The Rangers live to fight another day. Down 2-0 in front of a displeased MSG crowd, New York rallied for a 5-3 win to send the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Friday. The Kid Line and a bit that has garnered tremendous attention and could lead to a suspension helped propel the Blueshirts to the victory.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1)
Lineup: this was the Rangers lineup for Game 5 vs. Penguins:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano
Panarin-Strome-Copp
Lafrenière-Chytil-Kakko
Rooney-Reaves
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Braun-Schneider
Nemeth
Shesterkin
Dryden Hunt was the odd man out as the Rangers went 11/ forwards and 7 defensemen. Patrik Nemeth dressed, but didn't play until the final 16 seconds of the game when the result was no longer in doubt. Coach Gerard Gallant mixed and matched on the fourth line with Alexis Lafreniere seeing time there and Kevin Rooney sliding up either to take defensive draws or be on the ice in those situations.
2)
Jacob Trouba hit on Crosby:
From watching the replay multiple times, Trouba’s arm was extended and elbow was up. Whether that was intentional or as part of the follow through after the play is impossible to tell. Pens' fans will say the latter, Rangers fans will say the former. Crosby was somewhat off-balance and his body twisted, partly impacted by Trouba’s stick hitting his skate, but Trouba did look like he lifted his elbow and primary contact was to the head.
I can understand the Pens fan anger. We would be in the same boat if a similar hit happened to one of the Rangers top or their top player. Look at the Jeff Carter play and multiply that exponentially.
Would I be shocked if Trouba gets a game given his history - including the two-game suspension for the hit on Mark Stone and scary, but clean, hit on Blackhawks’ Jujhar Khaira and fact it's Crosby with his concussion history, not at all. Is this a worse hit than what Oshie did, no, and he was fined. But the league has no consistency, meaning trying to figure out what they decide is a futile exercise. a fine wouldn't shock me, nor would a suspension.
New York played with an edge at times last night, looking to be physical, leading to several hits that could be viewed as questionable. Trouba on Jake Guentzel in the first 30 seconds and his hit on Crosby. Some view that Ryan Lindgren body slammed Evgeni Malkin behind the net. All this depends on which side of the ledger and fan base you are. As I said, I would not be shocked if the league viewed the hit as dirty or predatory and gave Trouba a one-game suspension.
I never advocate for another to be injured, especially a superstar, even if it helps my team. Not a big fan of vigilante justice and dirty play. I don’t think this was a clear attempt to injury though the end result and point of contact resulted in such. The league could view it that way, we shall see.
3)
Offense: Down 2-0, the Rangers scored three goals in 2:42 late in the second to take the lead after Crosby took his final shift. Those tallies in that stretch was the sixth fastest in team playoff history.
Adam Fox cut it to 2-1 with a wrist shot from just outside the right circle at 15:11 before Alexis Lafreniere tied it 2-2 at 16:41 from in front of the net on a pass from Kaapo Kakko. Trouba scored 1:12 later to make it 3-2 at 17:53, skating around Jeff Carter and scoring on a backhand in the slot. After allowing Guenztel to tie the game 13 seconds later, Filip Chytil gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead at 2:53 with a power-play goal after getting to a loose puck in the right face-off circle and blasting over Louie Domingue’s. It was his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal in his eighth playoff game.
The Kid Line was by far the team’s best. Chytil attempted six shots and Lafrenière posted four of his own while Kakko excelled on the boards, as well as controlling the puck and finding passing lanes. That trio have been New York’s best line in the playoffs, getting better each game. Chytil, aided by 1:24 PP TOI, and Kakko, who had none, only saw 12+ minutes, while Laf, due to some fourth line play, had 16:20 of ice time, including 1:30 PP TOI. It’s time for Gallant to take off the training wheels and utilize them more
"It was just some bounce there," Chytil said. "I don't even know how it gets to me but probably the whole season I didn't score many goals (eight in 67 regular-season games), so not thinking too much with the chances, and now I just close my eyes and just shoot and score a goal finally. I was so happy to help the team."
Other than that line, I thought the rest of the offense was meh. Mika Zibanejad is still a shell of his regular season self. I am unsure the reason, but he certainly has not been good. Maybe the mental aspect of trying to mark Crosby and that line has gotten to him, but he certainly lacks the jump we are used to seeing. Artemi Panarin was more engaged and slightly improved. Still not at the place that is the norm for him, but a closer version.
The Rangers finished with 34 shots on goal — tied for their second-highest regulation total in the series — on 65 attempts. The Penguins blocked 19 of them, but yup number of attempts after making life too easy for Dominique was a positive. That uptick in output came late in the first and second, the latter timeframe when the rally occurred.
4)
Defense: Fox scored but I don’t think he had a great game again. The physical play against him could be taking a toll, leading to poor decisions. His ill-advised pinch coupled with Braden Schneider, who saw just under 11 minutes of action as Gallant basically continue to roll just four d-men, getting caught up by the blueline led to a 2-on-1 and goal by Kris Letang to make it 2-0. Justin Braun still looks like he is skating in mud and was just okay last night in just under 13 minutes of ice time. Trouba had a goal and an assist, the goal coming on a beautiful move on Jeff Carter and backhand from the slit. But most of talk about him after the game and today will be about the hit on Trouba.
The other big story on the blue line was the welcome return of Ryan Lindgren. Granted, he scored the empty-net goal to seal the 5-3 win with 16 seconds left in the third. in addition, the defenseman was plus-1 with three shots on goal and two blocked shots in 19:34 of ice time after missing three games with a lower-body injury. But the key was that he was on the ice opposite Fox bringing a physical presence and warrior like mentality to the lineup.
"That's what he is. He's a character guy," Gallant said. "He plays hurt, he plays all the time. I don't know how many minutes he played tonight, but it seemed like he was on the ice all night. Just one of those guys that makes everyone around him better."
5)
Goaltending - Igor Shesterkin, hearing Igor, Igor, Igor out of love and not derision, made 29 saves for the win. I thought he was decent, not phenomenal, but decent. He was mostly tested in the third period, especially after New York took a 4-3 lead, stoning the Pens in the frame. His bad turnover led to Guentzel’s second goal of the game, tying the contest at three late in the third.
The first goal allowed came after he failed to hug the post - again - allowing Guentzel to bank the third shot he had in the sequence off his skate from behind the goal line. Igor had not chance on Letang’s goal of the 2-on-1. But behind that, he was good when needed and loooked more like the like Vezina Trophy winner than the one chased in Games 3 and 4. The whispers that he suffered an injury when hit/run by Jeff Cater late in Game 2 aren’t going away and won’t stop until he has a dominating performance.
As I said the past few days,
I will run this every day for however long the series lasts. I first wrote this in 2014 when the team was down 3-1 to Pittsburgh. What I said certainly applies now, with some very small tweaks, as at the time, New York had never rallied from a 3-1 series deficit.
I am as optimistic as anyone, but would not be shocked if the series ends in Game 5. If it does, what I want to see is heart, passion and effort. Lose but lose with all of it left on the ice. Show some pride for the name on the front of the jersey. Don't just let Pitt walk over you, stand up for yourselves as an athlete and member of the New York Rangers. It doesn't matter who plays and who sits, whoever is in the lineup needs to bring it. To quote Boomer Esiason and it's something I have said a lot, win one shift, then another, then another. Then win one period and another. Then win the game and send it back to MSG for Game 7.
Heart. It's the willingness to take a hit to move the puck or score a goal. Heart. It's what makes the name on the front of the jersey more than the one of the back. Heart. It's what New Yorkers love to see in their athletes. It's rising over trying circumstances. It's carrying a team or a teammate on your backs when needed. Heart. It can overcome talent when talent doesn't have or use it. Heart. It's what needs to be on display tonight.
Win or lose, We Are All Rangers!!!
New York now has a chance. The pressure is all on the Penguins to avoid a Game 7 at would be a raucous MSG. Pittsburgh blew a 3-1 series lead to New York and Crosby, Letang and Evgeni Malkin are all still around. The Rangers, who have Chris Kreider here from that team, can draw upon that history, though only to a certain extent. They still need to get it done on the ice but know from the fore-bearers it can be done.
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