New York Rangers: 3 keys to winning Game 6 and staying alive

Time for heroes

As has been discussed many times before, the postseason is built for heroes and those heroes normally come in the form of superstars and players that are built for the big moments.

We’ve seen it with Tampa Bay as big-hitters like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and of course, Vasilevskiy have all come up clutch in the past three games.

Now it is time for some of the Rangers’ big-hitters to deliver an all-time heroic performance.

Because it is needed. Now more than ever.

Facing a sixth elimination game in these playoffs, the Blueshirts need more from some of their biggest stars and those stars need to bring it. No matter what.

Just as Mark Messier did in 1994 when he guaranteed that his team would win Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals before going out and potting a hat-trick to force a Game Seven.

That kind of mentality has to be adopted by the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox, who will carry the load when it comes to producing the kind of offensive production the Rangers will need to win tonight.

With Head Coach Gerard Gallant considering mixing up his lines for Game Six, the onus will be on the likes of Panarin, Zibanejad and Kreider to step up and really deliver.

Panarin was better in Game Five but he’s capable of much, much more, while Zibanejad and Kreider have been largely shut down in this series. Maybe throwing Zibanejad and Panarin on a line together would create hell for Tampa Bay. As for Kreider, he has to do a much better job of getting to the front of the net and causing problems for Vasilevskiy.

Make no doubt about it though; the stage is set for someone to step up and become a hero tonight, and the Rangers will need every last drop of energy and quality from their stars if they are to survive and live to see another day.