Battle Of Hudson

This One’s For You Marty: Chris Kreider is mobbed by grieving Martin St. Louis after scoring a power play goal. The Rangers staved off elimination with a resounding 5-1 Game 5 win over the Pens to force Game 6 on Sunday.
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

From the outset, the effort was unmistakable. Shift by shift, they poured off the bench and controlled play. Tonight, a defiant bunch of Blueshirts got back to playing hockey. Facing elimination, they ratcheted up quieting a hostile building to defeat the Pens 5-1 in Game 5. There will be a Game 6. It’ll be on Sunday at MSG with it scheduled for 7 PM.

They did it by showing character. Playing with pride, the Rangers were the aggressors throughout. It started right away. Unlike Wednesday, they forechecked and got plenty of shots through. In the early going, the Rangers had 10 of the first 13 shots. A big reason why was Alain Vigneault pinched his defensemen. They joined the attack and kept the pressure on the Pens. A welcome change.

The ounce of desperation forced Pittsburgh into mistakes. The first critical one came when Robert Bortuzzo took a delay of game penalty. In place of injured defenseman Brooks Orpik, he cleared the puck over the glass handing the Rangers a man-advantage. They’d gone 36 straight without scoring. Only this time, something was different. They actually scored a power play goal. The defining moment came when Chris Kreider hustled to a Ryan McDonagh rebound and buried the puck from a bad angle past Marc-Andre Fleury. It was Kreider who kept the play alive allowing Brad Richards and McDonagh to play catch. The net presence drove hard and got just reward for a 1-0 lead at 9:36.

With Kreider putting them ahead, it was Henrik Lundqvist’s turn to make a huge save. It came on Sidney Crosby. With Evgeni Malkin flying, he got a step on the defense and set up a driving Crosby for a one-handed deflection that an athletic Lundqvist gloved out of harm’s way. It was the kind of save that told the Pens it wouldn’t come easy. Lundqvist was strong the entire night finishing with 31 stops. That included some critical ones when the Pens made a strong push following a Malkin goal in the second.

Knowing they needed to continue taking it to their opponent, the Rangers did just that by scoring their second of the period. It came courtesy of their best line. A great cycle from the dynamic trio of Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot resulted in their first two-goal lead since Game 1. Also the last time they won. With the Pens scrambling around, Pouliot combined with Zuccarello to set up Brassard for a tap in. It was his second goal of the series and first point since his overtime winner.

Kreider nearly made it 3-0 off an odd-man break. But his high labeler missed its intended target. A Pouliot trip gave the Pens a power play late in the period. But a strong Rangers penalty kill never allowed them to get untracked. Instead, they heard some boos from Consol Energy Center. In Game 4, the Rangers totaled 15 shots. In one period in Game 5, they had 17 while holding the Pens to 9. Another welcome change.

Perhaps the biggest motivator came from Martin St. Louis. After flying back to Montreal to be with his family following his Mom’s death, he decided to take the flight back to Pittsburgh and be with his teammates. Nobody would’ve blamed him if he didn’t play. Some things are more important. Instead, a resilient St. Louis agreed with his father that she would’ve wanted him to play. Though he didn’t get on the score sheet, his effort was much better. He was more visible throughout and came back hard making a couple of key defensive plays. That kind of leadership had to inspire the rest of his teammates.

”I’m glad we’re able to get this win and stay alive,” St. Louis said. ”She was a great lady, the best human being I’ve ever known in my life. I owed it to her to do it. I know she would have wanted me to play.”

”She was with me the whole way but this is probably the most comfortable place you can be as a hockey player,” he said.

At some point, they knew they would get tested. Led by Malkin, the Pens came out much sharper in the second. His goal was a remarkable solo effort that cut the deficit to 2-1 just 3:23 in. Taking a Kris Letang outlet, a determined Malkin bulled right through Marc Staal and Dan Girardi rebounding home his own shot past a sliding Lundqvist for his sixth of the postseason. That awoke the Pens crowd. Their team was particularly dangerous the next few shifts. But as they pressed for more, Lundqvist stopped them in their tracks. In his busiest period, he turned aside 14 of 15 to keep the Rangers in front.

With their goalie providing a lift, the Rangers followed suit to go back up two. Buoyed by another great shift from their best line, Brassard followed up an Anton Stralman shot sending the rebound into a vacated net for his second of the game. Causing chaos in front, Zuccarello drew the secondary assist. For the night, Zuccarello was a pest getting in Crosby’s face. He also was a huge factor offensively assisting on three goals. He and Brassard combined for six points.

Fittingly, they were involved in McDonagh’s power play goal that increased the lead to 4-1. The back breaking goal came only 50 seconds after Brassard’s second tally. Taking advantage of a bench minor, Brassard and Zuccarello outworked the Pens’ penalty killers to feed an open McDonagh at the left point. He fired a rocket that beat Fleury high glove side inside the post. Exactly the kind of precision needed in such a pressure game.

Trailing by three, the Pens got a golden opportunity to get back in it late in the period. Following a silly Brassard slash on Malkin, Girardi took down Chris Kunitz in front. He denied a great scoring opportunity. By making them earn it, it put the Pens on a five-on-three for over a minute. Astonishingly, they never scored. The Ranger penalty killing trio of Staal, McDonagh and Brian Boyle wouldn’t allow it. With Pittsburgh getting too cute, Boyle made two critical plays. First, he got a piece of a pass. Then, he made the play of the game laying out to block a shot which led to a Staal clear with under a minute left. Enough can’t be said about his hustle. It exemplified the way the Rangers played. They wanted it more.

Boyle’s great defensive play took the wind out of the Pens’ sails. With Lundqvist shutting down everything, it allowed the Rangers to finally take liberties with a frustrated opponent. Dominic Moore took exchanged pleasantries with Letang following a run in with Crosby. It resulted in matching roughs. The four-on-four didn’t last long with an incensed Malkin whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct for continuing to paw at Lundqvist. For a change, he was pushed out of there. Something the Rangers did throughout coming to their goalie’s aid.

They played with that kind of edge. That included another sequence where Moore went to the box again with Brian Gibbons. A couple of minutes later, John Moore took Jussi Jokinen off the ice. He received an extra two but the point was made. The Rangers are going down with a fight. They played with guts and passion. There was another sequence where Moore threw down a Pen in Lundqvist’s crease. There also were the usual stick waves from Crosby when things aren’t going his way.

Kevin Klein didn’t back down from an undetected elbow. It was nice to see the unheralded defensive defenseman get rewarded with an empty netter. Pens coach Dan Bylsma pulled Fleury for a 6-on-4. They were unable to capitalize. Comically, Derek Stepan hit the outside of the net. There also was a chance for Rick Nash but the big man never got a look. He did however combine with Kreider to set up Klein’s empty netter that put the finishing touches on a 5-1 60-minute effort. Now, all they have to do is follow it up by winning at home.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mats Zuccarello, NYR (3 assists, 2 SOG, hit, blocked shot, +2 in 15:14)

2nd Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (PPG-1st, assist, 4 SOG, 3 hits, 2 blocked shots in 26:53-a completely different player)

1st Star-Derick Brassard, NYR (2 goals-2nd, 3rd, assist, 5 SOG, 6 hits, 7-for-7 on draws, +2 in 13:47)

Martin St. Louis has decided to play tonight. A day following the terrible news that his Mom France passed away at age 63, St. Louis and his Dad agreed that she would want him to play. When the Rangers face the Penguins for Game 5 staring at elimination, St. Louis will be playing with a heavy heart.

“We found out (Thursday) when we arrived in Pitt that Marty’s mom had passed away, and from there we obviously sent him back home to Montreal,” coach Alain Vigneault told a group of reporters at a press conference.

“It was obviously a very, very quiet bus ride from the airport to the hotel, and I talked to Marty last night, texted back and forth this morning, and he decided to come back and play. I think that says a lot about him, but I think that says a lot about his teammates, that he’d want to be here and play tonight. So he’s here, and we’re gonna play.”

There’s not much else to add. It says a lot about St. Louis’ character that he wants to play. This is a very difficult time for him and his family. It also might help explain why he’s struggled. There’s no way his mind could’ve been focused on hockey. He is a prideful man who deserves the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, we forget that these people are human beings. As Vigneault noted, some things are more important than hockey. I can only imagine what he’s going through. Condolences go out to St. Louis and his family.

It’ll be interesting to see how he and the team respond. Faced with adversity, it should bring them closer together. Hopefully, they can turn the sad news into something inspiring.

The Rangers are facing elimination tonight when they visit the Penguins for Game 5. A series they once led has slipped away dramatically. The more talented Pens have imposed their will taking the last three games by outscoring the Rangers 9-2. That included consecutive shutouts from Marc-Andre Fleury and a dominant performance in Game 4 that left plenty of fans who witnessed it furious.

Before the second round match-up, many believed this team could challenge Pittsburgh. Even I felt it would go seven. That was based on the notion that they would compete and not turn into pumpkins against an opponent they’ve never beaten in their playoff history. Unless something miraculous happens, the Rangers will fall to 0-5 versus the Pens. First, they have to win later to extend the series. All season, they’ve been a better road team. In order to succeed, they’ll need to get to Fleury early and take the crowd out of it.

Offense has been hard to come by. The Rangers have scored a grand total of five in the series. The goal scorers are Benoit Pouliot, Brad Richards, Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin and Mats Zuccarello. Three play on their most consistent line. That Brassard and Pouliot both scored in the bizarre overtime Game 1 win wasn’t a revelation. Unfortunately, Brassard’s winner is his only goal. Our leading postseason scorer last year only has three points. Derek Stepan has been stuck on four since Game 5 of last round. That’s two of their top three centers. Richards leads the club with seven points. Six came in Round 1. Dominic Moore notched all three of his points against the Flyers. If you’re scoring at home, the Rangers top 4 centers have combined for two goals and zero assists in four games versus the Pens.

That lack of production down the middle is a big reason why they’re facing extinction. At some point, they need to deliver. Stepan’s struggles have been overshadowed by Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis. It really is a shame about St. Louis’ Mom. Just awful news. You wonder if that was weighing on him during what’s been the worst stretch of a brilliant postseason career. Sometimes, we forget that these guys are human. It remains to be seen if St. Louis will return tonight. At last check, he flew to Montreal. His number 26 jersey was hanging in the locker at Consol Energy Center. Updating the story, St. Louis will play.

Nash was brought in by Glen Sather to score goals. There’s no need to cite an ugly playoff stat line. It’s past that point. When fans who are paying through the nose resort to booing you in a one-goal game, it’s officially a circus. The honeymoon is over for the former Blue Jacket All-Star. His 45 shots are the most of any player in these playoffs. I can’t pretend to get into his head. He’s had enough chances. They’re just not going in. A complaint is that many have come from the perimeter. He’s not the same player since the concussions. But to say he isn’t trying is ludicrous.

Stepan is no better. After a decent first round, he’s disappeared. Outside of Game 1, he really hasn’t generated anything. Part of the issue is his struggle in the faceoff circle. In 11 games, he’s won 94 and lost 126. On a roster that lacks a true number one, the 23-year old Stepan is considered the closest thing. In his fourth season, he established career bests in assists (40), points (57), power play goals (5) and power play points (18). A former 2008 second round pick who’s never missed a game, there’s no questioning his durability. Stepan has played in all 294 regular season games and 48 postseason games. It’s the latter that is alarming. He’s only scored seven goals and added 11 assists for 18 points in 48 playoff contests. At some point, that must improve dramatically.

When you’re facing an opponent who boasts two of the game’s best players, there’s no realistic chance of competing unless your center men step up. Clearly, the Blueshirts are overmatched in that department. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have dominated. Malkin has five points in the series. Crosby only has three but they came in both Penguin wins at MSG. Even in Game 2 when he was held off the score sheet, he was brilliant registering six shots while attempting nine. Henrik Lundqvist was the only reason he didn’t score. When he’s not scoring, Crosby is winning faceoffs and owning the puck. Toss in Brandon Sutter, who scored the crushing shorthanded goal and been over .500 on draws in every game.

Alain Vigneault has preached puck possession. In Game 4, they hardly had the puck. Between getting destroyed on faceoffs (31-18) and the ridiculous 25 giveaways, it’s no wonder they were only able to muster 15 shots on Fleury. In Game 3, that wasn’t the issue. They outshot the Pens 35-15. Fleury stopped everything. His defense helped out by allowing him to see the shots. Getting traffic on him has been a problem. Vigneault was able to insert Chris Kreider Wednesday. Hopefully with a game under his belt, he’ll be more of a factor.

It’s hard to win more than a round when your best players haven’t gotten it done. With Ryan McDonagh ailing, the blueline hasn’t contributed enough. McDonagh picked up his first point assisting on Carl Hagelin’s nice end to end rush. An offensive leader who impacts so much of what the Rangers do, he hasn’t looked right. Clearly, the injured left shoulder originally sustained on an Alex Burrows hit, isn’t 100 percent. It was sad seeing him get beat by Lee Stempniak and then letting Malkin go and set up Chris Kunitz. Partner Dan Girardi has been brutal. That’s put too much pressure on Marc Staal and Anton Stralman, who both have gotten victimized.

The power play woes are what they are. At a ridiculous slump of 0-for-36, even when they get set up it backfires. It wasn’t only Nash’s costly turnover the other night. Both Crosby and Jussi Jokinen scored following power play failures in Game 3. There hasn’t been enough focus. The Pens penalty killers have outworked the Rangers five-man units throughout. There’s never enough support. While part of the blame goes to Vigneault and assistant Scott Arniel for not making necessary adjustments, it won’t change until they finally get a real point man. An area Sather has failed to address.

Realistically, it’s hard to see them rallying to win three straight. In the Rangers’ history, they’ve never come back from a 3-1 deficit. I’d just like to see them show some guts. Get off the mat and push the series six. Win tonight and they at least give themselves a chance.

Henrik Lundqvist can only watch helplessly as Brandon Sutter scores a shorthanded goal in the Pens’ 4-2 Game 4 win putting the Rangers on the brink.
AP Photo/Bruce Bennett

The disappointment is palpable. It’s hard to express in words how I feel after watching that. Of course, I’m referring to the latest Garden disappointment. Maybe I should be glad I knew better than to go with my Dad, brother and his friend. But it only makes me feel worse. That they and other legions of True Blueshirts had to endure such a pathetic performance against a team they can’t beat.

A couple of days removed from limiting the high powered Penguins to 15 shots, that’s all the Rangers mustered on Marc-Andre Fleury in a depressing 4-2 Game 4 defeat. At least they figured out a way to beat him. It only took over 145 minutes for Carl Hagelin to score off a rush tying it at 5:30 of the second period. Instead of grabbing momentum, they were outshot 11-5 and allowed a crushing shorthanded goal to Brent Sutter with 1:33 left. A pathetic giveaway from frequent boo target Rick Nash led directly to Sutter finishing off a Brian Gibbons rebound that put Pittsburgh ahead for good.

The unfortunate sequence summed up another miserable playoffs for a pathetic power play that has now failed on 36 consecutive chances. Remember all the experts who pinned the blame on John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan? They can now take a hard look at Alain Vigneault and Scott Arniel. At this point, it doesn’t matter who coaches or runs it. Eventually, you have to look at the personnel. Their failure has cost them the last two games allowing the Pens to sweep two at MSG and put them on the brink.

With the Rangers finally able to attack the middle of the ice against a shorthanded Pens, who were a man down on defense due to Brooks Orpik suffering a lower body injury in the first, they traded chances in an entertaining second. The problem was they only got five shots through and misfired on several point blank opportunities. One such instance saw Nash come in on a three on one but with his luck, the puck never settled and turned into a harmless attempt that never reached Fleury. That explains Nash. Even when he gets chances, something goes wrong. For the game, he led the Rangers with four shots while missing another couple. The only player who had over two.

Knowing they needed to win, the Rangers came out with a strong shift from Nash, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider. Reinserted into the lineup, Kreider nearly helped set up an early goal. The trio showed chemistry right away with Stepan getting a tough backhand on Fleury that the Pittsburgh netminder got a piece of. Some good forecheck pressure from Kreider and Stepan allowed Nash to walk out and get another shot which Fleury handled.

Unfortunately, the Pens cranked it up a couple of shifts later. They took full advantage of a terrible Anton Stralman turnover and turned it into an early goal. Inexplicably, he passed right into the middle of the neutral zone. The puck was easily intercepted by Evgeni Malkin. He worked a give and go with Sidney Crosby and was able to coral a pass and fire a sneaky backhander by Henrik Lundqvist at 2:31. It happened in the blink of an eye. A bang bang play where no one took Malkin. He was really and dominated at even strength with a goal and assist while attempting 13 shots.

Following Malkin’s tally, it was all Pens. They continually pressed the action. Using superior speed and strength, they forced a sloppy Rangers team into awful turnovers. How bad were they? In the first half of the opening period, they had eight giveaways. That was a mind numbing theme. In 60 minutes, they finished with a ridiculous 25 turnovers. That kind of careless play doomed them. Something Pierre McGuire was quick to point out.

Despite the turnover fest, the Rangers were able hold the Pens to seven shots. That included consecutive penalty kills on a pair of Pittsburgh power plays. Conversely, the Rangers managed six on Fleury, who didn’t permit a goal for a seventh straight period. Fittingly, Chris Kunitz was penalized for slashing Dan Girardi following a tough hit with 1:08 left. Once again, they were unable to capitalize on the power play. Having time split up didn’t help. Neither did their inability to win faceoffs. The Rangers were pitiful losing 31 of 49 draws. That kind of disadvantage allowed the Penguins to own the puck.

Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma opted to play Orpik over Robert Bortuzzo. After missing the first three games, the physical defenseman was deemed ready. He threw a couple of big hits including one on Brad Richards. However, a check he delivered on Mats Zuccarello resulted in him landing awkwardly near the first’s conclusion. Orpik seemed to be favoring a leg when he left. At one point in the second, Bylsma was down two defensemen with Kris Letang off for a skate repair. The Rangers only were able to score once.

With Bylsma loading up Malkin, Crosby and Kunitz every shift, they were dangerous. Lundqvist made some difficult saves from in tight. When he wasn’t faced with that lethal trio, he was getting across to deny Beau Bennett with a nice stack job on a rebound. By no means is this his fault. Even though he allowed four goals on 27 shots, there’s not much else he could’ve done. At this point, you have to feel bad for him. Even Pens fans were admitting as such on Twitter.

In spite of being unable to mount anything, the Rangers still found themselves down one. Finally, someone made a play to beat Fleury. It’s no secret that Ryan McDonagh isn’t himself. There’s no way his left shoulder is right. Anyone who saw the hit he absorbed from Zac Rinaldo last round can see how badly he’s struggling. It hasn’t affected his skating or ability to pass the puck. He made a great outlet to Hagelin at the red line. The speedy Swede did the rest cutting in and beating Fleury with a nice wrist shot that tied it. It was only the Rangers’ second shot of the period.

Right away, Bylsma came back with his top line. They came oh so close to retaking the lead. That kind of coaching is why he’s remained behind the Pittsburgh bench. In a series against a good defensive team, he’s realized that keeping Crosby and Malkin together is the best way to get the upper hand. The Rangers have had no answer. Who would? So dynamic are they along with rover Kris Letang and Paul Martin that they’re wearing down our defensemen. It doesn’t matter if it’s McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Stralman or Marc Staal. They’ve all made glaring mistakes.

Despite facing constant pressure at even strength, the Rangers were still even late in the stanza. Malkin took an undisciplined offensive zone penalty when he tripped up Derick Brassard. It proved to be the turning point. With a rare chance to do something, they bungled the puck. Even with Kreider in front on a Nash shot from the perimeter, they didn’t do enough. That was magnified by a dreadful turnover from Nash. Facing back pressure coming out of his zone, he forced a backhand that Letang easily pushed ahead for Gibbons sending him on a break. With the crowd moaning, he fanned on the shot. With Lundqvist down, Sutter easily beat McDonagh for a tap in. The back breaking shorthanded goal at 18:27 resulted in plenty of jeers- sucking the life out of the building. In typical Ranger fashion, they went quietly on the rest of the 5-on-4.

The boo birds were out not only for Nash but for an invisible Martin St. Louis. Moved down to a line with Brad Richards and Hagelin, the former Hart winner managed only one shot in garbage time and had two egregious turnovers along with a weak back check that resulted in a crushing goal by Kunitz less than a minute after Zuccarello got them within one. Prior to that, the third was all Pens. At one point, they had eight of the first nine shots including a seeing eye turnaround from Jussi Jokinen that deflected off Staal’s skate past Lundqvist- extending to a 3-1 lead with 12:58 remaining. Jokinen has scored in all three Pens wins.

After killing off a Kreider high-sticking minor, it looked like the Rangers were done. With irate fans targeting Nash and St. Louis during shifts, there was little hope. Zuccarello made a great rush and shot to give them a chance. Off a Stralman outlet in the neutral zone, the diminutive forward gained the Pens zone and used his speed to get to the outside before sending a harmless backhander from a sharp angle that snuck by Fleury. The goal came with 6:53 left and awakened MSG.

Before they could get back to their seats, another dominant shift from Crosby and Malkin allowed Kunitz to bury one within 10 feet just 57 seconds later to restore order. On the play, a couple of things went wrong. McDonagh was unable to close out Malkin behind the net. A lazy St. Louis failed to take Kunitz, who could’ve had a sandwich before burying one past Lundqvist. It was P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C.

St. Louis has been a colossal bust. He hasn’t done enough to justify the Ryan Callahan trade. Just because he showed up for three games against a mediocre Flyers team doesn’t mean he gets off the hook. He’s been far worse than Nash, who at least is able to generate chances. Undeniably, I wasn’t a big fan of the trade. While I understood the rationale behind it, I preferred to go to war with the same core. Even if that meant losing Callahan for nothing, at least the former captain would’ve competed. In this series, St. Louis has looked old. Lucky for us that we have him for another year. 😛

Down by two, the Rangers didn’t stop attacking. The effort was there but they hardly mustered anything. A lousy four shots with essentially your season on the line speaks volumes. The issue is this. Even with an improved attack under Vigneault, they aren’t big or fast enough to make a dent against the supremely skilled Pens. It’s just a bad match-up. The Blue Jackets had enough size and grit to compete with them. But lacked necessary experience. Otherwise, we could be talking about a different series.

Game 5 is Friday in Pittsburgh. The Rangers can either go quietly or they can show some fight. In 2008, that roster under Tom Renney may have been overmatched but they dug deep scoring twice to force overtime before falling on a Marian Hossa goal. It’s up to them.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kris Letang, Pens (assisted on Sutter’s SHG, +2 in 27:56-tremendous in every facet)

2nd Star-Sidney Crosby, Pens (2 assists, 10 for 15 on draws, +2 in 19:01-dominant)

1st Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pens (goal-5th, assist, +2 in 25 dominant shifts-19:59)

Chris Kreider could return tonight for the Rangers. Either way, they must deliver a win in Game 4 or face extinction.

Essentially, it’s do or die tonight for the Rangers. Under no circumstance do they want to go down 3-1 to the Penguins. Simply put, they must rise up and win Game 4 at MSG. They’re not facing extinction but even Alain Vigneault realizes the importance. He emphasized it as a must win to have any realistic chance.

It’s time for our best players to step up. The top line of Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis hasn’t gotten the job done. It’s to the point where Vigneault tried J.T. Miller on the struggling unit for two periods while shifting Nash to a line with Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He also dressed Jesper Fast and Raphael Diaz.

The Rangers haven’t scored over the last six periods. Marc-Andre Fleury has stopped the last 57 shots including 35 keying a Pittsburgh 2-0 Game 3 win. To the Pens goalie’s credit, he’s elevated his play. In Game 2, he didn’t have to work. If not for a strong performance Monday where his team was outshot 35-15, the Rangers might be up. Fleury made critical stops and got breakaway goals from Sidney Crosby and Jussi Jokinen.

Like a broken record, the power play misfired on five chances. Despite actually creating opportunities, they were unable to break through. They’re now 0 for the last 34. Vigneault mixed things up. He tried Diaz on one unit. In place of John Moore, the Swiss defenseman registered six shots. It wouldn’t surprise if he got another game. In a desperate search to find the right combination, Vigneault also had Marc Staal and Anton Stralman on the points. They were victimized by Crosby. With Richards and Ryan McDonagh struggling, it’s put the coach in a bind.

If they can’t get it done on the man-advantage, then the Rangers must at even strength. Vigneault has preached staying out of the box and playing the Penguins 5-on-5. You can’t fault Monday’s effort. They limited the Pens’ chances. It was when they had power plays expiring that they came unglued. A characteristic of a team trying too hard. They must simplify their approach. One area that needs to improve is getting bodies in front of Fleury. For most of the series, he’s had an easy time seeing the puck. They must get traffic and score a garbage goal. The Pens always have players screening Henrik Lundqvist. It’s usually James Neal or Chris Kunitz. The Rangers must do the same to get to Fleury.

The biggest storyline is the status of Chris Kreider. An important piece up front, he’s been sidelined a month and a half with a broken left hand. Kreider has missed the last 19 games including playoffs. He was finally given medical clearance and participated in the morning skate. When asked about his status for tonight, Vigneault termed him “day-to-day.”

If he can play, that would be a huge psychological boost. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. But being able to add Kreider’s size and speed could certainly help. Under Vigneault, he’s grown into a power wing the coach loves to use as a net presence on the power play. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to conclude that it hasn’t been the same since he went down. Of Kreider’s 17 goals, six came on the power play. He’s willing to do the dirty work in front.

In his place, Benoit Pouliot has done an admirable job as part of a second unit with linemates Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. The issue is the vanilla nature of the top unit. Everything can’t be on the perimeter. There’s been too much hesitancy from Stepan, Nash and St. Louis. They don’t move the puck fast enough. A good power play will do that and move bodies. They’re too passive.

If there’s a concern entering tonight, it’s that the Pens will not play as poorly as Game 3. That means Henrik Lundqvist needs to be huge. It’s hard to get on him so far. He was good in Game 1 and stood on his head in Game 2. The goal he allowed to Crosby was stoppable. Lundqvist has yet to pitch a shutout this postseason. The Rangers might need him to. Ironically, Fleury outplayed him in the same round six years ago. Poll anyone and they’ll say without hesitation that they’d prefer Lundqvist. At some point later, he’s going to be asked to make some momentum turning saves. If he ever wants to silence the critics who insist he can’t get it done, Game 4 is essential.

Of course, everyone must chip in. The Rangers know what’s at stake here. There’s plenty of experience in that locker room to find it in their hearts to get it done. Win tonight and they put the pressure squarely on the Pens. Give them something to think about.

Marc Staal checks Sidney Crosby from behind in Game 3.
Tribune Review/Chaz Palla

After the Penguins defeated the Rangers 2-0 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, that wasn’t the only hot topic. Some Pittsburgh media were up in arms over an undetected Marc Staal crosscheck on star forward Sidney Crosby.

The play in question came during a stoppage in the first period when Staal caught the Hart frontrunner in the back and neck area with a two hander. The video can be found via Pens Initiative. NBC’s Pierre McGuire actually dismissed it referencing it as “old time hockey.” This was common in the old days before concussions were well known. In a league that emphasizes protecting its players, you can understand why Pens press and fans are upset.

Interestingly, Crosby didn’t complain about it. Even with whiny Tri Sports Live columnist Dejean Kovacevic charging Staal with assault, the Penguins captain let him off the hook.

“He’s pretty good like that,” Crosby said, initially joking a bit as he spoke. “He can be sneaky. It’s not the first time.”

Perhaps he realized he got the best revenge victimizing Staal for his first postseason goal in 13 games. Don’t forget Crosby and Staal are close. Both have teamed up winning Olympic gold for Canada in 2010. They each have overcome concussions which sidelined them long periods.

Was it bad? Sure. That it wasn’t detected by either ref is hideous. But that’s the norm in a league where they tend to look for more holds and hooks. Should Staal face discipline? If it’s reviewed, he should get at least a fine. But suspension? I doubt it. Though you never can put anything past the league.

Before the second round series started, the Rangers knew what was ahead of them. Coming off playing the final three in four days of their seven-game first round win over the Flyers, an unfriendly second round against the Penguins pitted the first three over a four day span. Due in large part to MSG building availability for Game 3, they were forced to play back to back. So were the Pens, who in case you forgot went six against the Blue Jackets.

One team adapted better. That would be Pittsburgh, who followed up a dominant 3-0 win in Game 2 by again shutting out the Rangers last night behind Marc-Andre Fleury, taking Game 3 2-0. With the suddenly hot goalie having stopped the last 57 shots, it makes Game 4 tomorrow a must for New York. They can’t afford another slip up or it could be early tee times. For the players, the focus is on sending the series back to Pittsburgh even which would turn it into a best of three. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for coach Alain Vigneault, who vented about the schedule after his team outshot the Pens 35-15 but never beat Fleury.

”We tried real hard. We were forced to play a stupid schedule,” Vigneault said. ”I am real proud of how our guys handled it.

”We put our best foot forward in each and every game. Now we’ve got a full day to recover.”

In a city that never sleeps, you can’t use that as a crutch. I’ve seen more than one fan allude to the schedule for why the Rangers are in a predicament. They took Game 1 and played a brutal Game 2 after having a day off. Was that also the NHL’s fault? Or maybe Vigneault didn’t have his team prepared. They know who they’re up against. Do you think it actually dawned on our players to match the Pens’ intensity? Apparently, it doesn’t matter who runs the bench. Despite all the struggles with handling adversity, they were dominated allowing Pittsburgh to carry momentum to The Garden.

The worst thing that happened was not scoring on Fleury. It allowed him to gain confidence. You can’t allow a fragile goalie to believe he can stop everything. Part of the issue is that after mailing in Game 2, most of the Rangers’ shots were without traffic. He was able to see everything and also got the benefit of three goalposts. His best stop came on Mats Zuccarello, who fired a laser that Fleury reached out and grabbed. The Pens did a good job in front. Their skating ability has allowed them to escape trouble. Even in a game they only mustered 15 shots, they were able to capitalize on breakaway goals from Sidney Crosby and Jussi Jokinen.

”I am happy about our whole team,” a desperate Vigneault noted. ”We played a real strong game. That is one of the best two-way teams in the league.”

He’s trying to put a positive spin on losing last night. Of course, it’s understandable. You don’t want a coach to panic. However, anyone who’s watched knows the Rangers are in trouble. Their latest power play crisis has seen them fail in 34 straight dating back to Game 2 of the first round. Even with the addition of Raphael Diaz, they were unable to break through. When you struggle as badly as they have, what often happens is players try too hard. A perfect example was how the Pens scored both goals. After failing to cash in on a double minor, Marc Staal let Crosby get behind him. He beat Henrik Lundqvist five-hole. Jokinen scored similarly after returning following a close call in the opposite end.

While Vigneault emphasizes strong 5 on 5 play, technically both Pens goals came at even strength. So, his analysis wasn’t accurate. In the last two losses, the Rangers haven’t paid enough attention to detail. Facing an opportunistic opponent, you can’t afford that. It’s no secret that Ryan McDonagh isn’t close to 100 percent. Our top defenseman remains without a point and hasn’t been himself. Take him away and they have little offense from the blueline. The effort is there but the execution isn’t.

It’s hard to go far in the postseason without a dominant defenseman. McDonagh is the closest thing to that for the Blueshirts. Partner Dan Girardi always gives supreme effort as does Staal and Anton Stralman. But none of them possess the impressive two-way skills of McDonagh. If he isn’t healthy, they lack that one impact guy who can make a difference. Something most of the remaining eight have. The Pens boast fundamentally flawed Kris Letang and steady Paul Martin. The Bruins have Zdeno Chara. The Hawks boast Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The Kings have Drew Doughty. P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov headline the Canadiens. The Wild have Ryan Suter. Francois Beauchemin and Cam Fowler are the Ducks’ best but neither is in that class. They trail the Kings 2-0.

Assuming the Rangers fade out, it’s an area Glen Sather has failed to address during his reign. His team continues to lack a true power play quarterback. Ever since he traded Brian Leetch, he’s never replaced him. That more than anything is why this team continues to fire blanks on the power play. It doesn’t matter who coaches or what system is run. If they had converted on just a couple of chances, it could be the Rangers in better position up 2-1. Instead, they must win tomorrow or stare death in the face.

No Kidding: Sidney Crosby is congratulated by teammates at the Pens bench after scoring in their 2-0 Game 3 win over the Rangers.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how hard you try. Whether it’s getting a girl’s number or cheering for your team as hard as possible, it won’t have any impact. The Rangers are at that breaking point again. They did what you knew they’d do. Blow a 1-0 series lead in spectacular fashion. By getting shutout on two consecutive nights by Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins used breakaway goals from Sidney Crosby and Jussi Jokinen to blank the Rangers 2-0 in Game 3. They now lead the series 2-1 with a do or die Game 4 Wednesday.

The question is will they figure out how to score by then. Since Derick Brassard scored at 3:06 of overtime in Game 1, the Rangers have been shutout twice by Fleury. In the last six periods, he’s stopped 57 straight shots. That included 35 tonight. Of all the endless possibilities, Fleury shutting down our side was probably about as likely as scoring a date with Kate Upton. It’s like the nerd in high school aiming high for the class princess and getting her to say yes.

It wasn’t so much that they played poorly. Astonishingly, the Rangers outshot the Penguins 35-15. In fact, following Jokinen’s goal that made it 2-0, Pittsburgh only mustered one shot over the final 24:40. You really can’t make this stuff up. A series which many figured would be high scoring has turned into an unpredictable low scoring tight checking affair. Even with the Rangers holding the Pens to six goals without an empty net, they haven’t taken advantage. Credit the faster skating Pens for keeping most of the chances to the outside. Fleury was able to see the shots and didn’t have to contest with Rangers crashing the crease.

Even a fragile goalie can gain confidence when he’s able to make the saves. The Rangers did it to themselves by not coming out with any sense of urgency Sunday. The schedule didn’t help. But you have to wonder why they were so outclassed following a day off while able to summon up the energy in a back-to-back playing for the seventh time in 10 days. That is one I’d love to know the answer to. Especially if they don’t show some mental fortitude Wednesday and send the series back to Pittsburgh even.

There are sure to be a lot of questions before Game 4. Why does Alain Vigneault insist on keeping the top line of Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis together? Even if he did temporarily try something different at the start, Vigneault went back to that line which has been MIA. It was another frustrating game for Nash, who had his best chance denied by Fleury midway through the depressing third period. St. Louis also nearly set up Stepan but his sharp angle shot was thwarted by Fleury. He stopped all nine shots in the third posting another shutout.

Another familiar theme was the power play. Despite generating better opportunities, they again were blanked going 0-for-5 to hike their miserable powerless streak to 34 straight. Unfortunately, that included a barrage of shots on Fleury with Jokinen off for holding the stick. As suggested in this space, Vigneault gave Raphael Diaz a chance in place of John Moore. Diaz fired six shots on net while attempting nine. None beat Fleury. Instead of capitalizing, they allowed Jokinen to come out of the box and beat Lundqvist for a back breaker that increased the Pens’ lead to 2-0 with 4:40 left in the second.

Following a scoreless first, Crosby finally broke through to put Pittsburgh ahead at 2:34. Sneaking behind Marc Staal, he took a Robert Bortuzzo outlet and broke in on Lundqvist beating him five-hole. Even if you can’t blame him, it wasn’t a good goal to give up. Especially with his team unable to provide any offense. Hank is usually money down low but left too much room for Crosby, who picked it apart.

Because he finally scored, all we heard during the third was about Sid The Kid. It was a Pens love fest from NBCSN and Pierre McGuire. Honestly, I’m already sick of it. If they’re not going to win the series, I just want it over so I don’t have to watch NBC anymore. I’m fed up with losing to that team. I despise them more than anyone else. Until the Pens are eliminated, I will not watch another game. The unprofessionalism on display by that network is a complete disgrace. There isn’t a more biased network ever involved covering hockey.

Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury makes one of his 35 saves en route to a second consecutive shutout.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Aside from the Crosby/Fleury shenanigans, give credit to the Pens. Defensively, they’ve done an excellent job neutralizing the Rangers. Although you see where they really miss Chris Kreider in this series. The combination of size, strength and speed really could make a difference. He also brings a net presence. Something only Mats Zuccarello is willing to do. When your bravest player is 5-6 and is one of the few who gets the jersey dirty, it speaks volumes. On one hand, you know who those guys are.

Of course, Vigneault didn’t start Brassard, Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot after Zuccarello drew the penalty on Paul Martin with 1:58 left. That would actually require common sense. For all the adjustments he’s made including also reinserting J.T. Miller for Derek Dorsett and surprisingly dressing Jesper Fast for Daniel Carcillo, he has been way too stubborn with the top power play unit. They’re not getting it done. There was no good reason why he didn’t send the Zuccarello unit back out down two. Between that mystifying decision and his stubbornness to keep Stepan, Nash and St. Louis together, it begs the question if he sticks to his guns too long.

Right now, there’s a lot of blame to go around. I will never criticize a coach for dressing different players searching for a spark. In what little I saw, Miller looked good. So did Diaz. It wasn’t enough to make a dent on the scoreboard. The most depressing aspect was seeing how quiet MSG sounded. It was like watching a morgue. This is what James Dolan wanted. An overpriced arena that no longer attracts enough diehards. The boos were predictable and deserved.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Sidney Crosby, Pens (1st of postseason at 2:34 of 2nd for GWG)

2nd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pens (35 saves incl. 16/16 in 2nd and 9/9 in 3rd-seeing everything)

1st Star-Jussi Jokinen, Pens (breakaway goal-5th, scored in 2 straight and been clutch)

Derek Stepan’s line with Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis must pick it up offensively.

Prior to last night, Derek Stepan felt his line with Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis were on the right track. The Rangers top unit looked better at the conclusion of the first round series victory over the Flyers. They followed that up with a solid effort in a 3-2 overtime Game 1 win against the Penguins. The trio combined for 11 shots-on-goal with another four attempts from Stepan, who recorded a game best five shots. He and Nash combined for nine total and had quality chances.

That wasn’t the case in Game 2. A game controlled by a hungrier Pens who posted a 3-0 home win to even the Eastern Conference Semifinal- sending it back to MSG for a pivotal Game 3 tonight. The top line was held to a paltry five shots. They weren’t a factor. On a night Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot and Mats Zuccarello were held in check, the Rangers didn’t get anything out of its top scoring unit.

The lack of production from Stepan, Nash and St. Louis is a concern. After a good start to the playoffs, they haven’t produced a goal over the last six games. You have to go all the way back to Game 3 of the first round when both Stepan and St. Louis scored highlighting a three-goal win over Philadelphia. This isn’t to say they weren’t effective. St. Louis and Stepan set up Marc Staal in Game 5. Nash had a strong Game 7 creating dangerous chances while owning the puck and taking the body.

The bottom line is Alain Vigneault needs more production from them. They can’t keep putting up zeroes on the score sheet. Nash’s struggles are well documented. He’s 0-for-9 so far and has only scored once in his first 21 postseason games as a Ranger. While Sidney Crosby has gotten all the attention due to his own playoff goal drought, Nash is without one in the last 12. His only tally coming on May 13, 2013 in a 5-2 Game 2 defeat to the Bruins during last year’s Conference Semis.

It’s no longer acceptable for the player Glen Sather acquired from the Blue Jackets to be such a non-entity. Sure. Nash recorded four assists in the first round and leads all players this postseason with 37 shots. He’s too young to be going through what Jaromir Jagr did for Boston last year. The difference being the Bruins were much deeper and not as dependent on one player. If it’s true the Rangers boast better depth this time, they still need Nash to perform. The same goes for Stepan, who mystifies with his inability to bury chances. He’s had a ton but rarely gets the shots on net or shanks them.

With six points (2-4-6), St. Louis is still tied with Pouliot for second in team scoring trailing Brad Richards (3-4-7). Most of his success came early. He only registered one shot Sunday and wasn’t visible. When Sather went out and traded Ryan Callahan for him, it was because of St. Louis’ experience and higher skill level. The former Lightning forward teamed with Richards to win a Stanley Cup in 2004. Amazingly, that’s a decade ago. Here they are reunited on Broadway as two key performers. Following last year’s disappointment, Richards has been his team’s most consistent forward. He’s the one taking shots and leading offensively.

Maybe it’s time for Vigneault to make a change. Switching St. Louis with Richards wouldn’t be the worst idea. Either way, the Rangers won’t go anywhere unless their top line turns it around.