Rangers live to play again with 5-3 win

About the game

If there is one thing about this Rangers team, they can be absolutely infuriating.  In a game that needed a strong start, they were tentative. They played a conservative road game, but did not show the strong forecheck that they needed and allowed the Penguins much too much freedom in their own zone.  It came back to bite them when the Penguins scored twice in a minute and a half in the first period.

At 14:12 Jeff Carter scored after Igor Shesterkin had made four straight saves, but got no help from his teammates. At 15:48 it was Bryan Rust, left unchecked at the post for an open shot on a pass from Jake Guentzel.  Things looked grim, even worse when Frank Vatrano hit the post on a shot to keep the score 2-0.

Once again, team comeback was behind the eight ball in a do or die game. The comeback started five minutes into the second period when Evan Rodrigues took a dumb retaliatory penalty, roughing Ryan Lindgren who had hit him just before.

The power play took only five seconds to score.  Mika Zibanejad won the draw and took the one-timer after two quick passes from Adam Fox and Ryan Strome.

As it has in other games, the goal released the floodgates of offense and the Rangers swarmed in the Pittsburgh zone.   Zibanejad took a nice pass from Adam Fox for a one-timer for his second goal in 1:16 to tie the game.

The Rangers can just not stand prosperity. For the second time in two games and just 1:40 after tying the game Zibanejad lifted the puck into the stands.  The Rangers then found themselves down two men after when Kevin Rooney inadvertently tripped Guentzel with 1:07 still left in the Zibanejad penalty.  It was a crucial moment in the game with the Penguins poised to retake the lead, but the penalty killers were outstanding allowing only one shot on goal and two total in almost three minutes shorthanded.  In fact, Mika Zibanejad hit the crossbar when he was sprung from the penalty box for a breakaway.

The Rangers power play went back to work when Mike Matheson high sticked Frank Vatrano, drawing a double minor.  This time it was Igor Shesterkin who headmanned the puck to an open Zibanejad who broke in, forcing an excellent save by Louis Domingue, but Chris Kreider got to the rebound and the Rangers had the lead.

That lead lasted less than three minutes when Jacob Trouba tried to make a cross ice pass that was intercepted by Evgeni Malkin who had a breakaway and beat Shesterkin.  Tie game.

Both teams played a cautious third period and it looked like they were headed to overtime when Chris Kreider fired a shot from the blueline with Zibanejad screening Domingue.  He made the save, but the puck popped over his head and into the net.

The Penguins pulled Domingue with so little time left and Andrew Copp scored into the empty net on a feed from Kevin Rooney and the Penguins were toast.

It was a thrilling win and sets up both teams for a fabulous Game Seven.

George Gallant had the last word.  “It’s exciting.  Three days ago we were down 3-1 and now we have a chance to go home and win Game Seven. The first two were battles and we had to win hard and nothing is going to change in the next one.  Home ice is great..we’ve played well in our building.  It’s a Game Seven. The winner goes on and the loser goes home. I think it’s going to be a great game.”

Here’s a video recap of the game: