Game Four is a big one for the New York Rangers, and there’s a plethora of intriguing storylines to keep an eye on as they look to tie up their First Round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
There’s no getting away from the fact that Game Three was a tough one for the Blueshirts, who came back from 4-1 down with three second period goals, only to go on to lose 7-4 as the Penguins took a 2-1 series lead.
Those kind of losses can be crippling, especially against a battle-hardened team like Pittsburgh, and how the Rangers respond will be one of the keys to Game 4.
After all, to paraphrase the great Yogi Berra, it gets late early in the playoffs.
There’s also a boatload of other subplots to watch out for, and we’re going to run through a few of them with a crucial Game Four edging closer and closer…
Will Patrick Nemeth get it together?
If there’s one thing that Ranger fans can universally agree on right now, it is that Patrik Nemeth should be benched.
After an underwhelming regular season in which he was a -9 in 63 games played, the big-bodied defenseman has only regressed in the playoffs with a -4 rating.
Pittsburgh has taken full advantage of Nemeth’s struggles and he’s been exposed throughout this series so far, including having a tough Game 3.
However, Rangers Head Coach Gerard Gallant seems likely to stick to his guns when it comes to his defensive parings, meaning that Nemeth is almost certain to take to the ice in Game Four alongside Braden Schneider.
That will no doubt frustrate a lot of Blueshirts fans but, in trying to look at things with a glass half full here, one thing the 30-year-old does have going for him is his wealth of experience and that could be crucial in a Game Four on the road.
And, while significant improvements are unlikely, if Nemeth can at least put together a solid game and help out his goalie while putting his 6-foot-3, 228 pound frame to good use when it comes to using the body, that will certainly only benefit the Rangers.