Anything is possible for New York Rangers ahead of decisive Game 7

Win Game Seven and anything is truly possible for the New York Rangers who have showed what they are capable of this postseason.

It all comes down to this for the Blueshirts who take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a win-or-go-home situation at Madison Square Garden, and tonight could prove to be the springboard for greater things.

After overcoming a 3-1 series deficit thanks to back-to-back comeback wins in Games Five and Six, the Rangers have almost every omen on their side as they look to advance to the Second Round of the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.

Firstly, and perhaps most amazingly, the Rangers have only lost one Game Seven on home ice in franchise history, which came against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015 the last time the Blueshirts played in a game of this magnitude.

This series has also been a microcosm of the Rangers’ whole season in that every time they look like they have been knocked to the canvas for good, they rise up like a man possessed and proceed to throw knockout blows of their own.

Head Coach Gerard Gallant has crafted a roster that, as talented as they are, are also as equally gritty, tough and hard to beat when they are locked in.

Down two games to a Pittsburgh team that has scaled the Stanley Cup mountain three times, two of which came not that long ago, would have proved a step too far for a lot of other teams, but not for the Rangers who simply refuse to die.

Instead, they put on their hard hats, roll their sleeves up and get to work and will a way to win, no matter what it takes.

That attitude, coupled with a packed Madison Square Garden that will quite literally be shaking, could prove the difference in a Game Seven.

Also, Game Six was important for this team for more than the obvious reason. It was the game in which Mika Zibanejad finally woke from his scoring slump, and the power play also clicked back into life while Igor Shesterkin put his PPG Paints Arena demons to rest with a strong bounce-back performance.

If that top line can keep rolling tonight and if the power play can take full advantage of any opportunity it is given, then this game will be the Rangers’ to lose.

Zibanejad getting hot now would come at the perfect time for New York, while it is only a matter of time until Artemi Panarin puts together a monster game. And what better time to do that than tonight.

Yes, Sidney Crosby could be back in the lineup, as could Rickard Rakell and there is also a chance Tristan Jarry could get the start between the pipes, with all three game-time decisions.

And, yes, the Penguins have been here more than a few times before and their core knows how to get the job done in the heat of postseason battle with all the chips down, so that wealth of experience and know-how could prove to be a sizeable advantage.

But, after winning back-to-back elimination games while staring down and dealing with every ounce of adversity their way, the momentum is firmly with the Rangers and you know that, even if they do go down a couple of goals early, they will scratch and claw their way back into the contest and keep their season alive.

Of course, it would benefit the youngest team in the postseason not to give one of the most experienced teams any kind of advantage in a Game Seven that will be played tighter and closer than any other game in this series, but you wouldn’t count them out even if they did.

This is a huge opportunity for the New York Rangers and they very much have their destiny in their own hands, and if they can find a way to get the job done in Game Seven tonight then anything really is possible for this team who have the talent, the goaltending and the fearless attitude to make a deep run, no matter who they come up against.