3 Rounds is a three-part series. Writers select what they feel is the most important individual match-up in the upcoming playoff series and give it an in-depth preview. The second piece is a mid-series assessment of that match-up. In the final installment, we analyze how the match-up contributed to the outcome of the series. If our match-up isn’t the difference-maker, we’ll explore the match-up that DID make the difference.
This matchup between Pittsburgh and New York has the potential to be a much more exciting series than many people would expect. Sure, it’s not the age-old rivalry between the Bruins and Canadiens. And it doesn’t quite have the hype associated with the battle of California between two huge NHL heavyweights, like the Ducks-Kings series. However, the current circumstances are the makings of quite an epic clash between two teams with two very different stories.
Penguins versus Rangers
The Penguins are the team that everyone believes should be better. They have the undisputed best player in the world in Sidney Crosby. On their SECOND LINE they have another NHL superstar in Evgeni Malkin. Really, they aren’t too far removed from the team that won the Cup in 2009. However, the Pens just can’t seem to retain the utter dominance a lot of fans think they should be exerting. Of course, the team is quite top-heavy. Beyond the superstars, they don’t have much offensive power. They have some good pieces on defense, like Kris Letang and Matt Niskanen, but they’re hardly a brick wall on the blueline.
Pittsburgh did dispose of the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games. However, it was far from a convincing victory. Crosby failed to score once in the entire series, and Malkin hadn’t scored until he finally turned it on in game six, scoring a hat trick. In addition, the Pens didn’t pick up a whole lot of bandwagon fans along the way, as they eliminated Columbus, whom many fans across the league had adopted as their “if not us, them” team – it would have been a great underdog story to see the Jackets, after winning their first ever playoff game, beat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. But, to their credit, the Pens made it through.
The Rangers, on the other hand, weren’t really expected to be Cup contenders this year. Their core is a group of aging veterans, such as Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash and Brad Richards (all still good players, but they’ve seen better days). On the other hand, New York does have some great defensive pieces in Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal. And, Henrik Lundqvist being able to make some big saves is something they can always rely on.
The Rangers squeaked past the Philadelphia Flyers in what was probably the most underrated series of the first round. It didn’t have any big narratives, or much star power. It was just good, exciting hockey. Sure, a lot of people probably would have preferred the Flyers to win, in order to set up a Pennsylvania showdown in the second round, but the Rangers clearly deserved the win, after how dominant they were in every game played at Madison Square Garden. In fact, that trend of strength at home could very well carry over into this series between the Rangers and Penguins.
Of course, I’m sure by now everyone has noticed one huge narrative of the Pittsburgh first-round series that I’ve missed. If the Pens lose, this is undoubtedly (whether it’s true or not) going to be the story attached to the team’s second-round exit.
Sidney Crosby vs Marc-Andre Fleury
Let’s get something straight. Marc-Andre Fleury is a very good goaltender. And, he is by no means responsible for the struggles the Penguins have had in the playoffs the last few years. However, he has been known to do things like this. And this. And, most recently, this. It might not be fair to say he’s a playoff choker, but Fleury has been known, from time to time, to have… lapses in judgement during postseason games. Plus, this year the Pens don’t have Tomas Vokoun to come in and save the day as a backup.
The arguments on behalf of Fleury aren’t compelling. In this year’s playoffs, he has a .906 save percentage. That’s an improvement on last year’s .883, and his .834 of the year before. Even in the year he won the Stanley Cup, he only posted a .908. All his regular-season numbers are significantly better.
So, the Penguins probably can’t be very dependent on their goaltending. One would think that their best solution would be, simply, to out-score the Rangers. That sounds stupid, but the Pens’ success will rely on their offensive firepower. In this situation, they should be in luck. They have Sidney Crosby. To win the series for his team, all Sid and co. have to do is score more goals than their own defense and goaltending can break down. Should be easy, for such a generational talent, right?
Well, it should be. Crosby has also struggled these playoffs. While he does have 6 assists that certainly helped his team beat the Blue Jackets, he’s failed to score a single goal. In the Columbus series he had a rating of -5. A lot of Penguins fans have come to expect more from their superstar. More production from him will be of the utmost importance to Pittsburgh in this series.
At this point, I feel I must apologize to Rangers fans for focusing too much on the Penguins. However, I really think that this series will be defined by how the Penguins perform. To make it up to you, I’m predicting that the Rangers come out on top in this matchup. There are too many doubts surrounding the Pens, and there are some very good, playoff-hardened veterans in New York. The Rangers will need to steal one or two in Pittsburgh, because they don’t have home-ice advantage. But they’re bound to win their home games. Unless Fleury manages to regain his ability to steal a game, and Crosby picks up the pace, I just don’t see the Penguins coming out of this series alive.
Series Predictions From Our Hockey Department:
Ken Hill (@LWOSPuckHead): Penguins in 7
Dan Rocchi (@D_Rocchi): Rangers in 6
Shawn Wilken (@CrimsonSkorpion): Rangers in 6
Billman DeCosta (@Billman93): Rangers in 7
Aaron Wrotkowski (@AaronWrotkowski): Rangers in 7
Charlie Clarke (@LWOScharlieocc): Rangers in 7
Ben Kerr (@LastWordBKerr): Rangers in 7
