The Rangers defeated the Penguins 2-1 to take Game 3 of their playoff series. New York has now bookended 2-1 wins around a 4-3 loss and will head into Game 4 with a chance for a 3-1 series lead. Game 4 will be Wednesday night at the Consol Energy Center.
For 40 minutes, the Rangers played a near perfect defensive game. They limited Pittsburgh's shots and shot attempts while preventing from really getting anything set up in the offensive zone. That's a credit to the six blueliners but also the forwards, who back-checked hard throughout, including several instances where doing so helped thwart what looked like possible scoring chances.
Our favorite whipping boy, Dan Boyle, was really strong in this one as it was easily his best game of the postseason. Keith Yandle, a question mark coming in due to his illness, has possibly been the team's best d-man through three games. His defensive play (more of that later) on Sidney Crosby helped blunt a chance and then his stretch pass to Carl Hagelin led to the first goal. Ryan McDonagh has had his hands full with Crosby but answered the bell repeatedly last night. Similarly with Marc Staal, whose shot/pass resulted in the second goal and he also takes s beating but comes back for more. Finally, Dan Girardi. Everyone - including several Rangers fans - rips him for what he is and what he isn't. But he plays top-pairing minutes against an opposition's best offensive line and gives no quarter. He blocks shots, including six last night, plays 20+ minutes nightly, and occasionally contributes offensively, as he did yesterday with two assists.
The forwards were good as well. For all the rightful ripping we give to the fourth line, they were very good last night. Tanner Glass was strong throughout and the line of Glass-Dominic Moore-Jesper Fast was matched up against the Crosby line and met the challenge. AV showed tremendous confidence in Fast, running back out there in the final five minutes to preserve a one-goal lead. In addition, AV moved Moore up to play in plays of Kevin Hayes on the third line and use Fast in place of Miller at times and also with Moore and Hagelin. How shocked were you to learn that Hagelin leads the Rangers in playoff goals with 11 since the start of the 2013 playoffs?
The top line of Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello set a tone early driving possession. While Nash didn't score, he still did some dirty work down low and was stopped twice on howitzers by Marc-Andre Fleury, who was very good again. We have talked repeatedly about how Zucc plays bigger than his size, last night was the same. He had a ridiculous eight hits, two block shots, a takeaway and five shots on six attempts. Kreider had the game-winner, nicely reading Staal's decision and batting the puck out of the air to score. Hayes was bit better last night but he has to be a lot better moving forward. The same can be said about Martin St. Louis, who has looked old, slow and out of sorts the first three games.
Oh yes, the goalie. Not challenged much early, he came up big when needed. Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves, including 12 in the third when Pittsburgh came on. A big save on Maxim Lapierre shorthanded. A kick save on a Chris Kunitz deflection to preserve the 2-1 lead. Playing through the Penguins' strategy of playing in the blue paint and jostling Lundqvist whenever they can.
Can the Rangers just decline the penalty and take the five yards? Not pretty at all with the man-advantage, including surrendering shorthanded chances. The expiration of the second one preceded the second goal, so maybe all wasn't lost. Pittsburgh is using their forwards to pressure the points and then playing an I-strategy to create chaos and limit the Rangers chances, if New York moves the forward from the half-boards to above the dots and then tries quick passes from point to dot to slot to down low, there should be openings and chances.
The main story lately has the been the calls or lack thereof. Yesterday, it looked like for the most part the referees swallowed their whistle. I know the big argument by Pittsburgh fans was on the non-call on Yandle's play on Crosby. By letter of the law, if you view it that he impeded his progress by slowing down and changing his line, I can see why many wanted a call made. I am not sure if he changed his line but he definitely slowed him down, but because much wasn't called, that went by the way side. Later on, there was another one on Lapierre that could have been called on the Rangers, but wasn't. However, on the flip side, you have Crosby with at least one elbow to McDonagh's head. Same with Kunitz and his forearm to Lundqvist. Both sides got away with likely calls, the difference is that in Pittsburgh's case, their thought process is that one preceded a goal while the same didn't happen to New York, which causes the ire in the Steel City.
Three games in, it's still anyone's series. New York was better Monday but still has a lot more room to grow. Pittsburgh has been solid defensively but I am sure they feel that offensively there can and need to be better. It's shaping up to be a heck of a series.