This is it for the New York Rangers. The hockey gods have aligned to deliver the perfect scenario for the team in their quest to come back from a 3-1 deficit. If they don’t win tonight, they will have no excuses.
The Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby in this game. Louis Domingue will return to play goal. They are still missing Rickard Rakell and Brian Dumoulin. That’s a huge burden for Pittsburgh and it will be up to the Rangers to take advantage.
Look at it this way. If the Rangers were going into this game without Artemi Panarin, Andrew Copp and Ryan Lindgren and with Keith Kinkaid in goal, what odds would you give for relatively healthy Penguins team to win?
Not only that, but Tyler Motte has been cleared to play and may make a return to the lineup. Coach Gerard Gallant would not say that he is playing and hinted that if they go with an 11 forward/7 defenseman lineup, he may not. If Motte is back, he brings speed, penalty killing and a solid defense presence to the Rangers, making up some of what the Blueshirts lost when Barclay Goodrow was injured.
Gallant was asked if the absence of Crosby will give the ZIbanejad line some more offensive freedom. “They’ve got a tough job to do. I know one thing, they’re not happy when the other line scores against them. They’ve had success all year long and they’re a little bit frustrated with it. Again, when we talk to our players and I talk to that line, it’s play your game. You can’t worry about Sidney Crosby. They’re gonna get lots of chances. They’re gonna create lots of chances. We’ve got to make sure we’re trying to create those chances too.”
He reaffirmed what his message has been to that line. “I never once told them ‘let’s be in a defensive shell, make sure they don’t get chances.’ Well, they’re gonna get chances any way you look at it. They spend a lot of time in the offensive zone, they’re a great line, a talented line so we still gotta play our game, what we do.”
Mika Zibanejad spoke after the morning skate and you can see his lack of production is wearing on him. “I think we haven’t created offense maybe enough. Maybe a little too worried about the line we’re playing against and trying to stop them from doing…I think maybe the focus has been too much on that. We’re trying to work through it, it’s not easy, it’s not an easy opponent. Try and play our game and just enjoy the challenge and the intensity of the playoffs.”
Zibanejad’s advice is something he and his linemates need to heed. “The best way to stop offense is to create your own.”
The Rangers cannot underestimate the Penguins, something that they have done all series. They have dominated just three periods out of almost 18 periods of hockey in this series and that isn’t good enough.
They will be in front of a hostile and vocal home crowd and that can change momentum with or without Sidney Crosby. No excuses.
Projected starting lineups
NEW YORK RANGERS
20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 77 Vatrano
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 18 Copp
13 Lafreniere -72 Chytil – 24 Kakko
Motte – 17 Rooney – 75 Reaves
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
79 Miller -8 Trouba
61 Braun – 54 Schneider
31 Shesterkin
40 Georgiev
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
59 Jake Guentzel – 71- Evgeni Malkin – 17 Bryan Rust
43 Danton Heinen – 9 Evan Rodrigues – 42 Kasperi Kapanen
16 Jason Zucker – 77 Jeff Carter – 23 Brock McGinn
11 Brian Boyle – 53 Teddy Blueger – 10 Drew O’Connor
5 Mike Matheson – 58 Kris Letang
28 Marcus Pettersson – 6 John Marino
52 Mark Friedman – 2 Chad Ruhwedel
70 Louis Domingue
33 Alex D’Orio
How to watch and the live conversation
The game starts at 7pm and will be televised locally on MSG Network with the national telecast on TNT.
As for live streaming, any games on TNT are available on their own app and website if you have a cable or satellite subscription and can authenticate your access. If you don’t have cable or satellite your are out of luck. The MSG GO app should work as well for the local telecast, but you need a cable subscription for that as well.
Blue Line Station’s live conversation is active now and we will be live for every playoff game (how’s that for optimism?). Please join in as we watch the Blueshirts keep their comeback on track.
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