After being shutout in game two and three, the New York Rangers finally solved Marc-Andre Fleury.
Unfortunately, they still couldn’t stop the Penguins.
Brandon Sutter broke a 1-1 game with a shorthanded goal, while Chris Kunitz added a backbreaker and the Penguins’ defense held the New York Rangers to just 15 shots as Pittsburgh won 4-2, Wednesday night to take a 3-1 series lead.
Evgeni Malkin scored his fifth of the playoffs just 2:31 into the game to get the Penguins on the board first. Malkin forced a neutral zone turnover and sent a cross-ice pass to Sidney Crosby. Crosby attempted to center the puck to Chris Kunitz in front of the net. Instead, it was deflected off a defenseman, off another defenseman’s skate and right to Malkin whose 360 backhand shot went through the legs of Henrik Lundqvist.
The Rangers finally got on the board when Carl Hagelin busted through the neutral zone with speed, out skated the defense in the middle of a bad line change, and beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a wicked snapshot on the far side 5:30 into the second period.
New York received a power play late in the second period but it was the Penguins who capitalized on the chance. Brian Gibbons took the puck at center ice and skated in on a breakaway. He tried to out-wait Lundqvist in front of the net but the Swedish goaltender made an excellent save. The puck was kicked out and Brandon Sutter swooped in to deposit the rebound top shelf for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Jussi Jokinen scored 7:02 into the third period to extend the Pittsburgh lead to 3-1 after his wide-angle wrist shot hit Marc Staal’s leg and beat Lundqvist.
Mats Zuccarello scored 13:07 to breathe live back in the Rangers but Chris Kunitz added his third goal of the playoffs just 57 seconds later to put the game away and maybe the series.
The Penguins will go for the series win in Pittsburgh on Friday.
Three Stars
- Evgeni Malkin
- Brandon Sutter
- Sidney Crosby
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
