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New York Rangers Face Pittsburgh Penguins for a Pivotal Game Three

By Jessica Joy Curtin

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With the series even at one game apiece, the New York Rangers are looking to pull ahead on the road tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And all eyes are on 61.

  • Time: 7:00 pm EST
  • Location: Consol Energy Center – Pittsburgh, PA
  • Where to watch/listen: NBCSN, CBC, TVA, MSG

Who said this was going to be an easy sweep?

After winning game one in somewhat less-than-convincing fashion, the Broadway Blueshirts made it clear in game two that everyone should put their brooms away.

Facing a battered and depleted Pittsburgh Penguins, it seemed like a team with the best regular season record could take care of first round business with ease. But as we should all know by now, the New York Rangers love to keep their fans guessing.

New York Rangers

The Rangers were first on the board in each game, but that early momentum failed to be what they needed to win game two. Tonight, this team has to find ways to keep their energy going throughout all of sixty minutes and defense especially needs to make sure that the opponent doesn’t take any of that away.

New York Rangers
New York Rangers /

New York Rangers

The Penguins are going to sniff out any small shift in power and capitalize on it big time. As we saw in the previous match up, they took penalty after penalty in both games. Despite the Pens’ numerous setbacks, the Rangers couldn’t stop the Pens’ offensively heavy team from running away with a win in game two.

So if the Rangers get too comfortable with an early lead again tonight, it’s going to cost them not only game three, but a lead in the series.

For that reason, all eyes are going to be on Rick Nash tonight. If anyone is going to keep power in the Rangers’ possession, it’s got to be number 61. He’s tallied two assists so far, one in each game, and a very late goal in game two that would’ve been momentous had it not been seconds before the final buzzer.

Nash can check off the box for his first 2015 playoff goal, but he needs to start scoring when it truly matters most. A lot of people are still wondering if he can he really carry over the fire he had from the regular season. But with a huge monkey off his back, hopefully Nash will be able to focus more on the opportunities that present themselves tonight. If Nash does, it should provide the rest of the Rangers with the push they need to step up their competitive level as well.

Check out the Rangers lineup here.

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Pittsburgh Penguins

Although their head coach demanded more discipline out of them after game one, the Penguins continue to be haunted by avoidable penalties. In spite of that, their penalty kill has been able to overcome the Rangers on the man-advantage more often than not. And when they’re on a power play of their own they usually come through, especially with Sidney Crosby on hand. The star goal-scorer is expected to be just as problematic going into game three tonight for the Rangers if they don’t get their special teams in order.

Meanwhile, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has stood on his head for two straight games. He’s kept the Rangers offense at bay which in turn has given the Pens offense a great number of chances to stay in the game when they’re down. However, whether Fleury will be able to have a top-notch performance again is still up in the air.

Check out the Penguins’ lineup here.

Overall, the Rangers have shown that they have what it takes to dominate on the road. But game three is really anyone’s for the taking tonight. Whoever comes out on top will undoubtedly have more power going into game four of the series.

Next: Is the Rangers' turn on the road a good thing?

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