that played a factor in the errant whistle.

“I’ve seen a lot of those penalties. The refs have been calling those lately after the hit on Miller. I felt like I had step there on the goalie and I actually got a shot off, and then I tried to stop and turned to the left," Hagelin said. "The ref made a decision and there’s nothing more you can do.”