The New York Rangers have not won a home game since February 19th when they played the Washington Capitals. Trying to break that nasty streak, they welcomed the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to MSG on Friday night. Unfortunately, luck was not on the Blueshirts’ side as they fell 4-3 in a shootout.
The team was without defenseman and captain Ryan McDonagh due to an undisclosed injury, so the rest of the defense would have to step up big time. Henrik Lundqvist was his dominant self in the first period, stopping an incredible fifteen shots on goal. Jake Guentzel netted his twelfth goal of the season just 39 seconds into the second period, then who else but Sidney Crosby made it 2-0. The Rangers found a little life on a power play goal by Nick Holden to make it 2-1 Penguins after two.
But, it was the third period when things got wild. Bryan Rust made it 3-1 Penguins, then Rick Nash soon followed to make it 3-2. Lundqvist was pulled with 1:30 left in the third and the Rangers did everything they could to keep the puck in Pittsburgh’s zone. Suddenly, it was mayhem in the Garden when Chris Kreider banked in a rebound to score his 27th goal of the season that tied the game at 3 with eleven seconds left!
Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller were both stopped on breakaways in overtime, and the game ultimately headed to a shootout. Mika Zibanejad was first for New York and missed, with Phil Kessel scoring for Pittsburgh. Alain Vigneault then put in his best forward, Mats Zuccarello, in but he lost control and missed, then Sidney Crosby once again slipped one past Lundqvist and the Penguins won the game.
New York is now on a 3-game losing streak, and a 9-game losing streak at the Garden.
“You need to find another level here to make that extra save,” Lundqvist told reporters after the game. “But we got a point. Parts of the game we played really well.”
There are four games left of the regular season before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 12th. The Rangers’ next matchup is another rivalry against the Philadelphia Flyers at home Sunday night. The Rangers truly need to win at home again, and soon with the playoffs just 12 days away!
