Penguins Overwhelm Rangers 6-3; Take Series

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.