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Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Farrish: Extra rest will help Rangers in next round

Saturday, 04.25.2015 / 7:44 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Dave Farrish to break down the action. Farrish will be checking in throughout the series.

Farrish was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005-14. He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He also coached 1,027 games in the minor leagues, including the American Hockey League. In addition, Farrish, a former defenseman, played 430 games over seven seasons in the NHL.

The New York Islanders earned the right to play another game with their 3-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Nassau Coliseum, but former NHL assistant coach Dave Farrish said the New York Rangers also have to consider themselves big winners on Saturday.

While the Islanders and Capitals engage in what will likely be another physical game in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference First Round series on Monday at Verizon Center, the Rangers will get to relax, watch, heal any lingering injuries and know that no matter who they play in the second round they should be the fresher, healthier team.

"It really is [a big advantage]," Farrish said. "Game 7 is going to be a takeoff of [Game 6] I think, so it's going to be just as physical, if not more physical, and then the winner will turn around and start probably two or three days later [against the Rangers]. That's a huge advantage for the Rangers."

Five reasons Penguins were eliminated from playoffs

Saturday, 04.25.2015 / 11:20 AM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent

After earning a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the final day of the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins' stay was cut short. Pittsburgh struggled in the final two weeks leading into its Eastern Conference First Round Series against the New York Rangers and carried a bulk of its issues into the postseason.

The Penguins did play competitively in their five playoff games, each decided by one goal.

With a few adjustments, Pittsburgh might have upset the Presidents' Trophy winners. Instead, the Penguins lost a second playoff series to the Rangers for the second straight season.

Here are five reasons the Penguins were eliminated:

Five reasons Rangers advanced to second round

Saturday, 04.25.2015 / 9:32 AM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers did what they were expected to do in the Eastern Conference First Round, which was advance against the Pittsburgh Penguins with little adversity.

That doesn't mean it was easy to eliminate the Penguins in five games. The Rangers won four games each by a 2-1 score and all five games were decided by one goal.

Here are five reasons the Rangers advanced to the second round:

Fleury's heroics not enough to save Penguins

Saturday, 04.25.2015 / 12:47 AM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury did everything he could to help the Pittsburgh Penguins extend their season against the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

As he did throughout the series, Fleury again proved to be quite the obstacle for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers, who averaged 3.02 goals per game during the regular season, third in the NHL.

Fleury was rock-solid in each game. But that wasn't enough to overcome his team's offensive shortcomings in the five-game series loss to the Rangers, capped by a 2-1 overtime defeat on Friday. Fleury allowed two goals in four of the five games, including the last two, each of which the Penguins lost in overtime.

Rangers' Brassard becoming leader on, off the ice

Thursday, 04.23.2015 / 4:49 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- New York Rangers center Derick Brassard doesn't hide from the fact that he's a big fan of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Brassard played against Crosby as a member of the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League when Crosby was with the Rimouski Oceanic.

He enjoyed the battle then, and is enjoying it now in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Farrish: Penguins must stick to strategy in Game 5

Thursday, 04.23.2015 / 4:18 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Dave Farrish to break down the action. Farrish will be checking in throughout the series.

Farrish was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005-14. He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He also coached 1,027 games in the minor leagues, including the American Hockey League. In addition, Farrish, a former defenseman, played 430 games over seven seasons in the NHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers have been close through four games in the Eastern Conference First Round, as in an inch here and a bounce there kind of close. They've played four one-goal games, but the Rangers have the Penguins on the ropes with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Despite the two-game hole and being on the brink of elimination, former NHL assistant coach Dave Farrish thinks it would be a mistake if the Penguins change their game plan or panic heading into a must-win Game 5 on Friday at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports, ROOT, MSG).

Penguins, Rangers reverse Game 4 roles, not result

Wednesday, 04.22.2015 / 11:45 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent

PITTSBURGH -- There was a role reversal between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First Round series.

Much like Pittsburgh in Game 3, New York started slowly, with two shots in the first period Wednesday. Unlike the Penguins in Game 3, the Rangers stayed within one goal and responded to tie the game, force overtime, and earn a 2-1 victory.

It gave New York a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series heading back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

"[After the first period] I think we all were just thinking how the other games started; it was flipped from the first three games," Rangers forward Carl Hagelin said. "We knew that even though we played great in the second game, we had only [led] 1-0, and they came back. We had that in the back of our mind, if we keep pushing, hopefully they would back off a little bit and give us some space. That happened."

Farrish: Rangers' backcheck gives Penguins problems

Tuesday, 04.21.2015 / 6:04 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Dave Farrish to break down the action. Farrish will be checking in throughout the series.

Farrish was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005-14. He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He also coached 1,027 games in the minor leagues, including the American Hockey League. In addition, Farrish, a former defenseman, played 430 games over seven seasons in the NHL.

The New York Rangers' speed up the ice is a staple of their game and noticeable whenever they're playing well. But it was New York's speed on the back check in Game 3 Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center that caught the attention of former NHL assistant coach Dave Farrish.

Farrish said the Rangers were dominant in the first two periods en route to a 2-1 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round series in part because they were so quick on the back check that it disabled any rush up the ice the Penguins were hoping to have.

"Their back pressure was really incredible and they didn't give Pittsburgh really anything at all off the rush," Farrish said. "It caused the Penguins to turn the puck over at the blue line or just inside the blue line when they were looking for help. I thought that was a big part of the game."

Penguins see need to test Lundqvist with more shots

Tuesday, 04.21.2015 / 3:15 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins preach getting an abundance of shots on New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Penguins coach Mike Johnston pledged he expects 35 shots per game midway through the regular season. Pittsburgh had stretches when it met Johnston's expectation but often came up short, which the Penguins felt partially led to their lackluster offensive output as the season neared its end.

Three games into the best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round Series against New York, not much has changed, and Pittsburgh trails 2-1. The Penguins had their first shot on goal in Game 3 at 15:10 of the first period, when defenseman Ben Lovejoy sent a slap shot on Lundqvist from center ice following a power play.

The Penguins cannot repeat their Game 3 performance if they wish to tie the series in Game 4 at Consol Energy Center on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVA2, MSG, ROOT).

"Last night, we talked about shots allowed," Johnston said Tuesday. "Anytime you go through the first 10 minutes, or 11 minutes, of the first period and don't get a shot, when you look at our shot attempts last night, we had 35 shot attempts that were blocked or missed. Those are the ones we have to get eight or nine of those to the net, for sure. You can't have 35 that are blocked or missed.

"Certainly, some teams block a lot of shots, but that's far too many. We had some early that were blocked or missed that could have given us some real momentum in the first 10 minutes. And then you miss them, and obviously, you're looking at the clock and you don't have any shots at the 10-minute mark."

McDonagh fully acclimated to role as Rangers captain

Tuesday, 04.21.2015 / 2:36 PM / Rangers vs Penguins - 2015 SCP First Round

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer

PITTSBURGH -- Ryan McDonagh felt earlier this season that if he figured out how to marry being the New York Rangers captain and their top defensemen he'd start to resemble the player who earned each of those titles through his performance last season.

It was a union that took some time to develop and came with some internal struggles for McDonagh, but it's become the perfect marriage for the Rangers, who have a 2-1 lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins in their best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round series heading into Game 4 Wednesday at Consol Energy Center (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

"He's done so many great things for us and now you see it," Rangers center Derek Stepan said. "He's a big part of what we do as a group."

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