Ron Francis takes over
Graves’ suspension prohibited him from participating in the rest of the series. Nonetheless, the Blueshirts appeared to be in control of Game Four, leading 3-1 late into the second period.
That’s when Pittsburgh’s “other No. 1 center”, Ron Francis took over.
Acquired in March 1991 from Hartford in a lopsided trade that pretty much killed NHL hockey in Connecticut’s capital, the Whalers’ all-time leading scorer helped the Penguins win their first Cup later that spring.
And on his second playoffs with the Penguins, he was about to turn Game Four (and the series) against the Rangers with his only career playoff hat trick.
Francis scored the first of his three goals in the game with 5.8 seconds remaining in the middle period. The intermission and Messier’s goal 46 seconds into the third quelled whatever momentum the Penguins gained from the Francis goal.
However, with the Rangers up 4-2, Francis struck again and it was probably the worst goal ever given up by Mike Richter.
With two Rangers waiting at their own blue line, Francis fired a slap shot from just outside the zone that literally went through goalie Richter with 9:23 to play. Less than two minutes later, Troy Loney tied it at 4. Rangers coach pulled Richter in favor of John Vanbiesbrouck.
Francis plunged the final dagger into the hearts of the Blueshirts and their fans at 2:47 of overtime with a power-play marker against Vanbiesbrouck, completing his hat trick and evening the series at 2.
The Rangers really never recovered.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period of Game Five at the Garden, the Rangers got a power-play goal from Darren Turcotte in the middle frame and the tying marker by Mike Gartner in the final stanza.
However, second-year sensation Jaromir Jagr scored his second of the game with just 5:33 remaining. The Penguins held on for a 3-2 victory and took a 3-2 series advantage back to Pittsburgh for Game Six.
That game proved a mere formality for the amped-up Penguins and their fans, as the Rangers lost 5-1 and left some wondering whether even Messier was no match for “The Curse”.