Rangers look to rediscover game facing elimination in Game 5 vs. Penguins
New York hoping for return to basics after consecutive lopsided losses on road
What coach Gerard Gallant told them was inaudible, so the first question he faced Tuesday was if there was a message to a team that is down 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round.
"Yep," Gallant said.
When asked if he could share it, Gallant got straight to the point.
"Well, you know what the message is," he said.
That message is the Rangers must find their way back to what helped them win 52 games allow teams 2.49 goals per game, second fewest in the NHL after the Carolina Hurricanes (2.44).
It's getting back to a work ethic and what Gallant called "our straight up and down game" to begin the climb toward becoming the 31st NHL team to rally from down 3-1 in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series.
RELATED: [Complete Rangers vs. Penguins series coverage]
New York enters Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS, MSG, ATTSN-PT) having been outscored by Pittsburgh 20-14, including 14-6 the past two games at PPG Paints Arena.
"We can't give up seven goals and expect to win," Gallant said.
The Rangers last came back from down 3-1 in the 2015 Eastern Conference Second Round against the Washington Capitals, and they also did it against the Penguins in the second round in 2014. Gallant never has coached a team trailing 3-1 in the postseason, though his Vegas Golden Knights blew a 3-1 lead to the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 Western Conference First Round.
Teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-7 series are 296-30, including 5-1 in the 2021 playoffs. The Rangers are 2-18 when down 3-1 in a best-of-7 series.
The focus for these Rangers to avoid a first-round exit is by ensuring they don't repeat their play from a 7-2 loss in Game 4 on Monday. They allowed four straight goals after Alexis Lafreniere's first NHL playoff goal gave New York a 1-0 lead on the first shot of the game at 2:06 of the first period. Goalie Igor Shesterkin allowed six goals on 30 shots and was pulled for the second straight game.
"I think in terms of fixing, I think that the answer for us has always just been from within," Rangers forward Ryan Strome said. "All year we've just tried to emphasize playing our game and last night we didn't do any of our game, so I think the answer is pretty simple."
Another reason they're stuck in their current bind is what Gallant said Monday was "a lot of soft, bad plays by a lot of people."
"They beat us all over the ice," Strome said Tuesday. "It was pretty clear. I don't think we need him to say that to know that."
They're not working hard or smart enough either. Louis Domingue, the Penguins' third-string goalie who has started the past three games because of injuries to Tristan Jarry (lower body) and Casey DeSmith (core muscle surgery), faced 24 shots in Game 4, five in the third period.
"Not even close," Gallant said, repeating himself. "We talk about putting pucks to the net and we show some good goal-scoring that we do around the net, then we try to get cute and fancy. It's a straight, direct hockey game. Keep it going to the net, keep people at the net, and we're trying the other stuff."
The Penguins also are winning with production from their best players. Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh with nine points (two goals, seven assists) and has combined with linemates Jake Guentzel (five goals, one assist) and Bryan Rust (one goal, four assists) to score 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists), including 17 even-strength points (six goals, 11 assists).
The Rangers' best players haven't delivered the same way. Forward Chris Kreider, who led New York with 52 goals, has scored two in the series. Forward Mika Zibanejad, who set a personal NHL-best with 81 points (29 goals, 52 assists), has four assists. Forward Artemi Panarin, who led the Rangers with 96 points (22 goals, 74 assists), has scored five points (two goals, three assists) in the series.
Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang each played for the Penguins when they lost to the Rangers in 2014 and then won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, so experience has mattered, and that includes the players not resting on their laurels.
"Nobody's comfortable," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Nobody in our dressing room is comfortable. We understand the challenge ahead of us. We're just trying to stay in the moment. We're going to stay hungry and just stay in the moment. That's the most important thing. I think it starts with our mindset. It starts with an attitude before the puck drops. That's the message to our group."
The Rangers' comeback attempt likely will start with the same lineup from Game 4 after defenseman Ryan Lindgren missed practice and remains day to day because of a lower-body injury sustained in Game 1. Shesterkin, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy voted to the best goalie in the NHL, will remain the starter.
Even if Gallant didn't reveal his precise message to the players, the road to a comeback is clear: The best players must lead the way.
"I think there's always an onus to produce," defenseman Adam Fox said. "Even having a good shift in their end and getting momentum is big and can help the team. I think you always want to have a little responsibility of maybe leading the charge and trying to help get out of the funk that maybe we're in, but it's going to take everyone. I think we know that."
NHL.com independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report
