It was another magical night at The Garden as the New York Rangers beat the odds and lived to fight another day yet again.
Facing elimination for the fourth time this postseason, the Blueshirts again refused to quit as they beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 to set up a do-or-die Game Seven in Raleigh tonight.
Thanks to Tyler Motte, the Rangers delivered the kind of fast start that has eluded them on so many occasions in these playoffs, and they got contributions from up and down the lineup to seal another memorable postseason win.
They were also treated to yet another masterclass from Igor Shesterkin who not only made 37 saves, but also contributed offensively with two assists, cementing what has been an historic year for the goalie.
It was another example of the grit and never-say-die attitude that has defined the Rangers’ playoff adventure so far, and they now need to find out a way to win a game on the road in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But, before then, let’s take a look at some of the lessons we learned from the Blueshirts’ Game Six win at MSG…
Come out swinging
If there’s been one major trend to emerge from these Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Rangers, it has been their ability to consistently find ways to dig themselves out of holes no matter how big that particular hole.
Of course, the Hockey Gods only spare so much luck so it was only a matter of time until the Rangers had to actually start on top in a game.
Thankfully, that was the case in Game Six.
Knowing what was at stake, Head Coach Gerard Gallant decided to start his fourth line in order to set the tone and send a message, with the returning Barclay Goodrow joining Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves out on the ice for the opening faceoff.
And boy did it work.
After doing what was expected of them in their opening shift, the fourth line landed the first blow of the night at 7:22 with Igor Shesterkin pulling off a big save, allowing Motte to barrel through the neutral zone before wristing a shot past Antti Raanta to put the Rangers on the board.
Mika Zibanejad then scored on the power play shortly after and that fast start laid the foundations for the Rangers to go on and live to fight another day.
This team now has to take the lessons from Game Six into Game Seven and perhaps beyond because, as they proved to themselves, life is so much easier when you play with a lead rather than have to come from behind all the time, especially if they come up against a juggernaut like the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals.