Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
On the day of tonight’s Game Six in Pittsburgh, there’s plenty of news to digest.
First and foremost, Sidney Crosby will not play. The Penguins captain skated with a skill coach this morning, but isn’t an option for Game Six.
Sidney Crosby, who skated with skill coach Friday before AM practice, and Tristan Jarry, who was full participant in AM skate, both won’t play for Penguins in Game 6. Rickard Rakell is a game time decision. He hasn’t played since Game 1.
Frank Seravelli reported that Crosby suffered from concussion-like symptoms following the Jacob Trouba hit in the second period of Game Five. Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan has continued to term it an “upper-body” injury.
Obviously, you hate that one of the game’s greatest players is out tonight. It’s unfortunate. However, Evgeni Malkin will move up to center the top line with leading goalscorer Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Guentzal has seven goals in the series.
We know how dangerous Malkin can be. He played well in Game Five finishing with two assists. He also was his ornery self going back at Kevin Rooney with a cross-check to his face. Nothing was called on the play.
From the look of things, Evan Rodrigues will center the Pens’ second line and Jeff Carter the third. Teddy Blueger is expected to center the fourth line.
In two more updates, Tristan Jarry took part in the Pens’ morning skate. He was the first goalie on the ice. However, he will not play tonight. If there’s a Game Seven, Jarry might return if they get there.
With Jarry again unavailable as he recovers from a fractured foot, it’ll again be Louis Domingue in net tonight. With his team leading Game Five 2-0, he allowed three goals on three straight shots over a 2:42 span late in period two.
Following Guentzel tying the score just 13 seconds later, Filip Chytil scored on the power play early in the third to make it four consecutive Ranger shots that beat Domingue. Two went upstairs. One was a slam dunk by Alexis Lafreniere. The other a Trouba backhand from the slot that went low.
Rickard Rakell skated. It doesn’t sound like he’s ready yet. He was knocked out of Game One during the second period on a tough Ryan Lindgren hit.
Defenseman Brian Dumoulin remains day-to-day. His situation hasn’t changed. If that’s indeed the case, expect Kris Letang and Mike Matheson to get the bulk of the minutes on the Pittsburgh blue line.
There isn’t as much news on the Rangers front. Only that Tyler Motte has been given the okay to play. He’ll be a game-time decision later.
Per #NYR Coach Gallant, Tyler Motte has been cleared to play and is "an option" for tonight.
Assuming Gerard Gallant dresses Motte, it’s likely he goes back to a normal allotment with 12 forwards and six defensemen. If that’s the case, I would assume Justin Braun stays in to play third pair with Braden Schneider. Patrik Nemeth would likely come out.
If Motte goes, here’s your projected Rangers lineup for Game Six:
Line 1 Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano
Line 2 Panarin-Strome-Copp
Line 3 Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko
Line 4 Motte-Rooney-Reaves
Pair 1 Lindgren-Fox
Pair 2 Miller-Trouba
Pair 3 Braun-Schneider
Goalie Shesterkin
Backup Georgiev
It goes without saying that the Rangers need big games out of their top players. It can’t fall on the third line. Lafreniere, Chytil and Kaapo Kakko have had good series. They have played the way you have to.
It’s time for Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome to step to the forefront. They’re the core of this team.
We know Strome is likely gone this summer. That doesn’t matter. Zibanejad still is without a goal. Kreider has two. Panarin leads the team with six points (2-4-6). But his play has been uneven.
Adam Fox is tied with Andrew Copp in goals (3) for the team lead. He enters with a five-game point streak. But his defense must be better. Getting Lindgren back helped last game. He’s the warrior of these Blueshirts.
While much of the focus is on the team leaders, all eyes will be on Igor Shesterkin. Having been chased in Games Three and Four for 10 goals on 45 shots in three periods while being taunted by Pens fans who serenaded him with “Ig-or, Ig-or” chants, the Vezina frontrunner and Hart candidate must respond much better.
The 26-year old Russian netminder has been the backbone of this team all year. He needs to back up the 15 saves he made in the third period of Game Five by playing to form. If not, then Gallant will have no choice but to go to Alex Georgiev.
Don’t forget that after initially falling apart once Crosby left the game on Wednesday, the Pens responded with a strong third period. They attacked the same way and forced Shesterkin into some tough saves. He was equal to the challenge.
The Rangers’ best player must be that tonight if they’re to force a deciding Game Seven this weekend.
That’s gonna do it for now. I’ll have much more on the big game later.
With a day off before another do or die elimination game to be played Friday night in Pittsburgh, there was plenty of discussion from the Rangers earlier today.
After practice, Gerard Gallant spoke to the media on a few hot topics. One of course was the Jacob Trouba play that injured Pens superstar Sidney Crosby. He said they hope he’s okay and can return soon.
Asked about the status of Tyler Motte who skated, Gallant seemed optimistic. It’s possible that Motte could play in Game Six. He termed the key depth forward a game-time decision. If he is back, that could provide a boost to the fourth line along with the penalty kill.
The thing about injuries in the playoffs is nobody likes seeing players get hurt. Having viewed the controversial play several more times, I agree with Gallant’s assertion that there was no intent.
My opinion on Trouba / Crosby: > Trouba is trying to get stick on puck. > He isn't targeting the head. There is head contact, but also substantial body contact. > His stick gets wrapped up in 87, which makes top hand on his stick go up – looking like an elbow. Unfortunate result. pic.twitter.com/tzkcLiyrdb
Frank Seravelli had an interesting viewpoint on Twitter. He also provided some better angles of Trouba and Crosby that paint a different picture entirely. It looks like a hockey play that was unfortunate. A tough one to call.
Also: I had not seen this angle until now. No doubt @NHLPlayerSafety has seen every angle.
It looks to me like Crosby's head snaps back as a result of whiplash from the body contact. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure Trouba's elbow even touches his head.https://t.co/UUppWJ1YXi
Not surprisingly, there was no supplemental discipline for Trouba. To his credit, he discussed it more at length with reporters. The main point he made is he was going for the puck.
“At the time, I didn’t know that was the play [Crosby] got injured on,” he said. “I tried going stick on puck when he was gonna shoot. But the stick kinda went between his legs and kinda hit his thigh and I kinda pushed my arm up.
It was kinda of a fluky play. It wasn’t massively hard contact. Unfortunately, you don’t ever want to see a guy get hurt. I don’t know exactly what the injury is. But I hope he feels better soon.”
Speaking of Crosby, the update doesn’t sound good for the Pens. Mike Sullivan indicated that he’s still being evaluated for an upper-body injury.
Coach Sullivan on Crosby's status: "Sid will be evaluated when he goes back to Pittsburgh with us today. He has an upper-body injury."
As Gallant and Chris Kreider noted, that doesn’t change things. The Rangers still trail the best-of-seven first round series three games to two.
Kreider mentioned how hard the Pens have competed by bringing a strong offensive game to the net. That’s something that can’t be underestimated. In this match-up, all four lines have created and contributed offense.
In the biggest news of the day, Igor Shesterkin was nominated for the Hart Trophy. He is indeed up for league MVP following a special season that saw him win 36 games with a 2.07 GAA, .935 save percentage and six shutouts.
Shesterkin led the NHL in goals-against-average and save percentage. Having already been nominated for the Vezina as the league’s top goalie, he’s up for the Hart against Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid.
Elite company. It’s special anytime a goalie is recognized as one of the game’s best players over a season. It’s a credit to how well Shesterkin’s played. He’s been the Rangers’ rock. The team MVP still has a big game or hopefully more to play in the postseason.
Gallant, Kreider and Trouba heaped plenty of praise on Igor. It’s well deserved. Considering how tough Games 3 and 4 were in the Steel City, you know he’ll want to give his absolute best to force a seventh and deciding game.
Whatever happens remains to be seen. I’ll have more tomorrow. Until then.
The Rangers salute the packed crowd at MSG after rallying for a 5-3 win over the Penguins to take Game Five and save their season. Game Six is tomorrow night at Pittsburgh. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images
For the longest time, it looked they were dead. When Kris Letang converted a Evgeni Malkin feed off a two-on-one almost halfway through, the Rangers really looked finished.
It’s hard enough to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. Trailing by two on home ice in a do or die scenario, it would’ve been easy for them to give up. Not tonight. Not with over 18,000 screaming fans fully behind them despite the score.
In what amounted to a heart and guts performance that had more defined their season, the Rangers got off the deck to rally back for a 5-3 win over the Penguins to take Game Five at MSG. They are very much alive headed to Pittsburgh for another elimination game on Friday.
It wouldn’t have been possible without large contributions from Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. The third line combined for two goals and two assists including the clutch Chytil game-winner on the power play with 17:07 left in a very tense third period.
They also don’t win without a gritty performance from key defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The heart and soul of the blue line returned after missing the last three games. At one point late in the second, he went to the locker room after absorbing a tough hit.
But the warrior came back for the emotional third. Somehow, whatever is ailing Lindgren didn’t prevent him from making a difference. When the Pens pulled Louis Domingue for an extra attacker in search of the equalizer, there was a calm Lindgren to clear the puck out of harm’s way. He then sent it down into a vacated net with 16 seconds left to seal it.
Nobody deserved that goal more than the man they call Lindy. In 27 shifts, he played 19:34 and blocked three shots while getting the empty netter that was a sigh of relief. Anxiety reduced in the building once that went in.
Of course, the moment everyone’s talking about is the hit Jacob Trouba laid on Sidney Crosby with 10:45 left in the second period. On a play in their zone, Trouba delivered a shoulder that caught a leaning Crosby up high. He fell to the ice in awkward fashion.
The Pens’ captain didn’t leave until taking a couple of more shifts. His last one came with under seven minutes remaining in the second. He would head to the locker room and not return.
When asked following the game what Crosby’s status was, coach Mike Sullivan indicated that he was still being evaluated for an “upper-body” injury. Considering the way he was caught and landed, that could mean anything. He did walk on his own out of the arena.
Coach Sullivan when asked about Trouba's hit on Crosby: "Did you see the hit? You probably have the same opinion I do."
As for what Sullivan asserted about the Trouba hit, I am in disagreement. But that’s to be expected. The vantage point of two bitter rivals and fans will be totally opposite. Was it dirty? If you ask Pittsburgh, yes. Is it going to come under scrutiny due to it being Crosby? Absolutely.
While a few of the Penguins media tried to spew nonsense about an elbow, it wasn’t. Neither was it a high stick as some contested. It was a hit. Not the heaviest Trouba has laid on an opponent. But it had an impact.
Will it be reviewed it by NHL Player Safety? Maybe. But here’s a point that nobody on the Penguins side wants to admit. If three refs and three linesmen didn’t make a call, then was it really what they claim?
These are the same officials who ignored obvious Penguin infractions early in the period when the Rangers were finally applying their most pressure. The same ones who overturned a Chytil goal with over three minutes remaining in Game One. He didn’t have his winner tonight changed.
Don’t forget too that they put Wes McCauley on Game Five. If there’s one ref I would want on a big game, it’s him. The crew that included Garrett Rank and Kendrick Nicholson wasn’t perfect. But they had six officials on this game.
Whatever happens between tomorrow and Friday happens. The interesting aspect is that Trouba had his most effective game. After the Pens fell apart without their emotional leader, he scored and assisted on two of the Rangers’ three goals over a 2:42 span.
That included a tremendous individual effort from Trouba in which took a feed from Artemi Panarin and made a strong power move for a great goal that suddenly put the Rangers in front with 2:07 left.
However, the Pens quickly countered by taking advantage of an Igor Shesterkin giveaway that allowed Evgeni Malkin to set up Jake Guentzel for his series-leading seventh just 13 seconds later. That meant a tie game with possibly one period left in the Rangers’ season.
Thankfully, they didn’t allow the Pens to end it on Garden ice. Instead, they played a courageous third period to earn the victory. That included Shesterkin, who overcame some more spotty goaltending to deliver his best work since Game Two. He stopped all 15 shots in the third to finish with 29 saves.
The packed building really helped him. Their energy helped the Rangers rally for their second win of the series. It sure didn’t come easy. Why would it? Could you stand all the excitement?
Everyone was ready for this game. Someone forgot to tell the players who started the game. On the opening shift, both Kreider (slashing on Crosby) and Trouba (elbowing on Guentzel) took coincidental minors before 25 seconds had elapsed. It was mind numbing.
While some fans booed the penalties, they were both legit. Despite the warped logic of fans on both sides, it’s not always a conspiracy when it goes against your team. Although I do agree the Rangers have had the short end of the stick. The Chytil reversal is still a hard one to digest. We don’t know what would’ve happened.
So, at 24 seconds into the first period, the Rangers were up against it. They had to kill off a full two-minute Penguins five-on-three. It felt impossible. Especially considering how that power play looked the past two games. Especially without Barclay Goodrow, who is sorely missed.
Credit the three penalty killers for doing an outstanding job. It was Andrew Copp, Lindgren and Adam Fox who were very good in front of Shesterkin. Then, Mika Zibanejad replaced Copp. Eventually, Copp returned with K’Andre Miller and Justin Braun.
Somehow, they managed to keep the three Pittsburgh shots to the outside. Shesterkin stopped Letang, Guentzel and Malkin in succession. The best one came on Letang who tested his glove. But he was ready for it.
Lindgren also blocked a shot. Of course, he did. That’s who he is. He is a lot like Dan Girardi. He makes up for his lack of size with grit and determination. He’ll do anything to help the team win.
As big as that two-minute penalty kill was, it hurt the team. They had trouble getting shots on Domingue. The strategy was fine. They finished checks and attempted shots. But the Pens defended well.
Lafreniere had a couple of good hits early. That line with Chytil and Kakko approached it the right way. Just as Chytil said before the game, they needed to have more of shooting mentality and play simple. Maybe that’s why the third line has been the Rangers’ best. They sure got rewarded.
In an unsurprising move, Gerard Gallant opted to dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. Both Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves made up the make shift fourth line that saw different players take turns on it. That included Lafreniere and Kakko.
Even more head scratching was Gallant’s refusal to give Patrik Nemeth a shift. I guess after Game Three, who could blame him? Even when Lindgren left for repairs later, he worked with his top five that included Fox, Trouba, Miller, Braun and Braden Schneider. So Nemeth dressed for nothing.
I didn’t mind. In games like these, you have to find a way to maximize your top forwards. In this extreme case, their top nine. Especially with Zibanejad, Kreider and Panarin bottled up. The latter looks to be playing hurt. Maybe he’s not fully recovered from what kept him out at the conclusion of the regular season.
After the Pens got the game’s first four shots, it was Lafreniere who finally got the Rangers’ first when he tested the blocker of Domingue at the 6:59 mark. Although they eventually picked it up, getting good looks was hard to come by.
While they were kept on the outside by the stingy Pittsburgh defense who still were without Brian Dumoulin, the Pens took advantage of some sloppy giveaways to strike first.
Following consecutive stops by Shesterkin on Brock McGinn, Crosby won an offensive draw from Zibanejad. With the Crosby line again applying constant pressure on the top line and Miller-Trouba pair, Guentzel forced Shesterkin into two more saves. He stuck with it to bank a loose puck in off Igor, who didn’t cover his near post.
JAKE GUENTZEL HAS SCORED AT LEAST ONE GOAL IN EVERY GAME IN THIS SERIES.
Since making his NHL playoff debut in 2017, Guentzel’s 32 playoff goals are tied for second in the league. pic.twitter.com/HbrJaarHnq
Guentzel’s sixth goal of the series came at 10:28 from Rust and Mike Matheson. The latter of who’s become a thorn in the Rangers’ side. He’s been the Pens’ best weapon from the blue line over Letang, who we’d hear from later.
In between the turnover fest, the best opportunity for the Blueshirts was when Ryan Strome found Panarin for a quick shot that Domingue made a good save on. Strome would get a couple of shots on the Penguins goalie later.
Only down a goal, it honestly felt like more due to how the Pens were playing. They patiently waited for mistakes and attacked when possible. Domingue made 11 saves in the period. But it didn’t feel like it. Even with Fox, Lafreniere and Chytil coming close late.
When my brother said that surviving the first period only down a goal was a win, that wasn’t exactly reassuring. But I knew what he meant. Especially considering the full two-man advantage the Penguins had in the early going.
The second started better. Although there weren’t many shots early, the Rangers began to assert themselves. Starting to win more physical battles, they took the play to the Pens.
Following a near miss from Matheson off the far goalpost, Panarin was denied by Domingue. Then Lindgren was stopped. You could feel the Rangers’ game coming. A better sustained attack led to a few more close calls.
The problem was nothing was getting past Domingue. There also were at least two missed calls on the Pens, who grabbed Blueshirts. They let a lot go. The boos were justified.
Chytil had a near miss in tight. After he had a shot blocked by Letang, Fox got trapped pinching in. The Pens quickly turned the puck the other way. Schneider made a bad step up in his end. What followed was Malkin threading a perfect pass across for a Letang shot that went over Shesterkin’s blocker for his first.
That made it 2-0 Pens with 12:02 left in the second. It sure wasn’t looking good. All they were doing was playing a smart defensive game. It had them ahead by two and looking like a lock to advance to the second round.
Shortly following the Letang tally, that’s when Trouba changed the game with his hit on Crosby. It wasn’t obvious at first. He definitely caught him flush in a tough position. I’m sure there will be even more fuss over it.
Sidney Crosby does not come out for the start of the third period. His last shift ended with just under seven minutes left in the second.
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 12, 2022
Since I’m not one who likes seeing players hurt, let’s hope Crosby is okay. If the Rangers are gonna force a seventh and deciding game, I want to beat the Pens with Crosby playing in Game Six. That way there are no excuses.
If you want to be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man. Think Nature Boy, Ric Flair. I want to see our side force Game Seven. But let’s do it straight up. Everyone knows by now how special Crosby is. He’s dominated this series with nine points.
When he couldn’t continue, Sullivan bumped up Malkin between Guentzel and Rust. They were a handful. People forget that Malkin can be very dangerous. He was throughout last night’s game. He also was ornery. That’s when he’s most effective. You don’t want to awaken the beast.
Once Crosby was gone, the Pens unraveled late in the second. Following some strong shifts and a key save from Shesterkin who heard the more happy chant of “Ig-or, Ig-or,” from the Garden contingent, here came the Rangers.
On some sustained pressure with both Trouba and Fox out with the second line, Strome and Copp were able to get the puck up top. For the first time all game, Fox had time and space. He waited before firing a wrist shot through a Strome screen past Domingue for his third to cut it to 2-1 with 4:49 left.
The building erupted. They nearly drew even on the next shift. But Zibanejad sent a Lafreniere centering pass wide of the net. That’s the kind of series it’s been. It goes without saying that Zibanejad has to be a factor on Friday to force Game Seven.
Some splendid work from the third line led to the second straight goal. After Miller went wide on a shot, a good pinch from Trouba pushed the puck to Kakko behind the net. He centered for a wide open Lafreniere who slammed home his second in two games at 16:41.
With the arena rocking, Shesterkin made an important stop on Brian Boyle. Once the play moved into the Pittsburgh zone, some more forecheck pressure allowed Trouba to take a Panarin pass and cut in and beat Domingue with a backhand to give the Rangers three consecutive goals in 2:42.
Before Joe Tolleson could even announce that goal, Shesterkin misplayed a puck right to Guentzel. He stopped the first shot. But Malkin set up Guentzel in the slot for his second of the game to suddenly tie it at three only 13 seconds later.
That goal with 1:54 left in the second could’ve really demoralized the Blueshirts. To their credit, they wouldn’t let it.
At the beginning of the third period, it was the Malkin line with Guentzel and Rust applying some early pressure. But a key Shesterkin save on Malkin got the crowd back into it.
Marcus Pettersson took an undisciplined interference minor on Copp in the offensive zone. That was a huge momentum shift.
On a power play, Gallant went with his suddenly struggling top unit. Following another bad Zibanejad miss that allowed the Pens to clear it down, out came the little used second unit. I begged for it.
On what can best be described as a broken play, Frank Vatrano and Lafreniere had a puck take a home bounce right to Chytil. In the slot, he quickly took a turnaround wrist shot that beat Domingue top shelf for his first career postseason goal at 2:53.
This one counted. Chytil jumped up into the boards and celebrated the big power play goal. He deserved it. He’s been working so hard. He also backed up his pregame talk. The assist gave Lafreniere two points for the game.
Leading 4-3, the Rangers were still a long way from forcing a sixth game. That point was made clear when they blew a four-on-one. It only led to a Kreider shot that Domingue was ready for making a good glove save.
On the flip side, Shesterkin had to contend with a pair of tough shots from Evan Rodrigues. He made two straight clutch saves to get The Garden chanting, “Ig-or, Ig-or, ” again. He needed that.
It was a nerve racking heart in your throat kind of period. Exactly what every Ranger fan wanted. A closely fought game where they did the opposite of 2014 and it worked. It’s always smart to fall behind by two at home in an elimination game and drive your fans cuckoo.
Then finally take the lead only to give it right back 13 seconds later. So, when Chytil scored to put them back ahead, I’ll readily admit that I didn’t know what to expect. If you did by that point, you’re lying. Lol 😆 🤣
Here were the Pens minus Crosby playing well. They were attacking the same exact way. You just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But Shesterkin steadied. He got back to being the goalie he is capable of. That’s the biggest reason there’s a Game Six. If he can figure it out in enemy territory, there’s a good chance there will be a Game Seven this weekend.
After a good save on Danton Heinen, Strome lost his cool and took an undisciplined minor for unsportsmanlike conduct on Teddy Blueger. Sam Rosen was right to call him out for the penalty.
Fortunately, the Rangers killed it off. Shesterkin made one more stop on Rodrigues, who was dangerous. During a scrum, Malkin lost his cool after Lindgren took him down. But Guentzel also got an extra two from roughing Fox.
That ended the Pens power play. After a brief four-on-four, the Rangers went back on the man-advantage. They got a couple of shots from Panarin and Kreider, but never came close to extending the lead.
This one went down to the wire. It was nervous time when a dangerous Matheson rush almost resulted in the tying goal. Good thing he missed. There were a few sequences like that one.
Another Malkin minor for roughing Kevin Rooney, who quietly had a good defensive game, put the Rangers on another power play. But like a broken record, Gallant overused his failing top unit which is firing blanks.
The Pens even had a shorthanded chance. Shesterkin denied McGinn from distance. The Rangers got two shots on the power play.
Afterwards, Kasperi Kapanen went wide with a shot from the slot. That was a good opportunity for the Pens to tie it. So was Mark Friedman, who Shesterkin this time stopped. He also missed wide on a rebound.
That these are the guys getting chances tells you about the Pens’ mentality. They’re all dangerous. They didn’t need Crosby in the third to out-shoot the Rangers 15-11. If they want to return to MSG, they can’t allow such opportunities.
The final minute and a half was nuts. After Domingue went to the Pittsburgh bench for an extra attacker, the Pens attempted five shots. Both Letang and Guentzel went wide. Rodrigues was denied twice more by Shesterkin, who came up big in crunch time.
Then Lindgren cleared the loose puck away from the crease. He then got to it and sent it down the ice where it landed right in the center of the Pens net at 19:44.
Exhale. The bottom line is they got it done. It wasn’t easy. It isn’t supposed to be. Now, it’s about stealing one in Pittsburgh. That will require a better start tomorrow night. If they can get an early lead and Igor stays locked in, it’s possible.
These games are very stressful. Just imagine what the players must feel. They showed a lot of heart and guts. It’ll take even more to win Game Six. The character of this team finally showed up. Let’s see them do it again.
THREE STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Jacob Trouba NYR goal (1st), assist, 4 SOG, 6 attempts, 2 hits including the one on Crosby, 3 blocks, +3 in 23:01
2nd 🌟 Filip Chytil NYR game-winning power play goal at 2:53 of 3rd period, 2 SOG, 6 attempts in 12:37
1st 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere NYR goal (2nd) plus assist (2), 3 SOG, 4 attempts, 3 hits in 16:20
There’s no tomorrow. That’s a line from Rocky III. Apollo Creed’s words for Rocky as he trains for the rematch with Clubber Lang certainly apply to tonight’s game.
It’s do or die. Facing playoff extinction following a nightmarish Game Four, the Rangers have no choice. They must win Game Five at MSG against the Penguins to extend the best-of-seven first round series.
By now, we know how tough the Pens are. Led by Sidney Crosby, they lead the series three games to one. After slowing the top line down in Game Three, the Blueshirts had no answer on Sunday night.
The word “soft” was used by Gerard Gallant during a brief postgame. To a man, the players know how poorly they played. A repeat and it’ll be a sad ending to a good season.
They must play every shift like it’s their last. That means bringing a much better strategy to tonight’s elimination game. Don’t get sucked into the more wide open style the Pens have played.
Tighter checking and more consistent forechecking are keys to a victory. So are shots. Something they haven’t done enough of on Louis Domingue. That goes for the power play. Even though they haven’t gotten too many opportunities, they’re 0 for their last 7 since starting the series 2-for-2.
Filip Chytil has it right. They must bring it. That means more shots and less fancy passes that have gotten them in trouble. That line with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko have played the right way in their first postseason.
Spoke to Filip Chytil, who delivered a strong pregame message:
"We have to put it in our heads that every shot can end up in a goal. We just have to switch to this mode & shoot more… We're probably one of the teams who loves to make an extra pass. But we can't play like this."
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) May 11, 2022
By getting pucks in and winning the board battles, they’ve been able to cycle the puck. That’s lead to shots and scoring chances. Simple is better now. If there’s an opportunity to shoot with traffic in front, they can’t pass it up.
Let’s think back to what Ryan Strome said yesterday. They’ve been a resilient team all season. It’s time to find out what kind of character they have. Win this game and the pressure shifts to the Pens. They don’t want to return for a Game Seven.
If they’re to come out victorious later, they’ll need their best players to play like it. That means Chris Kreider must lead the way. He was on the ’14 and ’15 teams that came back from a 3-1 series deficit. He’s been the glue. His 52 goals and 26 power play goals were a big reason for the team’s success. The longest tenured Ranger needs a big game. He must be physically involved and score a goal.
If Kreider is the emotional leader of this team, then Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are its top scorers. Along with Adam Fox, who had a forgettable night in Pittsburgh the other day, the Blueshirts’ trio need to step up. They’ve been ineffective thus far. That can’t be the case tonight.
Everyone knows how much Igor Shesterkin has meant to the season. He’s up for the Vezina. They nominated Shesterkin along with Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros for the award. Shesterkin must have a short memory. He can’t change what happened in Games Three and Four. However, he still can change the story.
That means being sharper and making the big saves. It also means having strong rebound control. Something that he didn’t have in Pittsburgh. He had trouble holding onto shots due to the pressure in front. Igor needs a good night.
Of course, he can’t do it alone. The defense must be a lot better. They hung him and reliever Alex Georgiev out to dry. It was embarrassing. There was no structure. That can’t happen later.
Both Fox and Jacob Trouba need to play much steadier. Those are their best defensemen. Fox can’t have any costly turnovers and fail to get back. Trouba must play with that edge he did during thr season. As tough an assignment Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are, he has to do a better job.
It can’t all fall on partner K’Andre Miller, who’s still learning. He’s put in a better effort this series. But there have been moments where he got caught on for goals against. His skating and reach are strengths. So are his instincts. He and Trouba are the shutdown pair. They have to be in sync from the drop of the puck.
Whether Ryan Lindgren plays, Fox knows how he must play. It’s obvious that not having Lindgren has hurt. They play well off each other. That isn’t an excuse. If he can go, Lindgren will be in. Then it becomes a question of does Gallant go with seven D and 11 forwards. Or will it be a regular alignment.
Much of what has made the team effective is the energy Ryan Reaves supplies. He definitely brought that in the first two games. Obviously, the hitting can get his teammates going and the crowd. He along with Kevin Rooney and either Dryden Hunt or Jonny Brodzinski can bring the lunch pail mentality if Gallant plays four lines.
As much as they’ve missed Barclay Goodrow, who really could’ve helped frustrate the Pens with his tenacious style, that doesn’t matter anymore. The Pens have key guys out too, but have overcome it to put themselves in a strong position.
Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp were acquired by Chris Drury to make a difference. We’ve seen it both after the deadline and in these playoffs. Copp scoring a goal in the first three games including shorthanded to tie Game Three. Vatrano tallying twice and factoring in on a couple of more goals.
To their credit, they’ve been good. However, nobody in the top six was the other night. It starts with Zibanejad, who is still without a goal while going up against Crosby. Then Panarin, who despite two goals including a three-point game, hasn’t been consistent enough.
The best players must be that in an hour. Strome, who was effective during the first three games, must rebound from a bad Game Four. Sad as it might sound, this could be his final game as a Ranger. He’s been a good leader and player.
Gallant has the last change tonight. He must find the right match-ups. If that means getting Zibanejad away from Crosby, so be it. Maybe the Panarin line can do a better job on the forecheck.
How about getting the top two lines out against the Pens’ bottom six? Mike Sullivan has been able to. Gallant must handle this game like a Game Seven. If that means shortening up in the third period, so be it.
We’ll find out a lot more about these Blueshirts tonight.
With another draft lottery in the books and decisions announced on the coaching staff, the Devils offseason now appears pretty much on hiatus until July for the most part. Things certainly began with a bang on both fronts though, starting with the Devils announcing that they were parting ways with assistants Alain Nasreddine and Mark Recchi, while showing no indication of making a change at the head coaching position despite the team’s worst record in thirty-five years. Honestly though I’ve gone back and forth on this, you could make a case for Lindy Ruff getting a third season with a new staff, especially given the COVID-compressed schedule in his first season and the goaltending dumpster fire of this season.
Maybe if Lindy was a career assistant with no track record of success before coming here, I’d be more on the fire the head coach bandwagon – but unless we hear about an extension he’s still going to be on a short leash regardless – given he signed a three-year contract initially. I don’t think there’ll be a change at this point though, and no I don’t buy the Barry Trotz pipe dream despite the fact GM Tom Fitzgerald was at one point the captain of his Nashville team. Both because I don’t see us giving a head coach as much say as Trotz will want, nor do I think Trotz would pick us over more potential win-now choices anyway…if he even wants to remain as a head coach, since some rumors have him wanting to try his hand in management.
Plus, whatever you think about Lindy, it was time for changes on the staff regardless. Recchi in particular was a disaster here – at least in terms of running a power play, after two seasons of underachieving with the Penguins’ PP. While Nasreddine is probably a decent NHL assistant, the fact is he’s been here under two staffs now with an interim head coach stint in between, and almost all of them in the midst of poor seasons aside from the 2017-18 playoff run. There was no way you could stick him on a third different staff if (when?) the Devils do make a change from Ruff down the road, and given his contract was up it may well have been a mutual decision to part ways. Hopefully the actual head coach has more input on this staff at least – maybe a promotion for ex-Sabre Chris Taylor? It also wouldn’t surprise me if Kevin Dineen got promoted to the NHL staff after a solid season down in Utica, assuming he doesn’t get an actual head job somewhere else.
After exit interviews and the staff announcements came the latest lotto drama yesterday. I admit I was kind of ambivalent about the lottery until then, in part because I’m just tired of it and in part because I figured we were due for some bad luck anyway, though a worst case would have had us only dropping to seven with just two drawings this year. Not to mention projected #1 overall Shane Wright plays center and would have been merely strengthening a strength after the breakouts of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier this year, as well as the emergence of rookie Dawson Mercer at center/wing. Perhaps winding up #2 was actually a best-case scenario for the Devils in a way, given three of the main options at that pick are all at positions of need – either Slovakian power forward Juraj Slafkovsky or fellow Slovak blueliner Simon Nemec, as well as defenseman David Jiricek from the Czech Republic. My early pick based on nothing but feel is that the Devils will go with Slafkovsky given Fitz’s wish (as well as mine) to add a legit power forward with skill to a group of smaller, shiftier players up front. Any BPA from that group should do however. Either way, I doubt trading #2 overall would be on the table.
Despite my initial ambivalence, I admit that I was amused at once again drawing the long straw, especially when the top three for once also didn’t include another division rival. As it stood, it was Montreal who wound up with the top pick and deservedly so, given they finished with the worst record in the league – even after interim coach Martin St. Louis led them on a late-season surge after he got hired. It probably makes Gary Bettman and the suits at the NHL a little happier, given that the draft is actually in Montreal. For an added bonus, their fans won’t have to go anywhere after the inevitable drafting of Wright since Montreal also has Calgary’s first-rounder at least. I’m sure fans around the league were less happy that we wound up with yet another lotto win, just when the new rules limiting a team to win twice in five years started. This might not be our last season in the lotto, but hopefully it’s the last season where we have a realistic chance of winning one. It’d take one heck of a leap on paper to make up the thirty-seven points from our season total of 63 to the playoff cutoff line of 100, but in an ideal world next season we build a huge part of the bridge to clear that gap.
There are losses. And then there are losses. That the Rangers got absolutely humiliated in Game Four by the Penguins 7-2 is as bad as it gets.
They now trail the series three games to one. The Rangers will face elimination on Wednesday in a do or die Game Five at The Garden. Lose and it’ll be a sad conclusion to a feel good season.
Obviously, I don’t want to see them go out like that. But right now, the Pens have proven they’re the better T-E-A-M. They’re winning every battle. They’re scoring with ease on Igor Shesterkin, who again got chased after a miserable second period that saw the Blueshirts outscored 5-1.
It isn’t all on Shesterkin. He wasn’t sharp in either game played at Pittsburgh. Maybe the triple overtime marathon and then facing another heavy workload has been a factor. He made 118 saves on 124 shots in the first two games. Since, he’s allowed 10 goals on the next 45 shots.
You don’t have to be a math expert, or a nerdy statistical analyst. That’s not good. It’s the product of how poorly the team has played. Without Ryan Lindgren, it’s become evident that the defense isn’t the same. Adam Fox was miserable tonight. He scored a goal, but his defensive game was non-existent.
It isn’t even about Justin Braun, who’s filled in admirably. Fox finished minus-three and didn’t distinguish himself. He’s far from alone. It was also a nightmare game for Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. They were too passive. All three top Rangers over passed and turned over pucks.
That’s not how you win in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Pens have played classic playoff hockey. They’ve gone North/South by getting bodies in front of Shesterkin and broken down the lackluster Ranger defense. It’s all five skaters. There’s no cohesion. If it continues, they’ll be able to book tee times in 48 hours.
Sidney Crosby has dominated this series. The Penguin captain and all-time great scored a key tying goal on the power play and set up two more to pad his point total to nine (2-7-9) in the first four games.
The three points allowed Crosby to reach 200 for his brilliant postseason career. If they didn’t know about number 87 before this first round, they sure are learning a valuable lesson. His line has dominated the match-up. Jake Guentzel added his fifth goal of the series.
Crosby: "We know we have a lot of work left… They are a good hockey team and it is going to be a big challenge going to New York."
That’s what Crosby said following his team’s Game Four victory. You don’t have to like him. But it’s easy to respect the complete player and leader he is. Closing out a series isn’t easy. That was his message.
The big question is can the Rangers dig down deep and mount a comeback. In 2014, it was the valuable playoff experience and leadership of Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards that helped rally the Blueshirts back from a 3-1 series deficit to win a memorable second round over the Crosby and Evgeni Malkin Pens.
In that stirring comeback which was the first of two in Rangers franchise history, Henrik Lundqvist allowed only three goals in the final three games. The Rangers never trailed. Inspired by St. Louis, who lost his Mom France after Game Four, they came together to win that series and make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
That was a great run. Can a more inexperienced batch of Blueshirts figure it out? Right now, it seems impossible. But they have to remember to take it one period at a time. The goal is to win Game Five. Extend the series. Then, the pressure shifts to Pittsburgh.
It sure won’t be easy. Given the amount of battles they’ve lost along with losing the one huge edge they had in net due to the Pens getting to Igor, there are a lot of questions. They’ll need to play much harder and smarter.
That means no more East/West predictable nonsense that’s put them in this gigantic hole. No more back passes that go out of the zone or fuel the Pens’ transition. No more lazy stick checks. Better defensive coverage. A lot more shots and traffic on Louis Domingue. The third string hero for Pittsburgh.
It’s easy for us to say it can’t happen. Right now, everyone’s written off the Rangers. The only thing that matters is what the guys in that locker room think. If they come with the right mindset, it’s still possible.
They’ll need some leadership from Chris Kreider. He’s the only player left from that 2014 roster. He knows what it takes to come back. That great era of Blueshirts did it twice in back-to-back years. It was the Penguins in the second round of 2014. Then the Capitals the following year in the same round.
The good news is Kreider wasn’t seriously hurt after taking a hard Zibanejad shot high that saw him exit during a much more evenly played first period. He returned for the start of a disastrous second that is the worst period the Rangers have played this season.
It was inexplicable. Even if you want to point the finger at Patrik Nemeth for an undisciplined high-sticking minor penalty that led to a very strange tying Crosby goal that I don’t even think he knew was in. Regardless, they got it right in Toronto after a lengthy review that allowed the Pens to tie the game.
That doesn’t fully explain what we saw. How they went from an early goal from Alexis Lafreniere off some superb teamwork thanks to Braden Schneider, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil- to completely melting down in embarrassing fashion during an uncompetitive second period was mind numbing.
Equally as eye rolling was coach Gerard Gallant’s decision not to stop the Pens’ momentum after the scored two straight goals over a 24-second span to turn a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead before a bedlam of loud Pittsburgh fans who made sure to chant, “Ig-or, Ig-or!!!” That’s two consecutive games where Gallant didn’t take his timeout when it was obvious they needed one.
While his decision to bench Shesterkin for backup Alex Georgiev worked last game following a four-goal first period, he waited too long this time. Even after Fox got a rare Ranger bounce when he had his pass go off Mike Matheson to cut the deficit to 4-2, it was temporary.
How the mind boggling second ended was brutal. It was bad enough Shesterkin let in a soft goal to Mark Friedman earlier that made it 4-1. But he was defenseless on the fifth and sixth goals.
Just reading between periods about Shesterkin not being able to get it done. I just don’t see that. 3 deflections, the Crosby PPG reviewed goal, the Guentzel cross crease tap in. The Pens have been the better team by a lot. Seems to me like the issues are in front of Shesterkin
Instead, a lazy Fox pass was easily intercepted by Kris Letang, whose shot was headed wide until an unchecked Danton Heinen redirected it home with 1:07 remaining. K’Andre Miller was beaten on the play. He got caught watching.
That was already a backbreaking goal. What followed was pure madness with Jeff Carter easily burying his third from Jason Zucker as more Rangers stood around aimlessly. Those two goals that came 40 seconds apart turned a doable two-goal deficit into a 6-2 rout in favor of the home side.
Chalk it all up and the game was over. Malkin added the extra point. Or to borrow a term from Sean McCaffrey, “an A-Rod goal.” That was your final margin.
I don’t know what else to say. I already summed it up well above. I didn’t particularly understand why Gallant broke up the Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko line. They were the only line going.
That’s because they didn’t play vanilla hockey. They got pucks in, recovered them and used their speed and skill to create a goal and more scoring chances. If the top two lines played like that along with the pass happy Fox, they might have a chance. It remains to be seen.
Another thing I didn’t account for was the Pens’ playoff experience. When you have Crosby, Letang, Malkin along with Brian Boyle and Carter, they know this is likely their last rodeo. Especially for Crosby, Letang and Malkin. They’ve played hungry and determined hockey.
One thing is clear. So far, Mike Sullivan has out-coached Gallant badly. If he can’t get his team to buy in and stop playing cute, they’ll be going home for the summer in two days. That means better adjustments both before the start and during Game Five.
The regular season was special. But the goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs. Regardless of Lindgren and Barclay Goodrow being out along with Tyler Motte, they need to play with much more urgency. Play every shift as if their life depends on it.
It isn’t like the Pens aren’t without key players. They lost Brian Dumoulin after the wild Game One. But Matheson has stepped up. They are still without Rickard Rakell, who skated without contact.
Tristan Jarry is getting closer. They lost Casey DeSmith in the second overtime of the first game. But they’ve played much better in front of Domingue.
Another thing. I can understand moving Panarin up to play with Zibanejad and Kreider. But he’s better off with Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp. Lafreniere got moved up to the second line. But Frank Vatrano went to the fourth line while Kevin Rooney played with Chytil and Kakko.
It didn’t make sense. There’s a difference between tinkering with combos during the regular season and postseason. It looked like desperation.
Gallant made one change. He inserted Jonny Brodzinski on the checking line. He initially was with Rooney and Ryan Reaves. I like his skating ability as he can win battles and create. He did find Reaves open for a shot that missed wide when it was a game. Does he stay in or does Dryden Hunt return?
It depends on Lindgren. He’s missed three consecutive games with whatever has been nagging him. I’m sure he’ll try to go in Game Five. He’s a gamer. Would Turk try using an 11 forward, 7 defensemen alignment for a must win scenario?
As bad as he’s looked the last two games (three periods), I don’t see Shesterkin not starting. He’s the guy they’ve gotten here with. Give Georgiev credit for coming in and again playing well in relief. He’s definitely boosted his value.
Georgiev stopped 10 of 11 shots tonight. In Game Three, he made 19 saves on 20 shots. It’s not easy to come in like that in the playoffs. He definitely deserves respect.
It would be very easy to go more in detail and break down all the Penguin goals. There’s no point. It’s an exercise in futility.
Alexis Lafrenière scores his first career playoff goal. In the regular season and playoffs combined this season, Lafrenière has collected 20 goals – all even-strength.
Congrats to Lafreniere on his first career postseason goal. He beat Domingue on a good wrist shot far blocker side. He was the best Ranger in just his fourth playoff game. I’ve been encouraged by how Lafreniere, Kakko and Chytil have competed.
I believe the fat cat$ sure can learn from the simple yet effective approach three of the team’s youngest players have applied. That’s how they need to play. Then, maybe we’re back discussing a Game Six.
For the first time in #NYR history, the team has 2 players aged 20 or younger with multiple points in the team's first 4 play off games.
This was a crusher. There’s no other way to put it. Despite a valiant effort to rally from a three-goal first period deficit with a great second period comeback, the Rangers lost Game Three to the Pens in tough fashion.
Pittsburgh used a fluke goal from Danton Heinen to break a 4-4 tie and then added two empty netters for a 7-4 home victory before over 18,000 screaming Pens fans at PPG Paints Arena. They now lead the best-of-seven first round series two games to one.
Why did the Rangers lose? Let’s count the ways.
A. They got off to a bad start. Urged on by their crowd, the Pens got the game’s first goal and dominated the first period by outscoring the Blueshirts 4-1.
B. Igor Human. It was a forgettable road playoff debut for Igor Shesterkin. He was not sharp from the outset allowing four goals on 15 shots. That included two he usually has. Following the first period, he was lifted in favor of Alex Georgiev. Although be gave them a chance at the comeback, Georgiev allowed a bad goal on the winner that proved costly.
C. Poor Special Teams. An area that had been a team strength turned into a nightmare in Game Three. The Rangers penalty kill allowed a pair of Penguin power play goals late to secondary players who hadn’t scored. Their power play failed miserably in three consecutive chances despite Andrew Copp’s shorthanded goal that tied the game.
D. Secondary Scoring. Although the third line played well with Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil setting up Kaapo Kakko for his first career postseason goal, that paled in comparison to the offensive contributions the Pens got. Four different players scored including a pair from Jeff Carter and Evan Rodrigues with Heinen getting the winner with 8:58 left in regulation.
E. Missing Mika. By now, you have to be wondering what’s happened to Mika Zibanejad. While he did pick up an assist on Frank Vatrano’s third of the postseason, he didn’t establish himself. Zibanejad is without a goal in the series and made a critical mistake on the Heinen winner. He also had a tough night on face-offs losing 14 of 20.
F. Coaching. You have to wonder if Gerard Gallant is doing enough to expose the Pens, who remained without Brian Dumoulin and Rickard Rakell. Mike Sullivan is down to third stringer Louis Domingue and he was good enough to win in crunch time. Sullivan got a favorable match-up by putting out the Evgeni Malkin line against the Rangers’ third pair. The result was disastrous. That tactical move along with a strong response from a clearly shaken team allowed the Pens to win the game.
Everything noted above factored into a brutal loss for the Rangers. Now, they must respond again like in Game Two. Game Four is a must if they want to give themselves the best possible chance to win the series.
The real frustrating aspect is that they could’ve won all three games. Don’t blame the refs. They miss calls in every game due to the game’s speed.
Is it their fault the penalty kill couldn’t stop world beaters Jeff Carter and Evan Rodrigues near the conclusion of Pittsburgh power plays?
Was it their responsibility when the Rangers did everything but score on three straight power plays? I suppose it’s their fault Patrik Nemeth got taken off the puck by Malkin and Zibanejad over skated to cause the Danton Heinen soft game-winner Alex Georgiev allowed.
Enough already with the officiating. Good teams can overcome a few missed calls. Even a delay of game that a furious Lafreniere protested. Plus a high-stick to Frank Vatrano with the Blueshirts trailing by one. They still had their chances and didn’t take it.
In this blog, you won’t get any excuses. That’s for losers. I think most of our fan base forgot what it was like to be in the playoffs. Look at the way they act.
Everyone cried when Brock McGinn’s goal off Nemeth counted as he pushed the net off at 1:57. Where were they when Andrew Copp tied the game shorthanded when Kris Letang did the same exact thing? Both were the right calls.
As tough a start as that was where McGinn got a bounce for an unassisted goal to give the Pens an early lead, the third line responded with the equalizer less than four minutes later.
On what was a heckuva play, Lafreniere took a Chytil pass and made a terrific backhand pass across for a cutting Kakko, who beat Louis Domingue short side, high glove at 5:08. It was an excellent play by all three. They were the best line during the game.
If the three former first round picks are the Rangers’ most effective at five-on-five, that’s a problem. It means the top two scoring lines must pick it up starting Monday.
Nobody has struggled more than Mika Zibanejad. Even though he has three assists in the series, he can’t find a goal. Being matched up against Sidney Crosby is no small task. He gets credit along with Chris Kreider and Vatrano for doing a better job against Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust.
However, Zibanejad has no goals on 10 shots thus far. Had he been able to convert on a glorious chance that a sprawling Domingue stopped during the second Rangers’ power play, it could’ve been a better result. They must get production from number 93. It can’t be Missing Mika on a milk carton.
There have been better efforts from Kreider and Vatrano. Kreider has two goals and two assists while being focused on. Vatrano has been superb producing two goals and two helpers while getting some more opportunities due to his shoot first mentality.
The Artemi Panarin line was very effective as the game went on. Coming off a three-point game in Game Two, Panarin scored his second of the series to pull the Blueshirts within one during a second period onslaught.
That line buzzed around the Pittsburgh net. Both Copp and Ryan Strome had good nights. Strome was very visible battling in front on the Panarin snipe that he assisted on. Copp blew a couple of point blank chances in the slot by missing wide. If he buries one of those, we might be talking about a win. They combined for 13 shots and 24 attempts.
You could make an argument that they were unlucky. But that would also be discrediting Domingue, who made some tremendous saves. His best came when he robbed Panarin with a desperation stop on a dominant Rangers five-on-four. I still dont know how they didn’t score. That determined the game.
Domingue made 32 saves on 36 shots. Fourteen came in a busy second where his team were on their heels. He stopped nine in the third period to pickup the win. The second of the series for a veteran who relieved injured goalie Casey DeSmith in overtime of Game One.
Somehow, the Rangers are trailing this series despite having a huge edge in net. You’d never know it by how the Penguins chased Shesterkin, who was off his game.
While some will second guess Gallant for going to Georgiev after the nightmarish first, he had to do something to get his team’s attention. Personally, I would’ve used a timeout after Rodrigues made it 3-1 on the second straight Pens power play goal.
Instead, he didn’t do anything to stop the momentum. With the building rocking with their Terrible Towels (Steelers), Gallant watched Braden Schneider get rocked by Brian Boyle on a clean hit. After getting separated by the puck, Schneider watched Boyle set up Rodrigues in the slot for his second of the period to make it 4-1.
It was a rough game for the third pair. Nemeth got victimized twice. First on the strange McGinn unassisted tally that set the tone. He had the puck go off him as he banged into the net. The call of no goal was quickly overturned. There was no ref in position to see it. It was an obvious goal.
Nemeth got overpowered by Malkin, who had been quiet most of the night. That turnover in the corner resulted in Heinen scoring his first at 11:02 of the third period. He finished minus-three.
The interesting part of the first period is that the Rangers actually played well at even strength. Instead of throwing long unscreened shots on Domingue, they aimed low for rebounds that were available. The strategic change was applied throughout the game.
Despite that, here came the Pens. On a forecheck by their checking unit, McGinn won a board battle against Nemeth. He then sent a harmless looking puck towards Shesterkin that deflected in.
Initially, the out of position stripes ruled it no goal. However, it was obvious that as McGinn’s shot was headed in, Nemeth’s skate knocked the net off. In that situation, it’s usually a goal. When they got off the phone, the play was reversed to give the Pens a 1-0 lead less than two minutes in.
Rather than get deflated, the Blueshirts responded the right way. They continued to attack the Penguins better at five-on-five. With more precision, Chytil got the puck up to Lafreniere who gained the Pittsburgh zone and made a good cross-ice pass to Kakko for his first of the postseason at 5:08.
It really felt like they had withstood the push. Instead, an iffy Justin Braun holding minor on Heinen handed the Pens a power play. After they handled the top unit even getting a shorthanded chance from Kreider that Domingue denied, out came the second unit.
If the penalty kill thought it was time to relax, they sure paid for it. After Mike Matheson gained the zone, he moved the puck up for a Rodrigues point shot that went off Carter’s skate right through Shesterkin at 8:18.
That was one Shesterkin should’ve had. He couldn’t squeeze his pads together. That really hurt the momentum. The power play goal came with 11 seconds left in the penalty. Regardless if it was a soft call, that was a bad job by the penalty killers and Igor.
Things got even worse. Following an Adam Fox turnover, Copp high-sticked Jason Zucker. Playing his first game of the series, he was a factor by finishing checks and drawing a penalty.
After the penalty kill again threatened shorthanded against the Pens’ first unit, they let down. Domingue moved the puck up to Matheson who had all kinds of room to set up Rodrigues for a 3-1 lead only 2:13 later.
At that point, you could feel the Rangers unraveling. Nothing changed. No timeout to stop the Pens’ momentum along with the energy in the building. That was questionable.
It didn’t get any better. While Domingue was making the saves even though he looked shaky, the Pens were delivering big hits that got the crowd even more into it. They went after Fox. The plan worked.
On a play near the boards, Schneider got taken off the puck by a clean Boyle hit. He then passed for a wide open Rodrigues, who easily beat a shaken Shesterkin with 4:45 left to make it 4-1.
Evan Rodrigues has two goals and an assist in Game 3… and we still have two periods of hockey to go. pic.twitter.com/q5x2siOHhr
It was shocking. I don’t think anyone envisioned a 4-1 Pens lead in the first period. Especially after the Rangers showed early signs of how to attack them. Nobody had Shesterkin getting chased for four goals on 15 shots after a period.
When the second period started, Gallant made the move to Georgiev. It was debatable. But I understood why. Something had to change.
In a role reversal, the Rangers turned it up. They generated scoring chances both in transition and on the forecheck. As the shots mounted, you could feel the momentum shift.
Following some close calls, they finally broke through on Domingue. On a play Zibanejad started up to a skating Kreider, he flew in and centered for a quick Vatrano one-timer that whizzed by Domingue upstairs to cut it to 4-2 at 6:51.
Before they knew what hit them, the suddenly reeling Pens got pinned in their zone by the Panarin line. Following a near miss, good plays by Strome and Fox combined to find an open Panarin. He waited for Kris Letang to move before wiring a shot high glove for his second.
The two goals came 1:07 apart. Just that quickly, the score went from 4-1 to 4-3. With the Blueshirts continuing to pile up the shots on Domingue, Copp nearly tied it. However, he missed wide on a perfect set up.
At one point, the shots were 11-0 Rangers. Georgiev finally saw his first shot and handled it. He’d make seven saves in the stress free period. He didn’t look nervous for his first postseason action.
With less than five minutes remaining in the second, Schneider hooked into Rodrigues. That gave the Pens their third power play. However, it was the Rangers who made the most of it.
After a clear down the ice, an aggressive Kevin Rooney pressured Letang in the neutral zone. He forced him into a bad turnover. Breaking in, he had his shot stopped by Domingue. The rebound came right to Copp for a shorthanded goal that tied the score with 4:01 remaining.
On the Copp goal, Letang banged into his own net pushing it off. However, like we saw on the McGinn goal early on, the play counted. Consistent with what the rules are.
By then, you didn’t want the period to end. When Heinen hooked into Fox enough to hand the Rangers their first power play, it felt like it was just a matter of time. But they failed to score on the first 1:25 to keep the game tied headed to the third.
After the Pens killed off the remaining 25 seconds of the Heinen minor, Malkin took down Schneider to give the Rangers their second straight power play. That was the opportunity they’ll be thinking about in their sleep. If they actually can.
Able to get whatever they wanted, twice they had Zibanejad in his office for quality chances. Following one save by Domingue on the first, Zibanejad had what looked like a gimme. However, his point blank one-timer was miraculously stopped by a sprawling Domingue.
#NYR Gerard Gallant: "You got to give Louis Domingue credit, when it was 4-4, he made 2 or 3 great saves on our power play. That was a big part of the game."
Seriously, Domingue fed off the PPG Paints Arena crowd, who took it upon themselves to show their faith in him.
Strome would also come close in front. Then Panarin had a great look, but fired high and wide. It really was incredible. The Pens were pinned in for nearly the whole two minutes. What a wasted opportunity.
Unfortunately, there would be one more. Following a couple of big Georgiev saves on Crosby in tight, Heinen slashed Nemeth in the offensive zone to hand the Blueshirts a third consecutive power play.
Instead of taking advantage, they didn’t. In fact, not one shot got through to Domingue. It was the more desperate Pens’ penalty killers who got it done. It really came back to bite them.
Back at five-on-five, they did get a couple of opportunities. Copp had a shot stopped by Domingue, who really sparked his team. He then flat out robbed Panarin on a slap shot. A gigantic save with the game hanging in the balance.
One thing that was noteworthy was Sullivan getting the Crosby line away from the Zibanejad line. Instead, it was the Malkin line against them. With the third pair on, it was a heavy Malkin hit that forced Nemeth to cough up the puck in the corner.
Despite that turnover, Zibanejad was in the area to retrieve the loose puck. Instead, he over skated. That caused Heinen to pick up the puck and take a harmless looking wrist shot on Georgiev. Somehow, the puck went underneath his glove to give the Pens a 5-4 lead with 8:58 remaining.
It was a crusher. You could see the pained look on Georgiev’s face after it went in. He couldn’t believe it. Nobody could. He had made some much better saves in relief. Yet allowed that softy. Wow.
As much heat as he’s getting for the loss, don’t forget that Shesterkin had a horrible first period. As hard as that is to say, he didn’t have it. That’s what put them in this position. Their goalie edge was a disadvantage in Game Three.
Following that goal, there was some controversy. It appeared that a Penguin deflected a puck directly out of play. An emotional Lafreniere protested. He clearly knew it. But the five officials couldn’t even conference and get it right. Howie suggested they review such plays. I agree.
The bigger miss was the failure to notice that Vatrano took a high stick after initially getting held. Nobody saw it. Those kind of stick infractions are frequently missed. You have three refs and two linesmen for the playoffs. It doesn’t matter.
If you saw the Avalanche/Predators game, you know how confusing the officiating can be. Gabriel Landeskog scored a go-ahead goal that counted even though a Colorado player’s skate made contact with Connor Ingram. It was challenged and lost. The Avalanche added a power play goal to pull away for the win. Former ref Don Koharski couldn’t believe it.
This is where the NHL is at. There are gonna be missed calls in these games. There are also going to be controversial rulings that can impact the outcome. I’m not going to rehash the overturned Chytil goal in Game One. What’s the point?
The Rangers never got the kind of high quality chances needed to seriously threaten in the final five minutes. The Pens defended better and also attacked. They were harder on the puck and earned it.
After Gallant finally wasted called his timeout, he pulled Georgiev with over two minutes left. But following a rare Zibanejad face-off win, Crosby broke up the play and fed Guentzel for an empty netter with 2:14 left.
Over a minute later, another good Crosby defensive play allowed Carter to score his second into the vacated net. That was it.
There isn’t much to add. But I found one Kreider quote very telling. In the postgame, he said he doesn’t think they’re playing together. He went onto say that they have to work smart. Not just hard. He didn’t feel they got to their game quick enough early. It showed.
He’s right. That’s the real issue. Why is that? Gallant is supposed to be in control. He’s the coach. How can they play so disjointed in such big games? They’re not being consistent enough.
This isn’t the regular season. Even with a supposed goalie edge due to Tristan Jarry and now DeSmith being out, we aren’t seeing the true Blueshirts. Either they get it together for Game Four. Even the series. Or it’s likely going to be a very disappointing end to a good season.
THREE STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Mike Matheson Pens 3 assists, 4 SOG, +1 in 23:23
2nd 🌟 Jeff Carter Pens 2 goals, 4 SOG, 6-for-12 face-offs in 13:42
1st 🌟 Evan Rodrigues Pens 2 goals plus 🍎, 5 SOG in 9:28
Kaapo Kakko drives into Casey DeSmith during Game One. The Filip Chytil goal was wiped out. He’s come close since. The third line is a key to the Rangers coming out on top against the Penguins. Photo by Derek Felix
The reality of tonight’s Game Three is that it’s a chance for the Rangers to send a message. Facing a banged up Pens who are being carried by one of the game’s greatest players in Sidney Crosby, they enter Saturday’s big game with the series tied.
No matter what happened to help decide the marathon Game One which Evgeni Malkin won three periods after it looked like Filip Chytil had the apparent winner late in regulation, the bottom line is they are where they are now.
That means building on the 5-2 victory to take Game Two at MSG to even the best-of-seven first round series. It’s the Blueshirts who have the edge in scoring depth thanks to key pickups Andrew Copp (2 goals) and Frank Vatrano, whose goal and two assists proved large on Thursday night.
While the Pens have done a good job keying on Mika Zibanejad (0 goals, 2 assists) due to the match-up with Crosby, they still must deal with Artemi Panarin. He sprung to life in Game Two with a goal and two assists.
Even though he wasn’t good defensively with the line caught on for both Penguin goals, the Bread Man provided enough offense to help the Rangers tie the series. That line with Copp and a very effective Ryan Strome must do a better job coming back defensively.
With the Pens learning that Casey DeSmith had core muscle surgery which has ended his postseason and Tristan Jarry still rehabbing, Louis Domingue is the goalie.
The veteran actually played better than his final line the other night. You could only classify one goal as stoppable with Vatrano able to catch Domingue off his angle to make it 5-2. He actually came up with some good saves to keep his team in it.
Obviously, the Rangers have a big edge in net with the expected Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin. An unflappable 26-year old Russian brick wall who followed up a franchise record 79 saves in triple overtime by making another 39 including some clutch ones early in the third period to make certain that his team went back to Pittsburgh with some momentum.
When you boast a goalie who’s stopped a ridiculous 118 of 124 shots over two games, that is remarkable. Especially when you observe that the Pens have gotten players in front to make it tough on Shesterkin.
One key to getting tonight’s Game Three is for enough Rangers to do a better job clearing the net front. By minimizing the traffic and letting Shesterkin see most of the shots, that should make it easier. That means better details whenever Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are sent out by Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan.
At the moment, Ryan Lindgren didn’t take the morning skate. The key defenseman remains a game-time decision for tonight. He didn’t play Game Two. Instead, it was veteran Justin Braun supplying important minutes at five-on-five and on the penalty kill to aid Adam Fox, who had a strong Game Two.
K’Andre Miller did a lot of things right in his second career postseason game. He was defensively responsible while stepping up offensively to assist on two Ranger goals. The second-year defenseman is playing big minutes under Gerard Gallant. He continues to pair up with Jacob Trouba, who has been physical in the tough match-up versus Crosby.
Even with Pittsburgh likely again without key defensive ace Brian Dumoulin (day-to-day) and Rickard Rakell (day-to-day), the Blueshirts must understand that they have to play a good overall game.
That means enough forwards back checking. No stick checks like we saw on the highlight reel Crosby goal on Thursday. No shortcuts. Better cohesion. That means less unforced giveaways like the one Panarin had to Crosby that led directly to Guentzel’s third in two games.
It means better puck management. No matter how tonight’s game is called by the stripes, they must avoid undisciplined retaliation penalties. You know the Pens crowd will be working the officials, who thus far have let some stuff go.
That doesn’t matter. Good teams fight through it. If they are able to sustain more pressure down low against the Penguins, that can tire out their defense and lead to more power plays. The Pens know how dangerous the Rangers are on the power play. Sullivan made sure to note that his penalty kill must improve.
Five-on-five, you’d like to see Zibanejad, Kreider and Vatrano play more in the Pens zone. It isn’t easy going up against Crosby. However, we haven’t seen the best of Zibanejad yet. He needs to show up. Kreider and Vatrano have both been involved.
The supporting cast has taken a hit with Barclay Goodrow done for the series. A blocked shot early in Game One has caused the lower-body injury that has him week-to-week.
It sounds like the rumors are true about him suffering a broken ankle. A tough break for a glue guy who does his best work this time of year. Regardless, it’s Next Man Up. That means more of Dryden Hunt, whose lunch pail work ethic can provide energy to the checking line that consists of Kevin Rooney and the physical Ryan Reaves.
The third line remains a key. Filip Chytil has been close to scoring. We all know about the wiped out goal with 3:10 left in regulation that might’ve cost the Rangers Game One. The strong Kaapo Kakko play to the net where he made contact with DeSmith after a Dumoulin shove that left Chytil wide open for a tap-in.
The 50/50 play didn’t count. The rest is history. However, Chytil has had a couple of more close calls. He has to stay aggressive along with Alexis Lafreniere, whose nine hits and strong forecheck have been noticeable.
There’s a feeling that line can be a factor. Any offensive support from the bottom six would be welcome. It can’t just fall on the top six for everything. Scoring depth is crucial in the postseason.
Gallant provided an update on Tyler Motte. He’s finally skating. Who knows if or when he can return. It would be a big boost if we saw Motte sooner rather than later. Especially to help upgrade a fourth line that while effective, doesn’t pack much punch.
One player the Pens could get back is Jason Zucker. He’s been practicing. Sullivan called him a game-time decision. If he returns later, that will help offset the loss of Rakell, who skated yesterday. He isn’t expected to play.
It’s interesting to note that none of the supporting forwards have scored. Five of the six Pens’ goals have come from Crosby, Guentzel and Rust. The other of course was Malkin’s winner in three overtimes.
Pittsburgh has had opportunities from their secondary forwards with Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle coming close. It isn’t that different from the Rangers’ third line.
We’ve seen Fox and Miller involved from the blue line. Kris Letang has played a ton. But hasn’t factored in yet. He and Mike Matheson are the Pens’ best offensive contributors from the back end.
It’s interesting to note that the Rangers played tighter checking games in their two regular season games at Pittsburgh. That’s a style they must get back to.
Gallant hasn’t really been focused on what the Pens are doing. He should be. Getting the right match-ups are important. You know Sullivan will look to avoid having the Crosby line against Miller and Trouba. He’ll try to get favorable match-ups against the Rangers’ third and fourth line with the final change.
Gallant needs to make sure he can change on the fly and avoid mismatches. That includes keeping the third pair of Patrik Nemeth and Braden Schneider away from Crosby or even Malkin. We’ll see how he handles the chess match on the road.
Figure the Pens to come out fast. They’ll feed off the home crowd. The Blueshirts will likely have to withstand an early push. Playing smart defensively and avoiding the penalty box will help the cause.
The injury factor is one that happens every postseason. That doesn’t matter. It’s about heart and guts now. No matter who’s in net for the Pens. The Rangers must play with that intensity to regain home ice. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.
Igor Shesterkin gets some love from Justin Braun after making 39 saves to help the Rangers defeat the Penguins 5-2. The first round series is tied 1-1 headed to Pittsburgh. Photo by Derek Felix via MSG Network
They’ve waited five years and one day for this. A Rangers win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They picked up their first postseason victory since May 4, 2017.
Igor Shesterkin starred by making 39 saves on 41 shots to backstop the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Penguins to take Game Two at a raucous environment in Madison Square Garden.
Without the Vezina winner which even Game One triple overtime hero Evgeni Malkin declared that Shesterkin made 79 saves in, this first round series isn’t tied headed back to Pittsburgh.
The amount of pressure he faced at the start of the third period was insane. It got a little too close for comfort following Sidney Crosby’s goal that made it 3-2 with 1:26 left in the second. His rebound of a Bryan Rust backhand where the Rangers had four players stick check made life difficult.
If there’s an area of concern, it’s how they’ve defended in front of Shesterkin. You can’t always expect the last line of defense to bail you out. However, nobody can dispute how special he is. He really bailed his teammates out in the first six minutes of the third.
It was literally a Pens’ shooting gallery as they were like killer bees in search of the equalizer. Fortunately, it never came. Shesterkin stopped the first nine shots of the period.
That included a huge save on Crosby and a highlight reel left pad denial on a wide open Malkin. Following a shift, he was left shaking his head and shouting expletives on the Pittsburgh bench.
Thankfully, following an Andrew Copp shot on Pens starter Louis Domingue, the Blueshirts remembered to play hockey. After fanning on a one-timer, Artemi Panarin had a shot attempt from a tough angle take a favorable carom off Mike Matheson past Domingue for a big goal that gave the Rangers some breathing room.
Arguably their best forward, Frank Vatrano exploded into the Pittsburgh zone and scored on a snapshot from the right circle to extend the lead to 5-2 with 10:11 remaining. That gave them two goals in 1:47.
Although they kept attacking, the Pens never recovered. Shesterkin wouldn’t allow them to get any closer. His 16 third period saves proved large in earning his first career postseason win.
Somehow, the media who cover these games didn’t think he was the game’s First Star. There’s no doubt he was. I also didn’t agree with the selection of Panarin as one of the three stars. As well as he played offensively, his line also got caught on for both Penguin goals.
I felt Vatrano deserved at least the Second Star. He had a very good game, tallying a goal and two assists in the victory. His speed and ability to find space was instrumental. The former Panther had a game. He was splendid throughout.
Prior to the game, key players for both sides were out. For the Broadway side, Ryan Lindgren (game-time decision) and Barclay Goodrow (lower-body) were out of the lineup. Replacing them were Justin Braun and Dryden Hunt.
On the Steel City side, Brian Dumoulin (game-time decision) and Rickard Rakell (upper-body) didn’t dress. Mark Friedman and Drew O’Connor took their place.
In terms of what it meant, Braun paired alongside Adam Fox on the Rangers’ top pair. Hunt was on the checking line with Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves. Here’s how the Pens lined up.
At the start of the game, you could feel the energy coming through the TV. Our Dad made it along with his referee partner Tommy. The building was rocking. Everyone knew what this game meant.
One thing also evident was the boos the officials received as they arrived on the ice. When it comes to The Garden, fans don’t forget. Even if that’s not why the Rangers lost that wild marathon, you knew there’d be some animosity. That’s what makes it such a great atmosphere.
My Pens friend Alyssa admitted in her Game One review on her YouTube channel that she really loved the environment. It sounds like she’d like to get out to a game at MSG. It’s definitely worth the trip.
The top story was how would our side manage the tough match-up against the Sidney Crosby line with Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. They had their way in Game One. Without Lindgren, it sure wasn’t easy.
Neither were the stripes missing an obvious cross-check on Adam Fox in the early going. Of course, they called a softer minor on Nemeth for cross-checking Marcus Pettersson. That drew the ire of the crowd.
If there was a positive, the penalty kill did a superb job on that first Pens power play. They didn’t get much set up. Even minus Goodrow, who sounds like we might not see him the rest of the series (week-to-week), the penalty killers really stepped up. That included Braun, who made a nice play to get a key clear.
Buoyed on by that successful kill, it was the home team that struck first. On a Braun pass for Panarin, he had all sorts of room to move down low before finding Copp for the game’s first goal at 6:50. His one-timer deflected off Crosby and Mike Matheson past Domingue.
On the next shift, the top line nearly doubled the lead. Off a good pass across on the doorstep, Mika Zibanejad thought he had one. But only the unorthodox right glove of Domingue prevented his first of this postseason. It was a big early save.
Instead of being up by two, it still was a one-goal game. That’s when they got sloppy. A bit like the first game, a turnover led directly to the Pens tying it.
A bad Panarin giveaway allowed Crosby to transition quickly. Pettersson helped set up Guentzel for his third in two games at 8:52. It was another Pittsburgh goal in response to a Ranger goal. It came 2:02 later.
It's the 1st period in Game 2 and Jake Guentzel already has three goals in the series. pic.twitter.com/GrcSm1bIk8
If there’s an alarming trend so far, it’s been the Pens’ ability to come right back after getting scored on. It’s like our players forget to play the next shift. This can’t continue when the series shifts to Pittsburgh.
On an effective shift by the first round Pick line, Filip Chytil had another good opportunity to score. But his shot was denied by a sharp Domingue. He made several good stops in the opening period.
Finally, it was Shesterkin’s turn. On a quick up by the Penguins’ third line, he shut down Teddy Blueger to keep the game tied. It was a tough low shot through a screen. Something the Pens did well.
There were a few shaky moments defensively. The Pittsburgh puck pressure created some turnovers. The Rangers must do a better job taking care of the puck when we get to Game Three. Puck management is a huge key to the series.
Late in the period, some good passing saw a pinching Jacob Trouba with plenty of room in the slot. But his shot was easily gloved by Domingue, who stopped 13 of 14 shots in the first.
Right as the period was concluding, Crosby got away with one. He slashed Fox right in front of the linesmen. No call. It was ridiculous. The refs heard it from the crowd. Gallant was incensed.
As you can grasp, I had one observation that had to be repeated. To be fair, both teams had their share of turnovers. That’s due to the forecheck pressure. It’s the aggressor who dictates the terms that forces those mistakes.
Following an early Shesterkin save in the first minute of the second period, finally the Penguins were penalized for the first time since the first period of Game One. John Marino got nabbed for a cross-check on Copp.
The power play went to work. They sure got their looks. Even as the Pens tried to take away Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, they made the necessary adjustment to cash in on the penalty.
With time winding down, Panarin made a good pass for a quick Fox one-timer that Ryan Strome redirected for his first of the postseason at 2:59. Perfectly executed. It was a nice reward for Strome after he had a good first game.
Leading for the second time, they put together consecutive strong shifts. Good pressure from Fox helped set up a Kreider shot that just missed. Then, Strome had a clear lane, but passed instead of shot. Next time, take the shot.
Right afterwards, another turnover allowed Rust to get behind for a clean breakaway. But his high shot missed wide. Crosby’s follow-up was stopped by a quick reacting Shesterkin who covered the puck.
When they returned to action, they showed Yankees D.J. LeMahieu, Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo on the big screen. They certainly were enjoying their $25 beers. Kidding. One day soon though. Dolan is a con artist.
On their best shift so far, the third line did a good job moving their feet to create a good scoring chance off the cycle. Alexis Lafreniere recovered a wide Kaapo Kakko shot and then made a good back pass for a Nemeth shot that Domingue gloved. Their speed is noticeable so far.
Crosby made a great defensive play on the back check to break up a Ranger opportunity. He then turned the puck the other way where Guentzel was denied by Shesterkin. That was a big save.
The Rangers increased their lead to 3-1 thanks to some stellar work from K’Andre Miller and Vatrano. On some good teamwork started by Miller, he passed for a Vatrano one-timer that Kreider deflected over the blocker of Domingue for a two-goal lead with 7:54 remaining.
After Sullivan delayed at the Penguins bench to see if there was something to challenge, they didn’t. He later indicated in the postgame they were looking at a possible high stick prior to the goal. Instead, Kreider’s second stood from Vatrano and Miller at 12:06.
Panarin drew a holding minor on Kasperi Kapanen. It wasn’t a lot. But he grabbed Panarin enough to get called. This is where they really could’ve put some distance between them and their dangerous opponent.
For nearly the entire power play, the vaunted top unit had the puck on a string. They had at least four great chances to make it a perfect three-for-three. First, Fox had Zibanejad all set up. But he fired the one-timer back into Domingue with room on the short side.
Kreider came close in front. So did Strome. Panarin held the puck for seemingly ever, but was reluctant to shoot. When he finally did, he missed high glove wide. The Pens’ penalty killers were exhausted. It was a wasted opportunity.
Late in the second, some very lazy defensive play allowed Crosby to get his first of the series. He skated one on four into the Ranger zone. Instead of putting a body on one of the all-time greats, they all stick checked.
Finally, Braun got beat twice. Crosby got a pass for a Rust backhand that rebounded right to him to cut the deficit to one with 1:26 left. It was a brutal sequence. Trouba was on along with the Panarin line, who just puck watched. As good offensively as he was, the Bread Man was inept defensively. That can’t happen.
At the start of the third, you wanted to see the Blueshirts put the pedal to the metal. Instead, they looked lethargic. It was all Pens. They got the first nine shots on Shesterkin, who was at his absolute best denying tying bids by Crosby and Malkin. The latter which was the save of the game.
After a long Copp shot stopped the momentum, they finally played hockey. On some sustained pressure, the second line got it done.
Following fanning on a one-timer, Panarin took a Vatrano feed and decided to throw the puck in front. Intentional or not, it went right off Matheson and in for his first at 8:02. Miller picked up his second assist on the crucial goal that allowed the building to breathe easier.
Less than two minutes later, this time Braden Schneider made a good cross-ice pass to Vatrano who went around Matheson and fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Domingue off the far goalpost. That made it 5-2 with 10:11 remaining.
Although they never gave up, the Penguins ran into the Igor Wall. He stopped all 16 shots in the third. Despite allowing four goals in Game One, he has a .952 save percentage for the series. That’s due to facing 124 shots in nine periods. After stopping a franchise record 79 on 83 in the first game, Shesterkin turned aside 39 on 41 last night.
Once it was decided, there was a little nastiness. As to be expected. Chytil responded to a two-hander by Brock McGinn with a slash to earn both minors with under nine minutes left.
Most notably, with the Pens on the attack skating six-on-five, Shesterkin was banged into by a forechecking Jeff Carter who sent him flying with 2:04 to go. At first glance, it looked intentional. But after watching the replay, he tried to avoid him.
Jeff Carter collides with Igor Shesterkin and was given a goaltender interference and a roughing penalty on the play. #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/bujqq5Ehll
Shesterkin put himself in a tough spot due to an awkward exchange with Fox behind his net. He likes to play as many pucks as possible. At that point, he would’ve been better off in the crease. Instead, Carter knocked him down where he was laying flat on the ice for a few minutes. Fortunately, he was okay.
The strong response from Lafreniere who went after Carter was excellent. He got involved and stood up for his goalie. They gave Lafreniere and Carter roughing minors with the latter also receiving two for goaltender interference. The right call.
With his team on a late five-on-four, Gallant wisely sent out his fourth line. That included Ryan Reaves, who banged a Pen on the power play. Reaves had a good night. He finished with six hits and made a couple of defensive plays thanks to sheer hustle. A few of the top forwards can learn a thing from how hard he competes.
After an Evan Rodrigues slash on Miller, the fourth line again came out to run down the final 30 seconds of a five-on-three. There were plenty of cheers. The fans saluted their heroes who made sure to salute them back when the buzzer sounded.
The best-of-seven first round series is now all tied. It wasn’t perfect. Something Gallant was sure to point out. There’s work to be done. That includes the way he coaches against Sullivan, who thus far has dictated the chess match.
I’ll be curious to see what adjustments we see when the Pens get the final change. Will we see Gallant change on the fly? Something Sullivan executed well at MSG. That along with being able to stifle the Crosby line will be vital. They held Malkin without a point.
If you’re looking at the face-offs, the Rangers weren’t bad. They won 27 out of 58. However, Pittsburgh is very good at running set plays in the offensive zone. They’ve won some draws clean to get chances.
Without Goodrow, that takes away one of the battle tested gritty forwards who excels. You’ll likely see the same lineup with possibly Lindgren back on Saturday. Dumoulin is also close to returning for the Pens.
I’ll have more tomorrow on the off day. I’m sure there will be updates.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, physicality intensifies. Hitting picks up. It’s that intense physical style which can have an impact on a series.
Only three days into the 2022 NHL Postseason, we’ve already seen some heavy hits that have caused injuries to key players. Of course, you hope they aren’t significant. Nobody wants to see players get hurt.
During last night’s Hurricanes’ 5-2 win in Game Two over the Bruins, Andrei Svechnikov delivered a ferocious hit on defenseman Hampus Lindholm. It occurred in the second period with the Canes in control leading 3-1.
Patrice Bergeron had gotten the Bruins on the board with a power play goal a couple of minutes earlier. However, during a play behind his net, a prone Lindholm went to make an outlet pass. A driving Svechnikov caught him flush at a high speed to send the Boston defenseman flying to the ice.
The heavy hit drew an immediate response from the Bruins. It was Brandon Carlo who went after Svechnikov with 2:49 remaining in the second. Since he jumped him, Carlo received an extra two minutes for roughing. Svechnikov got only two.
That double minor proved costly. After Pyotr Kochetkov and Brad Marchand exchanged slashes for offsetting minors, Nino Niederreiter was able to put in a loose puck over the goal line for a power play goal set up by Vincent Trocheck and Tony DeAngelo.
That restored a three-goal lead before the second period concluded. Although Bergeron got his second in the third to make things interesting, a Niederreiter empty netter from Svechnikov sealed the victory for Carolina. They lead the series two games to none.
Following the game, there was plenty of discussion on the Svechnikov hit that injured Lindholm. He looked wobbly being helped off the ice. The latest update is he won’t be available for Game Three when the series shifts to Boston. A tough loss for the Bruins.
Andrei Svechnikov just absolutely rocked Hampus Lindholm. Hate to see a guy injured, but that looks totally clean to me. pic.twitter.com/y1Cm7AcgSl
A closer look at the Svechnikov hit which looked worse in real speed, shows that he went shoulder to chest catching Lindholm flush. It looked high due to the positioning of Lindholm, whose head was down. However, there was no head contact on the play.
After the game, Svechnikov showed concern for Lindholm. The skilled 30-goal scorer, who is one of the Canes’ best players, is known for delivering big hits. Along with his 69 points which ranked second in team scoring behind Sebastian Aho, his 189 hits placed second behind captain Jordan Staal (212).
Only 22, the former Hurricanes’ 2018 first round pick who went second, is on the cusp of stardom. He’s not a one-dimensional player. The 30 goals, 39 assists and 69 points are all career highs in his fourth season. Only Aho had more goals (37) and points (81).
Hits like the one Svechnikov delivered on Lindholm are part of the playoffs. On Tuesday, we saw Rangers’ defenseman Ryan Lindgren level Rickard Rakell with a ferocious check that knocked him out of Game One against the Penguins.
Lindgren just lit up Rakell on a clean hit. Was reviewed for a Major but was deemed clean so 2 min for roughing 😂 pic.twitter.com/pvy5cQNJAI
Originally called a major penalty, refs Frederick L’Ecuyer and Tom Chmielewski and Chris Lee reviewed the play and reduced the major to a minor penalty for roughing. The heavy hit took place with 1:19 remaining in the first period.
Having looked at it again, I believe it was charging. Not roughing. Lindgren’s feet push up as he delivers the check to Rakell. The principle point of contact is the chest. Not the head as some have contended.
You can see his feet moving upwards. The elbow is tucked in. Having even originally thought the Lindgren hit might’ve been clean, I can no longer conclude that. It’s a charge. Sam Rosen correctly asserted it during the telecast on MSG Network. Not sure how they came up with roughing.
If we were to compare this hit to the one Svechnikov laid on Lindholm, I’d say the Lindgren hit that injured Rakell is worse because he left his feet. So, I now see why it’s a penalty. Rakell isn’t playing tonight. I doubt we’ll see him when the series shifts to Pittsburgh.
The Svechnikov hit was clean. As hard as it was, he never leaves his feet and drives the shoulder into chest of Lindholm. It’s unfortunate that he got hurt on the play. I hope it’s not a concussion.
Nobody wants to see injuries in the playoffs. But with how fast the game is and how hard the games are played, it’s going to happen. Ironically, Lindgren re-injured himself on another hit later in Game One. He has been battling a lower-body injury.
He missed most of the third period. After playing in the first two overtimes, Lindgren didn’t return for triple overtime. A sixth period the Rangers got dominated in. The Pens won the game on a Evgeni Malkin goal directly in front of Igor Shesterkin with neither Braden Schneider or Patrik Nemeth on him.
While we know Rakell and Casey DeSmith won’t be available for the Pens, Lindgren is probable. If he plays as Gerard Gallant hinted, it’ll be interesting to see how he is used. Will he hold up?
Game Two is once again a 7 PM start. Opening face-off around 7:08. The Rangers look to even the best-of-seven series before it shifts to the Steel City.
I’ll have more on the big game later tonight. Follow me on BattleOfHudson over on Twitter for game observations and the game’s Three Stars.
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