Pittsburgh Penguins (3-1)
Last time out, Matt Murray dazzled once again on the big stage and recorded his first-career playoff shootout. The offense got the job done, as well, giving the team some breathing room, building on an early lead and finishing with a total of five goals scored.
The special teams of Pittsburgh played at an elite level. Not only did the power-play score on three of five chances, the power-kill played even better, giving New York no chance to establish consistent offensive pressure against Murray. Marc-Andre Fleury was seen skating without pads for about 20 minutes and is still day-to-day.
New York Rangers (1-3)
The Rangers are in a must-win situation, trailing three games to one. Pittsburgh has been fortunate enough to chase Henrik Lundqvist from net, or at least be able to get the puck past him. In years past, Lundqvist was the Penguins’ Achilles heel, but it appears that this new, high-potent offense has found the right tactic to put up goals against one of the league’s best goalies.
“You can’t think because you’ve [come back] in the past you will necessarily do it,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Friday. “But you can believe a little bit. We’ve been there and have been in those situations and I think what made it possible was that narrow focus of staying in the moment. That’s what we are going to preach.”
The Rangers will look to begin the comeback today when they face the Penguins in Game 5 of the series.
What To Know
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
When: Saturday, April 23 @ 3:00 p.m.
Watch: NBC, TVA SPORTS, SN360
Image Credit: Getty Images
