The Pittsburgh Penguins came into Wednesday night knowing that they needed to improve in the poor first period starts that had resulted in no goals and just 13 shots over the first three games.
The Penguins turned that trend on its ear in Game 4, scoring the opening goal for the first time in the series, and dominating the Rangers through the first 20 minutes, but came away with just a 1-0 lead. The Penguins’ failure to improve their early advantage was crucial as the Rangers came back to win 2-1 in overtime and extend their series lead.
In a complete reversal of Game 3, the Penguins started the game with all the momentum, taking the first five shots of the game and holding the Rangers without a shot until the 11:35 mark of the opening frame.
By that point, the Penguins already had built a 1-0 lead thanks to Patric Hornqvist. The hard-nosed Penguins winger was planted in the high slot with a defender draped all over him, but he still found a way to get his stick on Ben Lovejoy’s slap shot as it sailed by, deflecting it downward an into the Rangers net behind Henrik Lundqvist.
The Penguins continued to dominate the play through the remained of the first period, but couldn’t extend their advantage, despite outshooting the Rangers 8-2. Each team went 0-for-2 on the power play in the first.
In the second period, the Rangers offense came alive. New York had several sustained opportunities in the Penguins zone, with the Penguins defenders not helping matters by turning the puck over while attempting to exit the zone.
With the Rangers again buzzing around the Penguins net at 17:15 of the second period, it was – who else? – Derick Brassard that found the loose puck in between Marc-Andre Fleury’s sprawling pads, muscled through a stick check from Chris Kunitz, and snuck the puck over the line. Brassard leads the series with three goals.
Late in the third period, a diving effort by Hornqvist almost went in off the stick of Dan Girardi, but the veteran Rangers blue liner was able to clear the puck out of the crease as it trickled toward the goal line.
Seconds later at the other end, East Palestine, Ohio-native J.T. Miller came storming down the left wing but whistled his shot just wide of the cage, and a back-and-forth third period ended without either team being able to find the twine.
In the overtime period, both teams were tentative in the early going. Carl Hagelin took the first shot of the extra frame at the 3:12 mark, and rookie winger Kevin Hayes found the rebound as it squeaked out from underneath Fleury and deposited it the back of the Penguins net to give the Rangers a 3-1 series lead.
The Penguins will now face elimination in Game 5, which is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Photo credit: NHLI/Getty Images
