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Live conversation for a return to the playoffs

By Steve Paulus

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 23: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save against Viktor Stalberg #25 and Dominic Moore #28 of the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on April 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 23: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save against Viktor Stalberg #25 and Dominic Moore #28 of the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on April 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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After five long years, it’s back to business in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the New York Rangers. There’s not much more to say about the game or the team. Now, it’s all up to them.

This is the first playoff game for the Rangers since they lost 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators in the sixth game of the Second Round of the playoffs.  That game was on May 9, 2017 at Madison Square Garden.  The two Rangers goals were scored by Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, the only two players still left with the Rangers from the 2016-17 team.

Nine Rangers will be making their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut while five of the nine played in the Stanley Cup Qualifier in 2020, a three game sweep by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The only Penguin player making his Stanley Cup debut is their goalie, Casey DeSmith.

While starting a playoff rookie second string goalie my be seen as a positive for the Rangers, don’t forget that in 2016 the Pens had to start Jeff Zatkoff due to injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray.  Zatkoff split the two games, allowing six goals.  He was succeeded by another rookie in Matt Murray who had only 13 NHL games on his resume.  He won the last three games, allowing only four games.

Projected starting lineups

NEW YORK RANGERS

20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 77 Vatrano
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 18 Copp
13 Lafreniere -72 Chytil – 24 Kakko
21 Goodrow– 17 Rooney – 75 Reaves

55 Lindgren -23 Fox
79 Miller -8   Trouba
12 Nemeth -54  Schneider

31 Shesterkin
40  Georgiev

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

59 Jake Guentzel – 87  Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
43 Danton Heinen – 71- Evgeni Malkin – 67 Rickard Rakell
23 Brock McGinn – 77 Jeff Carter – 42 Kasperi Kapanen
11 Brian Boyle – 53 Teddy Blueger – 9 Evan Rodrigues

8 Brian Dumoulin – 58  Kris Letang
5 Mike Matheson – 2 Chad Ruhwedel
28 Marcus Pettersson – 6 John Marino

1 Casey DeSmith
70 Louis Domingue

How to watch and the live conversation

The game is scheduled to start at 7pm, but that means probably about 7:15pm.  There are two options if you are in the New York area.  The MSG Network will be providing pre and post game coverage and will also televise all of the First Round games.

The national telecast will be on ESPN if you prefer them to Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti.  ESPN is carrying the Avalanche-Predators game right after the Rangers so you can be sure they will dump out of Rangers coverage as soon the game is over.  There’s no word on what their plan is for the second game if Rangers-Pens go to overtime.

Blue Line Station’s live conversation is active now and we will be live for every playoff game.  Please join in as we watch our favorite hockey team embark on what we hope will be a long postseason journey.

You can join the conversation in the comments section below.

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