During the opening minutes of yesterday’s pivotal Game 5 at Consol Energy Center, the New York Rangers threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rolled into a collective ball of do-or-die desperation, they pounded the Pens’ net with a tidal wave of offensive fury to snatch a 2-1 lead on goals by Rick Nash and Dominic Moore.
While the Pens seemed momentarily fazed by the Rangers’ intensity, one got the feeling the onslaught wouldn’t last.
It didn’t. Barely a minute after Moore’s go-ahead marker, sharpshooter Phil Kessel cruised into the New York zone on the power play, took dead-aim, and whipped the puck past Henrik Lundqvist on the stick side to knot the score.
The Pens took charge. Slowly at first, like the first few clouds rolling in from the sea to signal a coming storm. Having gathered energy, the black and gold made landfall in the second period with hurricane force.
“We played our brand of hockey,” said rookie winger Bryan Rust. “We played fast. We played hard. We got on their ‘D.’ We forechecked. We made good plays.”
Lundqvist and the Rangers tried desperately to keep the levee from breaking, to no avail. In relentless succession Rust, Matt Cullen, Conor Sheary and Rust again poured through cracks in New York’s deteriorating defensive wall to beat Lundqvist like Hall-of-Fame announcer Mike Lange’s poor old rented mule.
By the end of the second period “King Henrik” was the picture of defeat. So were the Rangers.
“The way the game was played, especially the past two games, there were a lot of big opportunities right in front,” Lundqvist said. “You need a goalie that’s going to make a lot of big extra saves and I was not able to come up with that.”
To New York’s credit, they didn’t go quietly. With their Stanley Cup hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads, the Blueshirts mounted one last surge. Chris Kreider struck early in the final frame on the power play to close the gap to 6-3.
The Pens circled the wagons around goalie Matt Murray, who seemed a shade off his A-game. Nonetheless, the rangy rookie stopped 15 of 16 shots during a Katy-bar-the-door third period and 38 shots in all.
The Rangers, who’d ousted the Pens in each of the past two postseasons, were gracious in defeat.
“We just got beat,” Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. “We got beat by the better team. They were better than us. All series.”
“Right now, they’re probably the hottest team in the league,” added New York coach Alain Vigneault. “It’ll be a tough matchup for whoever they play against.”
Kiddie Korps
The Penguins received contributions from everyone over the course of the series. Including the kids.
Rust and Sheary each tallied two goals and an assist during the five-game set. Tom Kuhnhackl chipped in with a goal and two helpers, not to mention his usual steady work on the PK.
“These guys are playing exceptional right now,” said frequent linemate Cullen. “I’m really proud of them.”
Murray’s been a revelation. Filling in for sidelined starter Marc-Andre Fleury, the 21-year-old marvel won all three of his starts while posting a microscopic 1.33 goals-against average and an equally dazzling .955 save percentage.
Stars Shine
Following a couple of rough postseasons, the Pens’ stars are shining once more. Captain Sidney Crosby is currently tied for the NHL playoff scoring lead with eight points. Fellow Two-Headed Monster, Evgeni Malkin, is close behind with seven points.
Kessel has six points. The Madison, Wisconsin native shares the team lead in goals (three) with Crosby and Patric Hornqvist.
Kris Letang—who missed the 2015 playoffs with a concussion—is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen with five points.
I still don’t like phat Phil, and his shot was going to miss the net but it caught a piece of the King’s stick and deflected in the top corner, but he has played well in this series except for the lack on hustle on some shifts and body contact .
I really hate the Cap’s and Ovie, it will be a long, physical series. It will go the distance, but we need to win the first game.
Hey Pen’s 4ever,
Good to hear your you. Your right,we need to win Game 1 and probably Game 2 as well to set the tone.People are saying Sid verses Ovi. I do not see it that way…I think it will come down to our Penalty Kill verses their Power Play and we need to win that battle !!! In this series,given the Cap’s size advantage and depth we will take a lot of penalties against them.So the PK is crucial to winning this series.
Plus Murray needs to be strong…He can not let in to many soft goals as MAF used to do when pressured. I truly believe in this Kid and he will get the job done. Pen’s in 6 !
Cheer’s
Hey Pen’s 4ever,
I know Kessel’s not your favorite. I’ve come to appreciate him for what he is and try not to dwell on what he’s not. Since more or less having a line of his own his playmaking skills and creativity have really emerged. And he’s been finding the net pretty consistently over the last month, too.
Heck, I’ve even seen him battle for a loose puck along the boards once or twice … 🙂
Regarding Washington. I think we can take ‘em, but it won’t be easy. They’re a pretty deep, skilled team. I know the numbers don’t bear witness to it, but I think Holtby will prove to be their Achilles heel.
I’m sure they’ll try to knock us around. I’m going to hate watching Tom Wilson take liberties with our stars. Just like I’ll hate watching Ovechkin goad Malkin game in and game out. Fortunately, the Pens aren’t easily intimidated or dissuaded.
The one guy who scares me a little is T.J. Oshie, and I don’t necessarily mean in a scoring sense. He’s got a bit of Bobby Clarke in his game…kind of dirty. I worry about him hurting someone.
It will be tough, I think it goes all 7 games
“Matt Murray, who seemed a shade off his A-game.” …. not sure i agree with that; the last 2 and pretty sure the first one were off of Pens players.
Good point, Joseph. Murray did stop 38 of 41 shots…a good days’ work by anyone’s standards. Especially against a determined foe facing elimination.
Just my perception, but he seemed to be fighting the puck a little. Perhaps a bit off his angles at times, and having a little more difficulty than usual freezing or covering loose pucks. Just not quite his normal razor-sharp self.
Style points aside, he was good enough to get the win. And that’s what counts.
Overall, the kid’s done a terrific job.
“Trade me right frickin’ now!”