Henrik Lundqvist and teammates salute the crowd following their 2-1 Game 4 win over the Kings.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Kings were ready to end it. But the King wasn’t. Henrik Lundqvist refused to let his team die stopping the last 26 shots en route to a heroic 40-save effort- leading the Rangers to a hard fought 2-1 Game 4 win at a wild environment at MSG. The Rangers avoided a sweep and prevented the Kings from skating the Stanley Cup. Despite getting outplayed, they forced Game 5 sending both teams on a flight back to Los Angeles.

For the third time in four games, the Rangers scored the first two goals. The difference was Lundqvist, who made a one-goal lead stand up. There was some luck involved with the Kings coming very close to tying it with under two minutes left. On a wild scramble in front, a loose puck sat frozen on the goal line thanks to snow. Only Derek Stepan knew where it was sliding the puck under Lundqvist to get a whistle. Earlier in the game, Anton Stralman prevented the Kings from scoring on the power play by getting his stick on a puck just in the nick of time. A remarkable play from a defenseman who doesn’t get enough credit.

Benoit Pouliot redirects a shot past Jonathan Quick to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

The puck luck was a welcome change. That included goal scorers Benoit Pouliot and Martin St. Louis benefiting from favorable bounces. With the game scoreless and a power play just expiring, Pouliot was able to get a stick on a wide John Moore point shot changing direction over Jonathan Quick and in for his second of the series. Derick Brassard made a great hustle play to keep a puck alive and passed for Moore, who took the shot which Pouliot was positioned in front to redirect. He did what it took to beat Quick, who looked in a similar zone to Game 3.

Despite leading by a goal, the Rangers struggled with turnovers in the first period. Los Angeles couldn’t take advantage with a razor sharp Lundqvist stopping all 11 shots. The Kings outshot them 11-7 and dominated on faceoffs 22-4. They had the puck throughout but trailed after one.

St. Louis increased the lead to 2-0 thanks to more puck luck. Off an odd-man rush, he was able to drive the net and get to a rebound that Stepan broke his stick on and finish off his eighth. On the play, Chris Kreider was instrumental sending Stepan in on Quick. But with Kreider driving the net following Stepan’s miss, the puck came right to St. Louis, who didn’t miss.

With the season on the line, Alain Vigneault switched it up changing three of four lines. He didn’t insert Daniel Carcillo, who was finally eligible to return following a six-game suspension. Instead, Vigneault threw together different combinations. He flipped Carl Hagelin with Kreider moving Hagelin up to the top line with Stepan and Rick Nash. Dominic Moore centered Kreider and St. Louis while Brad Richards shifted to the fourth line with Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett. The third line of Pouliot, Brassard and Mats Zuccarello remained intact. On the game’s first shift, Nash got a scoring chance but his pass for Hagelin missed connection.

The moves paid off for the most part with inspired efforts from everyone. Sure. Once the Kings got back in it, they were on their heels. But their battle level was higher. The Rangers competed better in an elimination game improving to 5-0 this postseason. Of course, most of that had to do with Lundqvist, who played out of his mind. When the pressure is on, his focus is at an all-time high. That has to give his teammates belief that they can go into Staples Center and win one game and send the series back home for Game 6.

“Whatever happens, we’re not losing this game,” an emphatic Lundqvist told NBC’s Pierre McGuire following a virtuoso performance. “It’s not impossible. They’ve done it,” he said referring to the Kings’ first round comeback from an 0-3 deficit against the Sharks.

Dustin Brown beats Henrik Lundqvist for a Kings goal in the second period.
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Los Angeles made it awfully tough. As they had in the first two games, they got back in the game right away. Near the end of a power play, Dustin Brown took complete advantage of Dan Girardi breaking a stick to score his sixth unassisted cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 11:14 left in the second. On the play, Girardi failed to keep a puck in and once his stick broke, Brown was off to the races breaking in on Lundqvist and deking before tucking a forehand in.

Once Brown scored, it was like the light went on and the Kings flipped the switch. I’ve never seen such a relentless team. They were all over the Rangers the rest of the game. The irony was during the first half, Quick made some huge stops to prevent his team from being down by more. Following Brown’s goal, Jeff Carter flew past Girardi and was in but a sliding Lundqvist robbed him. It took that caliber of goaltending to prevent LA from tying it. The Rangers got caught pinching several times forcing Lundqvist to come up with difficult saves including one on Tanner Pearson, who led all skaters with eight shots.

A big penalty kill of a Moore cross-checking minor late in the period allowed the Rangers to cling onto a one-goal lead. Just by how quickly the Kings recovered seizing complete control, you knew it was going to take a gigantic effort just to force Game 5. I believe the shots were 19-2 Kings after Brown scored. It was every ridiculous. As I mentioned in another post, this team is like Jason. You can’t kill them off. Their size makes it very tough. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rangers are able to recover for Friday. If they win, there’s a two-day break before Game 6.

The third was all about the goalie. As the shots piled up, Lundqvist wouldn’t allow the Kings to tie it. No penalties were called. The onslaught came at even strength. Even when our players tried to mount a semblance of an attack, the Kings quickly transitioned out of their end and went on the attack. At one point, it was 13-0 in shots. They still couldn’t beat him.

Saved By Stralman! Anton Stralman makes the save preventing a Kings goal.
AP Photo/Bruce Bennett

The Rangers were credited with one shot almost by accident. Hagelin had a decent chance off a counter but sent a backhand wide. That was the only chance. It came down to them sitting back and relying on Lundqvist. Not exactly the way you draw it up. Defensively, they helped him out with second and third efforts with Girardi overcoming one of his worst games. That included Brown escaping Girardi off a faceoff and being absolutely stoned by Lundqvist.

I felt in the last few minutes, they were better at protecting the lead. Even though the Kings pressed, they were unable to get a clean look. Most of their chances came earlier. The Rangers didn’t allow the bigger Kings to get crazy deflections. Every time an Anze Kopitar or Marian Gaborik had a step, someone recovered. That was key. As usual, the Rangers sacrificed blocking 20 shots and forcing another 10 Kings’ offerings to miss entirely. Girardi led the block party with six. Marc Staal blocked three.

Stepan To The Rescue: Derek Stepan makes the save of the game tucking the puck under Henrik Lundqvist.
AP Photo/Bruce Bennett

Of all the sequences, none proved wilder than seeing the Kings search for a rebound on Lundqvist in what can best be described as a traffic jam. Nobody knew where the puck was except for the one positioned referee who never blew the whistle. Give him credit. Unmistakably, it was lying on the goal line when a hustling Stepan tucked it under Lundqvist to get a huge whistle with 1:11 remaining. Once that happened, there was no doubt. That kind of determination from Stepan and Stralman are a big reason there’s another game.

”I think we sat back a little too much in the third period. But we didn’t blow the lead this time,” Stepan said.

”This is do-or-die,” St. Louis said. ”Before the game, we were in our game-day routine. We’re a confident bunch. We’ve done great things.

”We got our first one, and I’m sure that’s going to help our mood.”

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Rick Nash, NYR (no points but 4 hits including a couple of gigantic ones in 27 shifts-14:06-Nash came to play)

2nd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (assist, 3 SOG, 8-for-22 on faceoffs, even in 26 shifts-17:15-heroic)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (40 saves incl. the last 26-King Henrik!)