As usual, Michael Del Zotto had dinner at a Manhattan restaurant Wednesday night with Brad Richards. The meal, on the eve of the Rangers’ game against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden, has become a ritual for the teammates. They also live in the same downtown apartment building. For Del Zotto, a third-year defenseman, Richards’s guidance is a primary reason he is flourishing after a season so disastrous, he could not even dismiss it as a sophomore slump.

“Ultimately, a player has to fix his own game with the coaches when things go as badly as they did last season,” Del Zotto said after a recent practice. “But Richie’s support at the rink and away from it has made a huge difference.”

After a hope-raising rookie season in 2009-10, Del Zotto — the Rangers’ first-round pick three years ago — floundered in Year 2. Benchings, a demotion to the minors and a broken finger limited him to 47 games. “I lost confidence,” Del Zotto said. “It was a mental toughness thing. I got down on myself.”

His weak performance, at times devoid of physical play or signs of emotion, led to season totals of two goals, nine assists and a minus-5 rating. After 31 games this season, the 21-year-old Del Zotto already has 3 goals and 13 assists and leads the team at plus-17. Among defensemen, he is tied for second in plus-minus with the Norris Trophy winners Zdeno Chara and Nicklas Lidstrom and behind only Ian White of Detroit (plus-23).