Comeback Rangers are ready to take on Penguins in Game 7
When the New York Rangers came back from Pittsburgh earlier in the week, they were on the brink of being eliminated by the Penguins after two bad losses on the road. Following two spirited comeback wins, they return home for a deciding Game 7 at Madison Square Garden tonight with some momentum on their side.
“Game 7 is huge for us and now we’ve got to make sure we finish it off tomor- row and play the right way,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Saturday. “We worked hard to get back. I think everybody’s really excited . ... It’s a big game, for sure. It’s a lot of fun and I look forward to it.”
After falling into a 3-1 series hole, the Rangers have a pair of 5-3 wins — at home and then back on the road — to even the series. In each of the last two wins, they fell behind 2-0 before surging ahead with three consecutive goals in the second periods and letting the Penguins tie it again. New York then pulled away in the third periods.
The Penguins could get a boost with the possible return injured players Sidney
Injured Penguins star Sidney Crosby missed the last game but might play in today’s Game 7against the Rangers.
Crosby, Tristan Jarry and Rickard Rakell. They all practiced Saturday and will travel to New York for the series finale. Jarry has not played since April 14, Rakell was injured in Game 1 of this series, and Crosby left in the second period of Game 5.
STARS AT FLAMES » The wild-card Stars won Game 6 at home to force the fifth Game 7 of the first round, trailing only the 1992 division semifinals (six) for the most in a single round of the playoffs in NHL history. Though the Flames will be playing their first Game 7 since the first round of the 2008 playoffs against San Jose, coach Darryl Sutter
is a master of the deciding games. At 7-3, he’s the league leader in coaching wins in a Game 7 and will become the leader for the most Game 7 appearances.
The Stars were last in a Game 7 in the second round of the 2020 playoffs against Colorado in the bubble at Edmonton.
Dallas coach Rick Bowness is uncertain about the status of forward Luke Glendening, who took a hard hit from Calgary’s Nikita Zadorov early in the second period of Game 6. Glendening was down on the ice for several minutes and headed to the locker room. He was on the bench for the third period, but did not play.