New York Rangers Zap Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

I - NYR 6; TBL 2

Kid Line Short Circuits the Bolts

Was Tampa rusty after a nine-day break?

Perhaps ...

Do I expect more from them as the series progresses?

Absolutely.

But in no way will I minimize what the Rangers accomplished on Wednesday.  It was a stellar effort.  They were on the attack early, won the faceoff battle, and converted on the power play while killing off three.  

Moreover, it was smartly played hockey.  Mika Zibanejad faked a shot and fed Chris Kreider.  Filip Chytil hopped back to create a better passing angle for Kaapo Kakko, the now-famous "shift," or Ryan Reaves waiting for the right moment to send a message; it all wreaked of cohesiveness.

The Kreider/Zibanejad/Vatrano line scored the Rangers' first two goals.  Vatrano chipped the puck along the boards into the offensive zone in the opening moments.  Mika Zibanejad retrieved it in the right circle and passed it to a waiting Chris Kreider in the slot, who wristed it past Andrei Vasilevskiy at 1:11 of the first period.  Seven minutes later, Steven Stamkos tied the game at one.  Then at 7:50 of the second period, Frank Vatrano received the puck from Adam Fox and unleashed a sneaky shot from the slot for a 2-1 Rangers lead.  

As expected, Tampa tied the game at two.  

But then came the Kid Line to the rescue.  

They say that lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice.  That is unless you're Filip Chytil.  The Rangers' 23-year-old center is on fire.  He scored at 10:09 of the second period on feeds from Alexis LaFreniere and Kaapo Kakko.  A little over five minutes later, Chytil scored again off a cross-seam pass by K'Andre Miller.  He now has five goals in his last three games.

Artemi Panarin made his deliveries in the third period.  The Bread Man scored just 0:30 into the period on feeds from Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba.  Panarin then assisted on Mika Zibanejad's power-play goal at the 6:06 mark.

Ryan Reaves and the fourth line very strategically notified Tampa that they aren't putting up with any crap in the closing minutes.

... a complete team effort.

My heart stooped when I saw Igor Shesterkin lying face down on the ice.  It appeared as if Nikita Kucherov buried his stick into the neck of Shesterkin.  But Igor rubbed it off to stop 37 of 39 shots on goal.

Some say Vasilevkiy was rusty.  I say he was perplexed.  The Rangers had him moving left and right.

By game seven of the first round, it finally dawned on the Blueshirts that their best scoring opportunities were shooting top shelf.  

Kreider scored high, blocker side moving right.  Vatrano also scored high on the blocker side.  Both Chytil goals were high glove side while moving left.  Artemi Panarin's goal mimicked Kreider and Vatrano, high on the blocker side.  Mika Zibanejad's power-play goal in third was likewise high on the blocker side, which confirmed Andrei Vasilevskiy has his issues.

Not all of that was rust.

This Time N.Y. Rangers Sustain and Finish Game Two

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

GAME TWO

Penguins   2

Rangers     5

FINAL

Ch ... ch ... changes!

Pittsburgh provided the Rangers just one power-play opportunity through five-plus periods in game one.  On Thursday, the Pens were whistled four times which is somewhat uncharacteristic.  Three minutes into the second period Ryan Strome scored on a power play giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead. The Blueshirt PP is now 2/5 through two games.  Expect the Pens to be more disciplined and provide fewer opportunities as the series progresses.  But the Rangers must continue making the Penguins pay a heavy price for any indiscretions.

Artemi Panarin in game one clocked nearly 32 minutes of ice time but finished with no points and only two shots on goal.  This time Bread Man assisted on Andrew Copp's first-period goal and assisted Strome in the second.  But before the second session came to a close, Sidney Crosby scored, bringing the Pens within one.  At 8:02 of the third period, Artemi Panarin scored to restore the Rangers' two-goal lead and finished the game with three points.

Cycling back, trade-deadline acquisition Andrew Copp opened the scoring in the first period.  Likewise, acquisition Frank Vatrano effectively put the game out of reach at the 9:49 mark of the third - and what a move by him, powering down the right side.

K'Andre Miller was also stellar, and not because he had two assists.  On a night the Rangers were shy of Ryan Lindgren, Miller was great defensively and, on one particular play, directed traffic when the Rangers got caught in an odd-man rush.

Igor Shesterkin took care of the rest, turning in another brilliant performance.  He stopped 39 of 41 shots in just two games and has made 118 saves against 124 attempts for a .951 percentage! 

Unlike game one, the Rangers, this time, sustained and finished.