(2M) Rangers on (3M) Penguin
7pm ET; TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS, ATTSN-PT, MSG
Best-of-7 series built 1-1
The New York Rangers will try to win their ice return from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round when they play Game 3 at the PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.
The Penguins won Game 1 at Madison Square Garden 4-3 in a three-point extension on Tuesday. New York responded with a 5-2 win at Garden Thursday despite the series.
“Of course with some tests, get ready,” said Rangers coach Gerard Gallant. “It’s a very good series of 5 now. They have ice at home. We need to get ready to play some good games tonight. We played two very good games in this house this season to help you.”
The Rangers were 1-1-0 at Pittsburgh all the time, losing 1-0 on Feb. 26 with a 3-2 win on March 29. Igor Shesterkin was a goalie in every game, conceding three goals in 50 shots.
Shesterkin conceded six goals in 124 appearances in the first two games of the series, good for a .952 percent save.
“Obviously he’s a little scared of the team, I’m just as confident as we were at home,” the Rangers defender said. Adam Fox he said. “Try a rainstorm. When the crowd gets in, the teams run a little bit sometimes, but they get close enough, they play hard.”
Penguins will also have players Louis Domingue in the net Tristan Jarry (lower body injury) and Casey DeSmith (core muscle surgery) does not exist.
Domingue saved 17 in helping DeSmith win Game 1 and conceded five goals in 40 appearances in Game 2, his first NHL debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“She’s excited about the opportunity,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “I think he’s played well so far. He’s a reliable kid and I think it helps him a lot in this situation.”
When the best 7 matches are tied, the Game 3 winner has a record of 228-110 (67.5 percent), plus a 4-3 record in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Here are the three keys to Game 3:
1. What is special?
The Rangers are 2-for-5 in strong play and have a short-term goal. They caught Penguins 1-for-6 in their strong game, a 5-on-3 goal in Game 1.
Sullivan said after Game 2 that if there was a single unit to support the Penguins and special teams, especially penalty kicks, it was the third in the regular season at 84.4 percent.
“When our punishment comes right, we win the race, we get 200 times, we lower the ice, we make it harder,” Sullivan said. “One of the problems we’ve had so far with the Rangers is that we haven’t won a lot of games, we don’t have a lot of controls. As a result, they have had a huge amount. Time zone and they are a good team.”
2. Monitor 87
Sidney Crosby has been a driving force in his line and forward Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. He scored five of Pittsburgh’s six goals and scored 11 points, 41 assists and 62 assists.
New York’s ability to reduce the line, especially when the Penguin is not making other lines, could be a variation of Game 3.
“You’re talking about one of the best lines in the league and they are currently playing well,” Gallant said. “The line has been hard to catch and direct. We are doing everything we can. There is no good match for those guys.”
3. Second scoring
Evgeni MalkinThe goal of a three-time extension in Game 1 is just one of six Penguin goals in a series scored by a player who has not been in their top line.
Pittsburgh have struggled to find second goals beyond Crosby, Guentzel, Rust and Malkin for nearly four months.
The four players have scored 88 goals since Jan. 11, plus five in two playoff games; the rest added 75 goals, none in the first round.
“When you score well it enhances your chances of winning the game,” said Sullivan. “We will continue to work hard to help our boys get a chance to score, but there has definitely been a chance to beat our entire team here in the first two games.”
Rangers Projected Lineup
Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Frank Vatrano
Artemi Panarin – Ryan Strome – Andrew Copp
Alexis Lafreniere – Filip Chitil – Kaapo Kako
Dryden Hunt – Kevin Rooney – Ryan Reaves
By Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Justin Braun – Adam Fox
Patrick Nemeth – Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Alexander Georgiev
Posted: Libor Hajek, Greg McKegg, Julien Gauthier, Jonny Brodzinski
Outstanding: Tyler Motte (upper body), Barclay Goodrow (thin), Ryan Lindgren (thin)
Penguins Projected Lineup
Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen Evgeni Malkin – Kasperi Kapanen
Brock McGinn – Jeff Carter – Evan Rodrigues
Brian Boyle – Teddy Blueger – Drew O’Connor
Mike Matheson – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – John Marino
Mark Friedman – Chad Ruhwedel
Louis Domingue
Alex D’Orio
Posted: Nathan Beaulieu
Outstanding: Tristan Jarry (thin), Rickard Rakell (unknown), Casey DeSmith (central muscle surgery),, Jason Zucker (thin), Brian Dumoulin (thin)
status report
Lindgren, the defender, will be the only player in the game after playing in Game 2 on Thursday. … Goodrow, a forward player, is expected to be on the sidelines. … Jarry skateboard alone for the first time before choosing a morning skateboard. The goalie is daily. … DeSmith, a player, will be out of the remaining Stanley Cup Playoffs after undergoing mid-surgery on Friday. … Zucker will be a game-changer for the second straight game. If he plays, the player could join Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line.
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