However, talking about (D)efense and actually playing it effectively are two vastly (D)ifferent things in basketball, and especially in the NBA.

The Knicks opened their 2008-2009 season the same way they have for much of the past several years, which have all resulted in missing the playoffs: lacking the same qualities of effort, hustle, energy, and heart at the defensive end of the floor that the previous, successful Knick eras of the 1990’s possessed game in and game out.

Despite D’Antoni’s insistence on the Knicks getting back to playing sound defense this season, New York began the season with a (D)emoralizing 115-93 loss on Wednesday night in Miami, unable to stop the Heat, whose team nickname was synonymous with the way Miami shot the ball against the Knicks’ feeble defense.

Although the Knicks had three 20-point scorers (forwards David Lee and Danilo Gallinari each scored 22 points and guard Wilson Chandler had 21 points), it meant little since that output was canceled out and then some, by allowing three Miami players to each score over 20 points (guard Dwayne Wade led all scorers with 26 points, center Jermaine O’Neal poured in 22 points, and second-year forward Michael Beasley added 21 points).

New York allowed Miami to break open a close game, letting the Heat make 26 of 31 shots from the field over a 20-minute stretch spanning the second and third quarters. Miami shot 14 of 17 from the floor in the second quarter, and made 14 of 21 field goal attempts in the third period. The Knicks were blown away in that quarter, outscored 34-15, to trail 90-62 going into the fourth quarter. For the game, New York allowed Miami to shoot a sizzling 56.6 percent (47 of 83) from the field, including 46.7 percent (7 of 15) from three-point range.

The Knicks still have 81 regular season games to try to figure things out this season, as they hopefully await a major roster overhaul via the free agent bonanza in the season to follow. However, even if the Knicks do severely change their team via free agency next season, the seeds of their team identity need to be planted this season among any complimentary pieces which would remain after this year. A return to a culture of defense first and toughness must be established now, even before any top free agents are brought in next year, if such players can even be successfully lured to New York.

The first game of this season was a good opportunity for the Knicks and D’Antoni to show that if not the talent, at least the philosophy would be different this year. And, maybe it will be, as the season progresses. However, the early initial read is that nothing has changed.

One game in, the Knicks look like the exact same team that will simply try to outscore teams, following the way D’Antoni coached in Phoenix, before coming to New York. And, if the shots don’t fall (as they didn’t in Miami on Wednesday night, with the Knicks making just 33 of 87 field goal attempts, for only 37.9 percent), the Knicks won’t play with nearly enough defensive intensity to stay in those types of games.

Perhaps it’s not what D’Antoni’s players need to hear, but instead, something the Knicks’ coach should let his team see to make them improve as a team. Maybe, showing this current group of Knicks some old video of the way former Knicks like Charles Oakley, John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Anthony Mason, or Xavier McDaniel played defensive playoff basketball would serve as the inspiration and education that D’Antoni’s Knicks sorely need.

D’ Antoni can talk about defense all he wants, but until the Knicks actually back up their coach’s words on the court, resembling anything close to the way the Knicks of the 1990’s played defense, the dismal trends of the Knicks allowing opponents to score at will and thus missing the NBA playoffs season after season, will both continue.

The Rangers All-Star netminder said on David Letterman’s top 10, “Who can concentrate on hockey when Jennifer Aniston still hasn’t found love.”

Apparently, after the Blueshirts nifty 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators to open the Garden this season, it’s Lundqvist who proved himself wrong.

“Yeah I guess so,” Lundqvist laughed “I’m trying. We can’t blame her for any mistakes out there.”

Of course we kid and Lundqvist was reading a pre-written line on the late night talk show. Yet, there’s no mistaking the goalie’s skill in tonight’s game, especially in the second when he shoved away 19 of 20 shots (32 of 34 overall), as the Rangers outscored Ottawa 3-1 en route to their victory.

And in scoring their three goals, the Blueshirts were able to score their first two goals by Vinny Prospal and Brandon Dubinsky on their first three shots against Pascal LeClaire, who looked a little rusty out there, especially against the Ranger rushes.

“We need to button up something along the way here,” said Rangers coach John Tortorella. “We have a young defense, some forwards, who are new. We need to button up some things along the way. We stayed with it, but we gave up some chances. We have some work to do.”

Of course there’s work to do, but a lot of good happened. Dubinsky scored two goals and was close to another at 12:04 in the third when he had a breakaway and hit the side post. But Marian Gaborik was able to bank it in for the tally to make it 4-1.

And that came after Michael Del Zotto who scored his first NHL goal with 51 second left in the second period on a shot from the point which was screened by Ryan Callahan. It was so important, Tortorella said, “I thought the most important play of the game was Cally screening the goalie on the third goal.”

The combination of Prospal, Dubinsky and Gaborik starred for the Rangers. It looked so good that it hearkened back to that 2005-06 line that Jaromir Jagr starred on. How long it lasts? Who knows. But Tortorella likes what he sees.

“I see them working off one another and I think it’s a nice combination with those three,” the coach said. “How long it stays that way, you never know. It comes and goes sometimes when you’re dealing with forward lines. I know (Dubinsky) the center iceman is one happy guy that he gets to play with pretty good guys like that.”

Then Tortorella gave a warning by saying, “I hope he doesn’t screw it up.”

And Dubinsky better listen, because he won’t have Jennifer Aniston to blame if it happens.

Notes: The Blue Man Group introduced the Rangers with a short drum set…The Blueshirts came out as a group before the game, instead of getting introduced one by one…The win marks the Rangers fifth straight win in the Garden opener, a new franchise record….The Blueshirts are on the road for a week visiting New Jersey and Washington before coming back next Sunday to play Anaheim…The game will have a 5 p.m. start.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots allowing Ryan Callahan’s first period tally to hold up in a stunning 1-0 Game Two win over Washington at Verizon Center earlier today- letting the Rangers grab a commanding 2-0 series lead with Games 3 and 4 shifting to Madison Square Garden.

If the way they stole Game One was surprising, then the incredible poise they showed in silencing one of the game’s brightest stars and most potent offenses was equally as shocking. For after letting Alex Ovechkin fire shot after shot Wednesday, the Rangers were much better prepared for the league’s leading finisher, limiting him to six shots which were all challenged. They frustrated the Russian superstar who with the exception of a crossbar off the one great chance he had was kept in check.

That along with the Rangers remaining more disciplined taking only three penalties which they killed off allowed them to win a game most including myself didn’t expect them to. The forwards competed. The defense bent but never broke. And the goalie was unflappable. If the latter isn’t in Washington’s heads, then he’s awfully close after standing tall in denying all 16 shots sent his way in a frantic third.

Entering this series, Lundqvist needed to be the best player for the Rangers to have a realistic chance of pulling the upset. So far, he’s delivered by turning aside 67 of 70 shots. That included a huge stop on Nicklas Backstrom from the slot when the uncanny Swede used his mask to thwart one of the best Cap chances late. It’s that kind of caliber goaltending that’s allowed the Rangers to believe they can win this series.

Now, they’re in the driver’s seat coming home for what should be an amped up New York crowd. How they handle prosperity for the first time since earlier this season will go a long way to determining the outcome.

They got the lone goal in probably their worst period of the day when Callahan converted a two-on-one Markus Naslund feed going upstairs on rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov, who made the start in place of an ineffective Jose Theodore. It was the only goal he gave up finishing with a respectable 23 saves in his playoff debut.

Brandon Dubinsky started the play inside his own blueline catching Ovechkin and Mike Green deep springing Naslund and Callahan for the odd-man rush. The key defensive play along the boards by the Game One hero led to Naslund going wide before setting Callahan up perfectly for his first at 7:44. The Caps would get 13 shots in another strong first limiting the Blueshirts to only six but they had the one that mattered which allowed them to play their game.

If they weren’t good in the first 20 minutes, that changed as the Rangers began to take control in the second forcing Cap turnovers and establishing a forecheck. Something which was missing in the first game despite the outcome. It eventually led to four straight Capital penalties with Viktor Kozlov guilty of two. But the Ranger power play which was a huge surprise in Game One returned to form that saw them rank second to last during the season. The lack of a power play goal meant that they had no working margin.

It was the Ranger D which did the job keeping the Caps to the outside. In fact, they only tested Lundqvist six times in the middle stanza with nothing significant. Even a couple of late power plays didn’t generate much with the No.1 ranked PK keeping the Capitals guessing. Blair Betts, Freddy Sjostrom, Dubinsky and Callahan were splendid. So too were much maligned Wade Redden along with Michal Rozsival, who each had a second strong game. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were also better. Paul Mara and Derek Morris played well.

Led by the blueline, the Rangers again sacrificed their bodies getting in the path of 29 Cap shots including four from a strong Girardi, Morris and Betts. Three also came from a less than 100 percent captain Chris Drury, who returned with whatever was bothering him. He only took two draws but played a gutty 22 shifts (15:25) showing the kind of leadership necessary to advance at this crucial time of year.

Predictably, the Capitals were better in the third period testing Lundqvist often. But the Rangers did a solid job allowing him to see the puck. Whatever he saw, he stopped. That included his biggest of the game on Backstrom with under four minutes left when he got a step on Redden getting a good shot off in the slot. But Lundqvist as he often does got a mask on it.

The Caps’ best opportunity came when Backstrom got a stick on Staal as he was making an outlet pass from behind his own net. The turnover almost proved costly as it came right to Alexander Semin who quickly centered for an open Ovechkin, whose shot nicked Lundqvist’s best friend, the crossbar leaving the 2007-08 Hart winner to shake his head in disbelief.

Desperate, Washington pulled Varlamov for an extra attacker with a minute to go. But it was a determined group of Rangers who wouldn’t allow them to get the kind of quality chance it would take to beat Lundqvist. Rozsival made a key defensive play breaking up a rush and Nik Antropov, who was stellar defensively cleared the zone as time wound down- allowing the Rangers to congratulate Lundqvist, who recorded his third career postseason shutout.

Three Stars:

3rd Star-Markus Naslund, NYR (assist, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, +1 in 15:32)

2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (GW goal 7:44 of 1st, 3 SOG, 2 hits, 2 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, +1 in 20:41)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (35 saves incl. 16 in 3rd, 3rd career playoff SHO)

Notes: After getting 13 of his 28 shots on goal in Game One, Ovechkin was held to just six SOG in 22:50 finishing minus-one. In an oddity, he and Green combined for 12 giveaways- half of the Caps’ glaring 24. By comparison, the Rangers had only seven all game. … Rangers showed improvement in the faceoff circle going 28-for-60 with Gomez (11-9) their best. Betts went 9-11 and Dubinsky was 6-7. For Washington, Backstrom went a dominant 13-6 and David Steckel was 4-1. … The Blueshirts held a slight edge in hits 23-20 with Dubinsky and Sean Avery (4) leading the charge while Ovechkin’s five paced everyone. … The Rangers’ 29 blocks were 16 better than the Caps, who countered with four players posting two. … Aaron Voros was a healthy scratch and Donald Brashear again satout for the Caps. Bruce Boudreau made one other change dressing D Brian Pothier for Jeff Schultz (upper body).

… Game Three is Monday at 7 ET at The Garden and can be seen on MSG locally. Versus and TSN are also covering it. … There are three other games later including Game Two between the top seeded Bruins and No.8 Canadiens going off at 8 on Versus. The B’s lead the series 1-0. Out West, defending champ Detroit looks to make it two for two against Columbus less than an hour from now on NHL Network/TSN. The Blackhawks will aim for two straight at 9 ET against the Flames.