Stanley Cup Playoffs 2014: Penguins Again Fail To Close Rangers, Setting Up Game 7
By Matt Gajtka
May 11, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) is checked into the boards by New York Rangers defensman
Dan Girardi(5) during the first period in game six of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
After the Pittsburgh Penguins played their best hockey of the season to take command of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series, they’ve seen the New York Rangers respond in kind.
The quick-starting Rangers jumped to a 2-0 lead seven minutes into Sunday’s Game 6, then leaned on all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to hold off the Penguins 3-1 at Madison Square Garden to tie the best-of-seven series at three games apiece.
Game 7 is scheduled for Tuesday night, a matchup that looked improbable after the Penguins swept Games 3 and 4 in New York to snag a 3-1 series lead. But the offense has dried up for Pittsburgh, which has scored just twice on 69 shots over the past two games.
Lundqvist stopped 36 on Sunday, outdueling Marc-Andre Fleury, who denied 26. However, the entire Penguins team was outdone by a Rangers team that also went seven games in a Round 1 victory over the Flyers. Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin and Derick Brassard scored for New York, while Brandon Sutter netted the lone Pittsburgh goal.
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby were both held scoreless, partially due to a power play that continues to disappoint. The same advantage that led the NHL during the regular season is now 1 for 19 in the series.
For the second straight game and third time in the series, the Penguins appeared unprepared for an early Rangers onslaught. St. Louis, playing on Mother’s Day the same week his own mother unexpectedly passed away, authored a storybook start at 3:34 of the first when the rebound of Derek Stepan‘s shot caromed off the former Lightning star’s leg and behind Fleury.
The New York lead grew to 2-0 at 6:25 when Hagelin took advantage of Robert Bortuzzo‘s ill-timed pinch to lead on a 2-on-1 rush. Rob Scuderi foiled Hagelin’s cross-rink pass, but the speedy Rangers forward doubled back and spun a backhand shot that surprisingly sneaked under Fleury’s right arm.
The Penguins found their legs in the second half of the period, eventually outshooting the Rangers 15-14 over the opening 20 minutes. They got a goal to hang their helmets with 3:04 to go before the first intermission when Sutter’s shot from the side boards bounced into the net off New York defenseman Kevin Klein.
Pittsburgh continued to push in the middle frame at even strength, although they generated their best opportunities while shorthanded. Both Marcel Goc and Brian Gibbons had clean looks behind the Rangers’ defense, but Lundqvist made a pair of high-quality saves to keep the home team ahead.
When the Pens earned a power play at 13:05 on Mats Zuccarello‘s tripping penalty, the game was tilting in their direction. But following another fruitless advantage that featured a lot of passing and nothing else, Brassard delivered a critical blow to Pittsburgh’s hopes with a highlight goal with 4:30 left in the period.
Fleury denied an initial couple of stuff attempts before Brassard tipped the puck over the Pens goalie and slammed it in while leaping into the blue paint, making it 3-1 New York.
The third period was all about Lundqvist, as the Penguins poured on the pressure in an attempt to rally from two goals down for the third time in the playoffs. Pittsburgh finished with 37 shots on net, but couldn’t beat the Swedish netminder cleanly all night.
The Penguins are 2-6 all-time in Game 7s on home ice, but they’ll look to keep that history at arm’s length Tuesday night for a winner-take-all battle.