The Pittsburgh Penguins (1-1) suffered their first loss in the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers (1-1). The Penguins had an abundance of chances to keep the score close, but a series of goals by the Rangers kept Pittsburgh from picking up any momentum.
Four straight goals by the Rangers sucked the life out of Consol Energy Center until the final stages of the third period when Pittsburgh began finding its first-period spark again. However, missed opportunities against Henrik Lundqvist prevented the Penguins from winning Game 2 in today’s 4-2 loss.
The Rangers played an incredibly physical game today putting up more than 50 hits to Pittsburgh’s 23. Lundqvist played a great game today, allowing two goals, one of which being a power-play goal.
One Good, One Bad
Jeff Zatkoff got his second NHL playoff start in his career, but failed to live up to his performance in game one. Granted, New York came out swinging once it got on the board, and the Penguins’ defense was caught flat-footed. Zatkoff struggled in high-pressure situations in the second half of today’s game.
His first-period performance was superb, making several great saves and decisions to keep pressure off of his team. But once the offense lost the zip it possessed early on, the defense began to fall apart bit-by-bit and would allow four goals.
The Rangers persistence and physicality were two factors that contributed to their important win today. New York focused on taking the body and throwing the Penguins off their skates as much as possible. Pittsburgh generated pressure around the net, but Lundqvist performed just how his team needed.
New York, New York
The series will now shift to Madison Square Garden in New York City where the Rangers will play host to Game 3 and Game 4. Pittsburgh’s only goals today came on the power-play, something that is a bit different from the way the Penguins normally score.
Evgeni Malkin joined the team for today’s game and put up a point (one assist) against the New York Rangers. Phil Kessel also scored a pair of goals.
Both teams played chippy all game and made it a very thrilling game, even in the final minutes when Pittsburgh was down by two goals. New York was able to take advantage of quick plays and pushed heavily into Pittsburgh’s zone to create traffic.
What’s Next
The Penguins will now travel on the road to New York and face the Rangers at home in Game 3 of the series on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
