RANGERS ADVANCE!
Rangers poised for big playoff run
Oust Canadiens in Game 6 thriller
The Rangers are built for this after all.
They are built to win in the playoffs, not too finesse or too fancy to handle the punishing postseason environment, and they proved that by downing the Canadiens in Game 6 Saturday night at the Garden, 3-1, on a pair of Mats Zuccarello goals to take the first-round series, 4-2, closing out Montreal in the sixth game at home exactly as they did three years ago in the conference final.
And now, with either the Senators or Bruins on tap next round, the Rangers may very well be built for a deep run, because these Rangers (who I ad- mittedly predicted would lose this series in six) should be able to beat both of those teams.
“I think we know that we have it in this room, and it’s up to us,” Brendan Smith said. “I think if we play our game, we’re a real team to go all the way. I think we hold the key and it just depends on our determination and our compete-level.”
When things started getting away from them like it did in the latter stages of Game 2, like it did in all of Game 3, the beginning of Game 5 and even the first period on Saturday, the Rangers found a way to respond. Montreal tried to push them around but they pushed back.
“We’ve got a lot of pride in the way we play,” Marc Staal said. “If there were question marks with our team physicalitywise, this was one of the more physical series I’ve been a part of. There’s wasn’t a lot of room out there. We fought for every inch right with them and were able to come out on top.”
In the Henrik Lundqvist era the Rangers are now 8-2 in chances to close a series at MSG, and it took a huge Lundqvist save late in the game on Tomas Plekanec right in front to finish it off. Lundqvist was spectacular in this series, finishing with a .947 save percentage and outdueling Carey Price, who really should’ve stopped Zuccarello’s first on the power play — yes, the Rangers finally scored with a manadvantage after being 0-for-14 through five games. And how about Price’s inability to cover up before Zuccarello’s go-ahead goal when Kevin Hayes poked it away? J.T. Miller then won a battle in the corner and found Hayes, who made a terrific pass to Zuccarello at the doorstep. The best moment of the series for both Miller and Hayes.
“It was a good fought series there, a tough one,” said Zuccarello, leading the team with three playoff goals. “Montreal played great, a tough team to play against. They made it hard for us but we have a tough team in here. Hank is unbelievable and we stick together. Our D-men, they play unbelievable. They block shots, they stand up every hit, and it’s amazing to have those guys behind us.”
Lundqvist’s teammates were stellar in standing up for one another, making timely plays and working their tails off. But he led the way after having to hear all about his career-worst regular-season numbers and his struggles up in Montreal. The Rangers are constructed from the net on out, and Lundqvist has plenty left in the tank.
“It means a lot,” Lundqvist said. “We put a lot of effort into every game here. It’s not done until you put that last puck in.”
The Rangers will have a couple of days off to recover from this physically taxing series, wait to see if they’ll begin their next round in Ottawa or Boston and gear up for their next step in their quest for the Cup.
These Blueshirts are built for this thrill ride. Buckle up.