Paced by the spotless goaltending of rookie Matt Murray and a four-point effort from resurgent Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins dismantled the Rangers 5-0 in Game 4 of their opening-round playoff matchup last night to grab a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Malkin, in particular, silenced his critics with a glowing performance, proving once again that—when healthy—he ranks among hockey’s elite.
“I started to play a little better,” Malkin said with typical modesty. “More confidence. I think my line played not bad tonight.”
Down 2 games to 1, New York used Kris Letang’s unpunished high stick on Viktor Stalberg in Game 3 to stoke their competitive fires. Rugged Kevin Klein ran Letang on the opening shift, while feisty Mats Zuccarello barreled into Patric Hornqvist.
The bullying failed miserably. In fact, nothing the Rangers tried seemed to work.
The Penguins, you see, were on a mission. Determined to pick up right where they left off in Game 3, they attacked the Rangers’ net from the opening faceoff. Henrik Lundqvist coughed up a juicy rebound on a hard shot by Ben Lovejoy and Eric Fehr crashed the net…literally…to drive the puck home.
As play-by-play announcer Paul Steigerwald so aptly noted, the Penguins never looked back.
Shrugging off New York’s body-banging blitz, the black and gold struck on the power play near the seven-minute mark. Gathering in a pass from Letang in the high slot, Malkin unleashed a shot that was masterfully deflected by Sidney Crosby before tickling the twine.
Conor Sheary capped a near-perfect period of hockey for the visitors at 16:12. After picking Klein’s pocket, the speedy little winger raced the length of the ice and beat Lundqvist high to the stick side.
The onslaught continued in the second frame. Seeking redemption following a porous first period, Lundqvist stopped Grade-A chances by Hornqvist and Phil Kessel. Then chippy ex-Pen Dominic Moore tackled Malkin, roughing up No. 71 in the process.
Bad idea. Or as the late Jim Croce used to sing…don’t tug on Superman’s cape.
On the ensuing power play, Geno skated into a beautiful feed from Crosby with a full head of steam and ripped the puck past Lundqvist for his first postseason tally since 2014. It was game, set and match for the harried goalie. Moments later “King Henrik” was replaced by Antti Raanta.
With Lovejoy in the box for holding the stick, the Rangers mounted a last-gasp push late in the period. But Murray came up big, stopping a pair of shots by dangerous Dan Boyle. All told, the Thunder Bay native made 31 saves in a flawless big-game performance.
“He’s never out of position,” Hornqvist marveled. “He’s always there. It seems like everything hits him in the chest.”
The rest of the game was anticlimactic. Malkin continued to turn Madison Square Garden into his personal playground. Shaking off a wicked slash from J.T. Miller early in the final frame, the rangy Russian swooped from behind the net like a giant bird of prey to redirect a Brian Dumoulin setup past a helpless Raanta. It was Geno’s second power-play tally and fourth point of the night.
Not bad, indeed.
Good for you Fher
Hey Rick,
I mentioned in a comment elsewhere that momentum is a capricious and inconstant lady at best so I am hesitate to speak too loud right now, not until the Pens win the last game of the hockey season this year, however, this team is really exciting to watch, more so than in many years past.
Question, did you happen to watch the Root broadcast? I found it rather interesting that (I believe it was Errey) someone else is starting to draw comparisons between Murray and a certain former Montreal Goalie of the 70s. He pointed out several similarities.
I am going to try and not say too much more than that right now. I am going to try and just sit back and enjoy the ride that Sullivan and his Team are taking us on.
Hi “Other Rick”,
I agree that the team is sure fun to watch now. Especially the new guys like Rust,Tom K.,Conner S.,Carl Hagelin, Phil, Bonino, Brian D.,Eric Fehr, Matt Cullen, Ian Cole, T. Daley,Jeff Zatkoff and of course Matt Murray. All new guys not dressed last year.(13 or 14 new players).??? Plus a new Coach.
Not to take anything away from Sid,Geno,Letang or MAF, but this is a real Hockey team now with 4 lines, 7 d men and 3 Goalies.We have NEVER been able to ice a Team like this for the past 5 years.( and get them all to play to their potential.)
So hang on to your hat Rick,because this TEAM is going places.We can beat the Caps,and what ever comes out of Florida…..my biggest fear has always been these darn Blue Shirts…please give us a victory tomorrow.
Plus your reference to the great Ken Dryden of Montreal…I also posted earlier that I thought Murray was the exact same situation as Dryden was then. I remember the Quebec media saying at that time,what we were witnessing was the birth of a Hockey Legend and things would never be the same again in Montreal.( Dryden was not French either,but the Montreal fans knew as did all of Canada that he was special). Why? He was calm under pressure. He thought the game at an elite level ! He knew where the puck was going before it got there most of the time ! ( Like Mario and Gretzky ).He never gave up. Even though he was just a Rookie playing with all those Hall Of Fame players,he was the leader and he did that by his play on the ice.
Does this not sound familiar Rick ?Murray is the exact same way ! When we beat the Rangers and then the Caps with Murray in goal,he will finally prove that he is a one of a kind talent !
Next year this Kid will never play back up to MAF.. No way.. I truly believe based on his play in the AHL last year and his play to date, we are witnessing the beginning of some thing very special in Matt Murray.
Good comments as always Coach !
Cheers
Hey Jim,
I loved those Scotty Bowman Canadiens. As you said that team was stacked top to bottom with HOFers and All Stars; Beliveau, Cournoyer, Laperriere, Savard, Henri Richard, Frank and Pete Mahovlich, Ferguson, Lemaire, and on and on. And in goal they had Rogie Vachon and Phil Myre as well; Rogie Vachon was an All Star in his own right and Myre played many seasons in the NHL, yet Dryden was the Smyth trophy winner, even before his true rookie season.
If I were to pick my all time NHL team, at least from the players I have had the opportunity to watch, Dryden would still be one of my goalies. (Sawchuck and his contemporaries were already at the end of their careers).
I don’t want to get ahead of myself nor does the superstition within me want to talk about next year or even past this series yet, but I will say I don’t disagree with anything you have said.
Here is to a close out for the Pens today!
Hey Jim,
I saw Other Rick yesterday and mentioned your earlier reference to Dryden.
I must say, I love Murray. This kid’s the real deal. So calm, so steady. Wonderful economy of movement. He rarely seems to exert himself, yet he’s always in position. Love the way he absorbs shots and doesn’t allow rebounds.
I have the utmost confidence in him. Even on those rare occasions when he lets a few in, he never seems to get rattled. He just settles back into his groove.
I must confess…I’ve never quite had that same comfort level with Fleury. As amazing as he is at times (nobody moves post to post or makes a toe save like Flower) he’s had a penchant in the past to allow the goal you just don’t want to give up, especially in crucial situations during the postseason.
I’m probably being a bit unfair. Nobody stops ‘em all. Not even the great Martin Brodeur, who allowed two goals in the final minute of a Game 7 a few years back to blow a series. And when you look at Fleury’s track record…the remarkable durability, the highlight-reel saves, all those wins…he’s been mostly terrific for the Pens.
Yet sometimes when he’s in goal, I feel like I’m holding my breath or waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Maybe it’s Murray’s style. More quiet…less frenetic. But I don’t feel any anxiety when he’s in there.
Hi Rick,
Fully agree Rick. I truly believe that we are living in a special moment in this series and witnessing first hand the start of a career of a Franchise Goalie, just like Dryden, and things will never be the same in Pittsburgh again. (This is in no way a criticism of MAF. Vachon also was a super star goalie,loved by the Fans, local French boy, playing for the best Team on the planet at that time, and Dryden was simply a better goalie.
So he took his job. He was paid a lot less too.)
That is the Hockey business.
My point was to echo “other Rick’s ” comment that this Team is indeed fun to watch and I simply was trying to point out that we are all watching more than just a Hockey game,… we are watching the beginning of a super star career and probably the end of the Mario era as well as the Team will be sold in the off season.
So yes this is a great time to be a Pen’s fan because times are a changing in the Burgh and nobody can stop Father time.
Lets win this game today so we all can rest easier and tomorrow we can ALL cheer on the Flyers as they beat up the Cap’s for us.
Come on Penguins !!
Hey Rick, ( other Rick too),
We just won the series. To think in Late November we were 28 th in the league at one point. Congratulations Pen’s….Well done. Unbelievable job !
You made a liar out of me and proved me wrong.
Murray stopped 38+ shots and yes he looked a little shaky at times but he never quit and got the job done. All the Canadian TV media were singing his praises tonight as well as the 12 new faces on the Team and how they were the real reason we beat the Blue shirts.
Come on Flyers ! ( I realize that may be asking a little to much of you Pittsburgh boys to cheer for, but I want a tired Caps Team when we play them next week.)
Cheers !
Hey JIm,
You weren’t the only person who gave the MJ Pens less than a snowballs chance. I was part of that crew, but then again this team is far different from the team that took the ice in November.
I am still trying to bite back my tongue rather say too much but 1-series down 3 to go. To quote Mike Lange “I’m smiling like a butchers dog.”