Rangers Shouldn't Count Their Chickens Just Yet.

Things couldn't have been going any better for the 1991-92 New York Rangers. They had won the President's trophy and defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in the divisional semifinals. Now they were looking to do the same to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the divisional finals. 

They were ahead 4-2 midway through the third period of game four and were on the verge of taking a 3-1 stranglehold lead in the series, when at 10:37, Ron Francis, from just outside the blue line, wound up and took a slap shot that flew past Mike Richter to trim the lead to 4-3. The crowd came alive, and a little over a minute later, Troy Loney tied the score. The Pens eventually won the game in overtime and took the series 4-2.

But the most crushing thing about that defeat, apart from the fact that once more the Rangers failed in their quest to capture the allusive Cup, was that the best player in the NHL that season, Mario Lemieux, was injured by a slash from Adam Graves in game two and missed the rest of the series. It's bad enough losing, but to lose to a team whose best player is unable to play, well that really stings. The moral of the story is don't assume anything.

No doubt the Rangers are relieved that Sidney Crosby will not be playing in tonight's game, courtesy of a Jacob Trouba hit that, despite what the Pittsburgh press is saying, was perfectly legal. I've been watching Trouba play for three years now, and let's just say that if Trouba really wanted to hurt Crosby, Crosby would've been carried off on a stretcher. It's time to move on, guys.

But if I'm the Rangers, I wouldn't be making any plans for a game seven at the Garden on Sunday. For starters, while Crosby has lit up the Blueshirts in this series, he is NOT the principle reason why they find themselves on the verge of elimination. Yes, their defense has been putrid, especially in game four, where they humiliated themselves. The two biggest reasons why they are in this predicament is 1) They have been unable to sustain a consistent forecheck against the Penguins, which has hampered their ability to generate offense; and 2) Their Vezina trophy finalist goaltender Igor Shesterkin, since game two, simply hasn't played up to his billing.

Regarding #2, there's no gentle way to put this. Anything other than a stellar performance in game six and it won't much matter who dresses for Pittsburgh. The Rangers season will be over. Come hell or high water, Igor must be Igor.

Regarding #1, this has been the most frustrating aspect of this series to watch. When the Rangers have been able to successfully establish a forecheck, the Penguins have had no answer. Put succinctly, when the Rangers turn on the spigot, Pittsburgh can't seem to turn it off.

Witness the first period in game one, the second period in both games two and three, and that three minute stretch in the second period of game five. Once pinned in their own end, the Pens have been unable to get out of their own zone without giving up successive scoring chances, some of which have wound up in the back of their net. With a few notable exceptions, the Penguins have gotten their goals from either odd-man rushes, deflections or transition plays. In short, Pittsburgh has been the quicker team, but not necessarily the better team in this series.

So how do the Rangers solve this problem? Well, let's be optimistic and assume that Igor regains his form tonight. The first thing that has to happen is the Rangers need to stop those long breakout passes they've been attempting. Pittsburgh's forwards are stepping up and intercepting them before they get to their blue line. This has led to several odd-man rushes that have led to goals. To get around this, the Rangers must attempt shorter passes through the neutral zone and then once across the red line, dump the puck in and chase it.

I know this strategy doesn't sit well with players like Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, but like it or not, this is the playoffs and adjustments have to be made. The reason the Kid line of Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere has been so successful is because they've been dumping the puck in and - surprise, surprise - successfully retrieving it. In fact, they've been giving the Pens fits the entire series. It would behoove Panarin and Zibanejad - who has been abysmal this series - to watch and learn. Who cares how you gain the offensive zone so long as you get possession of the puck?

But even if they do alter their style of play, the other thing that has to happen is that once they get a scoring chance they have to capitalize on it. Throughout the entire series, the Rangers have played musical chairs with the puck; passing up good shots to get the proverbial better one. In the first overtime period of game one, Adam Fox had the puck ten feet out from the Pittsburgh goal, and rather than shoot it, decided to pass it to Ryan Strome who, clearly not expecting the pass, flubbed the shot.

While that may be the most egregious example of their overpassing tendencies, it is emblematic of a flaw that has afflicted them throughout the regular season and now threatens their postseason aspirations. It undoubtedly was the reason they were unable to score on three consecutive power play opportunities in game three, when just one conversion might well have gotten them a win. Whether committed by Fox, Panarin or Zibanaejad, this reluctance by the Rangers to take what the defense is giving them is making Louis Domingue's life a lot more bearable than it should be. The third-string goalie has managed to win three playoff games so far and, despite some major flaws in his technique, is in position to win the first postseason series of his career. 

And if the Rangers let that happen, it will haunt them the entire offseason.