After playing in back-to-back seven-game series, the New York Rangers insist they’re not tired. All the same, we imagine having two full days off before Game 3 on Saturday (1pm ET, NBC) was helpful for them.
The Rangers struggled to overcome the young and underrated Ottawa Senators and then they nearly fell to a reformed Washington Capitals’ squad. Now, after dropping Game 2, it looks like they’re in for yet another lengthy series, this time at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils have developed a reputation for being a superb defensive team led by future Hall of Fame netminder Martin Brodeur, but if anything the Rangers have the edge in both defense and goaltending in this series. Brodeur is 40 now and former greats Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and Brian Rafalski have all retired. However, New Jersey can’t be overlooked.
Whatever they’ve lost defensively since they last won the Stanley Cup in 2003, the Devils have made up for in firepower. Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, and Zach Parise have done a great job leading New Jersey’s attack. Patrik Elias is another story, but if he manages to break out before this series is over, then he might prove to be a game changer.
The Rangers will attempt to contain them with their emphasis on shot-blocking and strong goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. That served them well the series opener, but they showed cracks in their armor in Game 2.
The X-factor going into Saturday’s contest is New York’s Marian Gaborik. On Wednesday, he was benched for the better part of the third period after a bad clearing attempt. He doesn’t have a point in this series, but he’s capable of bouncing back in Game 3.
Game 3 Notes:
-- Rangers forward Chris Kreider has four playoff goals despite the fact that he’s never played in a regular season game at the NHL level. Only one other player in the history of the league has netted as many goals before their regular season debut.
-- New Jersey has only managed to kill 72.2% of their penalties in the playoffs, which is by far the worst success rate out of the remaining teams. They conceded a power-play goal to the New York Rangers in each of this series’ first two contests.
-- Rangers captain Ryan Callahan insists he didn’t injure his hand while blocking a shot in the first round. All the same, Callahan has just one goal and three points in his last 12 games.
-- In 2011, the Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins led all teams with 377 blocked shots in 25 games. With 309 blocked shots in 16 contests, the New York Rangers are on pace to shatter that mark.