

- New york rangers pittsburgh penguins score series#
- New york rangers pittsburgh penguins score crack#
New york rangers pittsburgh penguins score crack#
If they can get the puck deep into the Rangers’ end and keep it there with a well-executed cycle, there’s a reasonable chance that it eventually will lead to a decent scoring chance when a crack develops in New York’s defensive coverage.Įqually - if not more - important is that making New York spend a lot of time and energy in its own end not only drains the Rangers’ energy reserves, but prevents them from getting their often-lethal transition game going.
New york rangers pittsburgh penguins score series#
But a timely goal from him on the night when the series will be decided could take a lot of the sting out of the regular season that preceded it. He’s averaging three shots on goal per game, so the issue is not a reluctance to put pucks at the net. Far from it.īut despite playing his best hockey of the season in this series - not that anyone looking down from that level would be in danger of suffering from vertigo - Kapanen has yet to get a puck past Igor Shesterkin or Alexander Georgiev. This is not to suggest that it’s Kasperi Kapanen’s job to carry the offense in Game 7. are absolutely imperative in this one.Įven though Jarry almost certainly will have some rust on his game, he’s capable of stopping anything that he’s able to see, especially if it isn’t on a second or third opportunity. That means things that should be on the defensive to-do list for every game - limiting odd-man chances, keeping the front of the net clear, getting loose pucks out of danger areas, etc. The Rangers are on a roll and will be feeding off the energy of a raucous Garden crowd, so they likely will be operating at high speed and with ill intent from the first shift.Īlthough it’s hard to imagine that Jarry won’t get the start unless playing him would be a risk to his well-being, his teammates have to remember that he hasn’t been in a game for over a month. This hasn’t been a problem for the Pittsburgh Penguins since New York overwhelmed them during the opening period of Game 1 - that’s the only time the Rangers have led at the first intermission in this series - but getting another good start in Game 7 might be as difficult as it will be important. The Penguins still have a legitimate opportunity to get there, and doing the following five things would enhance their chances of doing it: 1. Their path to Round 2 isn’t nearly as open and inviting as it was when they had a 3-1 lead in the series, but it isn’t completely closed, either. The Penguins are too experienced and too talented - even if the likes of Sidney Crosby, Tristan Jarry and Rickard Rakell are operating at less than 100 percent, assuming they’re cleared to dress for the game at all - to be written off just yet. But none of that, it must be noted, means it would be prudent for the Rangers to start planning for a matchup with Carolina in the next round.
