NEW YORK – As Brian Leetch returned to Madison Square Garden, some of the Rangers defensive players decided to take a page out of the future Hall of Famer’s book and got involved in scoring.

Michael Rozsival and Blair Betts scored the first two goals of the game, with Dominic Moore icing the match late to lead the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins.

And Leetch, who received a very warm standing ovation from the sellout Garden crowd before the game, was treated like any opposing player until the final minutes of the game when the fans started chanting “Bri-An Lee-Etch.”

“It’s was like when I was sitting at Yankee Stadium,” Leetch said about the chant after the game, but praised the crowd. “It was being at MSG in front of the fans. It is the atmosphere, the building and that go along with it.”

That was just a final moment after the final decision was in hand for the happy Ranger crowd who were partial to the home team from the opening puck drop. And it was the Blueshirts who celebrated with their goals all coming from different scorers.

Michael Rozsival opened the scoring just seconds after Hal Gill was called for interference on Jaromir Jagr at 12:44 of the first. Steve Rucchin placed a feed for the defenseman in front of the net, who knocked it past Tim Thomas.

“Michael played really well,” coach Tom Renney said. “Playing the first few months with [Marek Malik], Michael got better and his confidence got itself to the point he could do different things and get real steady.”

Then opening the second at the 4:20 mark as Petr Prucha served his own interference penalty, Jason Wards was able to feed Blair Betts who beat Thomas shorthanded to double the lead.

Renney seemed pleased with the play of his special teams praising, “They have been really important to us.”

After the defense carried the team, the scoring lines came alive at 8:26 of the second. Martin Straka made it 3-0 after being fed by Rucchin and wristed it by Thomas [24 saves].

Gill finally put the Bruins on the board only seconds later, but early in the third Michael Nylander – fresh from being named NHL Offensive Player of the Week – made it 4-1 early in the third.

Only seconds later the Bruins got that goal back when Brad Boyes knocked it past Hendrik Lundqvist [19 saves], but Moore iced it with a little less than five minutes left in the game.

All the crowd had to do then was thank their returning hero.

“I was really happy with the response for Brian,” Renney said. “During my career I was around some really good events. It’s a situation when you are happy to be in the game and to be able to experience something like this.”

Notes: Leetch [one shot, -2, one penalty] was a non factor on the night…Nylander is third on the Rangers in scoring with 63 points…. Former Rangers Adam Graves, Mark Messier and Mike Richter were watching as their former teammate returned.