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How the New York Rangers can get back on top in Game 5

By Andrew Steele-Davis

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 07: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal on Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on June 07, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 07: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal on Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on June 07, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – JUNE 07: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers screens Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning as a shot comes in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on June 07, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JUNE 07: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers screens Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning as a shot comes in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on June 07, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Be better 5v5

Generating more offense at five-on-five has to be the mission statement for the New York Rangers heading into Game Five. It is that simple.

In two games at Amalie Arena, the Rangers failed to score a single even-strength goal and they didn’t trouble Andrei Vasilevskiy much at five-on-five either.

That has to change with the series shifting back to New York, especially if the Rangers want to avoid a do-or-die situation heading back to Tampa on Saturday.

The Anthony Cirelli line – featuring Alex Killorn and Brandon Hagel – has done an excellent job of shutting down the Blueshirts’ top line in each of the last two games, proving that old school checking lines really are game-changers in the war of attrition that is playoff hockey.

Tampa, very much like the Carolina Hurricanes, is very aggressive on the forecheck and it did a great job of preventing the Rangers from getting out of their own zone smoothly and quickly in both Games Three and Four.

Again, being back at home the Rangers will have last change and that will allow Gallant to get Zibanejad and his top line away from the Cirelli line. When Zibanejad didn’t have the shackles on in both the Pittsburgh and Carolina series, he thrived.

And that should be the case tonight.

The good news is that the Rangers had 21 high danger chances at five-on-five in the two previous games at MSG in this series, compared to just 11 on the road. Zibanejad has also been playing at an elite level in these playoffs at MSG, and he will be the key to generating scoring at even-strength tonight.

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