One, for the third consecutive game, the Rangers did a good job with their puck management, limiting the number of odd-man rushes New Jersey had out of their zone. Indeed, had the Blueshirts converted on just one of the five power plays they were awarded, they most likely would've won in regulation and we'd be talking about a potential sweep tonight.
Two, the Rangers let the opportunity of a lifetime slip through their fingers, and now they have to deal with an opponent that is not only alive and well but is one win away from taking control of this series; a series, to be honest, they have no business even being in.
In this instance, both statements are true. Yes, the Rangers have been, by far, the better team in this best of seven matchup. They have set the tempo in all three games and have forced the speedy Devils to work hard for what little scoring chances they've gotten. Dougie Hamilton's overtime winner was the first 5v5 goal his team has scored in nine and half periods. Think about that.
But like any wrestler knows all too well, you never let your opponent off the mat once you have him pinned. And the Rangers were on the verge of pinning the Devils with both shoulders. Less than a minute after Chris Kreider scored to make it 1-0, Ryan Graves was called for interference. All the Rangers had to do was score on their ensuing power play and it would've been 2-0. Not quite game, set and match, but pretty damn close. Let's put it this way, the fat lady would've been warming up her vocal cords between periods.
I cannot stress this enough. It is vital that the Rangers come out guns a blazin' tonight. No pussy footin' around. Enough with the mutual admiration society posing as a power play unit. This isn't an NHL all-star game; it's a playoff round; the first of what the Rangers hope will be four. At the Prudential Center, there was no dicking around with the man advantage. When they had the shot, they took it. The results - four for ten on the power play - speak for themselves.
I don't know what happens to this team when they get in front of their home crowd, but if it isn't nipped in the bud soon - and by soon I mean tonight - they will be playing golf with the Islanders in May.
I'm not joking around here. Saturday night's win gave the Devils something they didn't have before: hope. And to paraphrase a famous line from a well-known movie, "Hope is a dangerous thing." Another win by the Devils and the trajectory of this series will change, perhaps irrevocably. The Rangers will have the unenviable task of having to win three games in their opponent's building. Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.
The good news is that, for now, the Rangers are still the masters of their own fate. They have the ability to correct what went wrong; they've done it all season. They know the Devils didn't so much win the game as they lost it. And that will work in their favor. Though the Devils escaped with a victory, they are by no means out of the woods. Technically speaking, they are still very much the underdogs in this series, regardless of who Lindy Ruff starts in goal.
And that is precisely where the Rangers must keep them. The Devils will push harder than they did in game three, you can count on that. But the Rangers have the deeper and more experienced team. They were made for moments like this. If they stay focused and disciplined with the puck, and they do a better job finishing around the net - especially on the power play - they'll be playing the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
If they don't; if they squander this opportunity and allow the Devils to take the series, it will be the longest summer of their lives.
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