Purple Hayes: Rookie Kevin Hayes celebrates his first career playoff goal. He scored the OT winner at 3:14 to send the Rangers to a 2-1 Game 4 win over the Penguins.
AP Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Getty Images

Kevin Hayes needed a goal. At least that was the sentiment expressed by MSG’s Steve Valiquette. One I agreed with. Hayes’ first career playoff goal couldn’t have come at a better time. His goal at 3:14 of overtime lifted the Rangers to a 2-1 Game 4 win over the Penguins allowing them to sweep the two at Consol Energy Center.

”It will be a memorable one, for sure,” the OT hero said in the winning locker room to MSG’s John Giannone while wearing the Broadway Hat.

”I thought two of our guys worked hard and got the puck to the net and it just kind of ended up on my stick,” he added.

They now lead the first round series 3-1. Indeed, the Rangers will have a chance to wrap it up Friday at home for a Game 5. If they can, it would be that short series they’re looking for. Especially with what potentially lies ahead. That said, they must realize the Pens will come with everything. They’re facing elimination and in the identical position the Rangers were in last year. They’ll need their best effort to eliminate Pittsburgh.

Tonight wasn’t good enough. But they got away with it. Dominated by a determined Pens in as lopsided a first period as they’ve played all season, the Rangers quickly fell behind. Off some strong play from Sidney Crosby, he helped Paul Martin get a loose puck to the point where Ben Lovejoy fired a wrist shot that Patric Hornqvist deflected past Henrik Lundqvist at 2:22 to give the Pens a 1-0 lead.

Even with Steve Downie handing them a power play 17 seconds later, the Rangers power kill struck. They couldn’t get anything against an aggressive Penguin penalty kill. Astonishingly, the Rangers went through a long stretch where they didn’t register a shot on Marc-Andre Fleury. In fact, it took them over 10 minutes before Marc Staal got a shot. Sadly, it was one of two the entire period.

That wasn’t the only problem. The Pens were much hungrier to the puck and generated some tough shots on Lundqvist. Fortunately, he was up to the task turning aside seven of eight shots.

Uncharacteristically, Derek Stepan took a bad penalty tripping up Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole to rev a pumped up Pens crowd even further. Despite good set up time, the home team was unable to get any shots through. That included a nice set up for Evgeni Malkin, whose one-timer was high and wide. That’s the kind of series it’s been for Malkin who again was held off the score sheet.

Blake Comeau handed the Blueshirts another power kill which was so hideous, it made one wonder which team had the power play. The Pens have done the job on the penalty kill. Despite being shorthanded 17 times, they’ve killed off 15. The only Ranger chance came off a broken play with Rick Nash unable to control a loose puck sending it wide.

As usual, Max Lapierre was at his best drawing a phantom rough on Dominic Moore. On this one, Moore hit him in the chest and Lapierre dropped his stick like he was shot and fell to the ice while covering up his face. That it duped refs Francois St. Laurent and Kevin Pollock was sad. Be that as it may, the Rangers calmly killed it off to limp to the locker room only down one.

When the period concluded, coach Alain Vigneault was incensed. He was still on the refs for the call. You knew he was hot already due to his team’s lethargic play. Something Marc Staal referenced. In the post game, Staal indicated that Vigneault channeled his inner Tort letting them have at intermission.

At the start of the second, they immediately responded by getting the puck into the Pittsburgh zone. Martin St. Louis drew a boarding minor on Cole for the Rangers’ third power play. At least they were able to get some attack time. It wasn’t enough and they were way too predictable.

Following a Pens kill, Moore got nabbed for his second penalty. This one was legit as he tripped up David Perron. But as has become common in the series, Pittsburgh wasn’t able to take advantage. With an 0-for-3 showing, their power play is 2-for-10. Both power play goals came in their Game 2 win. They went 0-for-5 at home.

Once they settled in, the Rangers began making crisper decisions to come out of their own end and through the neutral zone. Starting to use their speed, they began attacking the Pens. Able to finally sustain a consistent cycle, they forced Fleury into some tough saves. That included a steal in the neutral zone leading to a St. Louis chance but his wrist shot from the right circle was gloved by Fleury. For the fourth consecutive game, he gave his team a chance finishing with 32 saves.

After being badly outplayed and outshot, the Rangers took control outshooting the Pens 13-8 in the middle stanza. Based on how well Fleury was seeing the puck, they had to get a dirty goal. It finally happened thanks to a great Ryan McDonagh pinch. Joining the rush, he dropped the puck for Nash, who wisely sent a low tricky show on Fleury that the Pens goalie couldn’t handle. With the puck on the goal line, Derick Brassard was able to stuff it in for his series leading third goal to even it with 2:45 left.

The third was easily the best of the series. Both teams skated hard, attacked and played tight defensively. Of course, the goalies did their job as well. Fleury’s best save came on Nash, who let go of a good shot in the slot that Fleury kicked out with under three minutes left in regulation. After denying Malkin on the backhand earlier, Lundqvist had an anxious moment. After Hornqvist sent a puck in, he came way out and made a diving save. With Lundqvist down, Dan Girardi rescued him clearing it out of trouble with over 30 seconds left.

”If you look at the way the whole series has gone, it’s just a fine line,” Penguins coach Mike Johnston said.

OT Hero: Kevin Hayes celebrates his OT winner with Carl Hagelin and Keith Yandle.
AP Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Getty Images

Ironically, I made my OT wish. It was for a Hayes winner. He obliged. Having missed a great chance in regulation, the 22-year old rookie was able to score his first career playoff goal in dramatic fashion. Off a cycle, Carl Hagelin sent the puck back to Matt Hunwick, who kept it in and sent it down to St. Louis behind the net. He then turned and beat Ben Lovejoy centering in front for Hayes. With the puck loose, Hagelin nearly put it in. But it was Hayes who finally stuffed it home for the dramatic winner.

”This was his best game of the series,” Vigneault said. ”We need him to play the way he’s played for us throughout the year. Obviously, this is playoff hockey on a bigger stage, but he’s learning how to deal with it.”

”There’s not a lot of room on the ice and both teams are battling extremely hard,” Vigneault added. ”We were able to tie it up in the second and get it done in overtime.”

Now they’ll attempt to wrap it up tomorrow. It will have to be their best effort to oust the Pens.

Marc-Andre Fleury can only watch along with fallen teammates as Kevin Hayes scores the OT winner.
AP Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Getty Images

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Patric Hornqvist, PIT (goal-2nd of series, 3 SOG, 5 attempts, 3 hits in 26 shifts-19:28)

2nd Star-Derick Brassard, NYR (series leading 3rd goal, 3 SOG, 5 attempts, 5 hits, +1 in 24 shifts-18:04-always steps up in playoffs)

1st Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (1st career playoff goal-scored at 3:14 of OT, 3 SOG, 3 hits, +1 in 23 shifts-15:39)

Quotable

”We need to make sure that we’re desperate. Really the only thing you can do is go out there, be desperate and get it back here.”-Pens captain Sidney Crosby on facing elimination