Rangers remind world they have an offense, force Game 7
Remember when the New York Rangers were struggling to score goals in these playoffs? Through two rounds, they ranked 15th out of 16 playoff teams (Pittsburgh) at two goals per game.
How could they possibly survive against the offensively charged Tampa Bay Lightning? Oh, that's right: New York was the NHL's third-highest scoring team in the regular season; the Rangers just needed someone to remind them.
In the six games of this Eastern Conference finals, New York has scored 21 goals (3.5 per game). The Rangers saved their best offensive output for an elimination game, scoring seven times to rout the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 on Tuesday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
With the victory, New York earned a trip back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7 on Friday night. Oddly, the Rangers have only managed four goals in three home games this series, but they have proven they can win both 2-1 games and high-scoring affairs. That's one of the hallmarks of a Cup-worthy team.
"We wanted a chance," New York coach Alain Vigneault said after Game 6. "We got a chance."
Play of the day: The entire sequence of New York's third goal, netted 3:02 into the third period. Tampa forward Steven Stamkos circled the New York net and tried to center a pass that was intercepted by Rangers center Derick Brassard, who fed right wing Rick Nash for a 2-on-1 with J.T. Miller. Tampa goalie Ben Bishop stopped the initial attempt then stopped Miller with a sprawling snow angel. Still, Bishop's teammates failed to come to his rescue thus allowing Brassard to corral the loose puck behind the net and feed Miller in front for a tap-in just as Stamkos arrived on the scene.
Turning Point: It wasn't any one point, but midway through the second period, Tampa Bay was outshooting New York 25-12, yet trailed 2-1. The Lightning had golden opportunities but Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist simply wouldn't break. Eventually, the Rangers scored the aforementioned goal three minutes into the third period and James Sheppard added an insurance goal less than three minutes later to put the game out of reach.
Three stars
1. Derick Brassard, C, New York. Brassard has been the Rangers' best forward this postseason. On Tuesday, he put an exclamation point on that fact with his first career hat trick, a career-high five points and all-out hustle. Brassard is the first Rangers player to record a hat trick in the playoffs since April 17, 2007 (Michael Nylander), and the first with five points in a game (regular season or playoffs) since March 6, 2011 (Ryan Callahan).
2. Henrik Lundqvist, G, New York. Lundqvist made 36 saves, most of those in the first half of the game when he single-handedly preserved a 2-1 lead the Rangers didn't deserve. Without Lundqvist, New York's third-period goal-scoring binge doesn't happen.
3. Rick Nash, RW, New York. The guy wearing the goat horns for much of this postseason had a goal and three assists and has seven points in his last three games.
RECAP
New York Rangers 7, Tampa Bay Lightning 3
Series: Tied 3-3
Key stat: New York is 43-0-1 this season when leading after two periods.
Key stat II: In the three games played in Tampa in this series, the Rangers and Lightning combined for 27 goals.
Best visual: The Rangers' first goal. Miller's pass to Brassard in the tight window between two Lightning defenders was pretty enough, but Brassard's sleight of hand to get the puck around Tampa defenseman Anton Stralman's skate, and then his fake to open up Bishop's legs and slide the puck between them, were equally highlight-worthy plays.
Best quote: "No time to sulk about it. We got beat. There's a Game 7. We have to respond." -- Tampa captain Steven Stamkos.
What we learned: The Rangers have a deep well of resolve. Shut out in Game 5 at home, New York looked dead in the water heading back to Tampa for Game 6 against a better offensive team. New York was under siege the first half of the game, but Lundqvist played like New York's best player and the Rangers capitalized on their scant chances to open up Tampa's defense for the kill. Now we get a Game 7. Hockey nirvana.
Next game: Game 7 on Friday at 8 p.m., ET at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Final thought: The Chicago Blackhawks are facing another salary cap purge this offseason. Patrick Kane's and Jonathan Toews' mammoth new contracts will kick in and a struggling Canadian dollar means the cap won't rise as much as anticipated. The ’Hawks will have to unload some big names, with forward Patrick Sharp and defenseman Johnny Oduya the most mentioned possibilities. Chicago will keep its core of Kane, Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith, but it will have to fill in the cracks for a couple years so Game 6 against the Ducks on Wednesday at United Center feels like a last hurrah of sorts. An inspired Blackhawks squad will be worth watching.
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