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.
In the Three Rounds preview for this Penguins-Rangers series, the matchup that was analyzed was the impending battle between Pittsburgh’s forwards (Sidney Crosby in particular), and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has developed a notorious reputation as a playoff choker. Many fans assumed that the Pens wouldn’t be getting much help from Fleury, and that they would require their stars to really step up and find a way to beat Henrik Lundqvist.
However, it didn’t quite turn out that way. Fleury was quite solid throughout the whole series, posting shutouts in both games 2 and 3. If anything, he was one of the few Penguins players who showed up throughout this entire series. Other than Evgeni Malkin, who had 3 goals and 4 assists over all seven games. Malkin alone wasn’t enough, obviously. Crosby, the team’s leader, only managed to score one goal against the Rangers (his only one through the entire playoffs). As we all know, a team can’t get too far riding the production of one player.
The Penguins showed us, once again, that despite the big names at the top of their roster list, they’re unable to finish what they started; or live up to the stratospheric expectations that come with employing the best player in the world. Even when the Pens took a 3-1 series lead, there was never any sense that the Rangers were being dominated, or even outplayed. Their lack of depth really showed, as it’s clear that the Penguins will crash and burn when Crosby and Malkin aren’t scoring. As they did multiple times in their series with Columbus, Pittsburgh blew another 3-1 lead.
Pittsburgh have relied heavily on their power play this year, producing a lot of offence with a man advantage. However, the Pens power play was virtually non-existent, as they scored fewer goals 5-on-4 than New York (who have had a reputation recently for poor special teams).
But, enough about Pittsburgh’s struggles. Credit must be given where credit is due, and the New York Rangers deserve a lot of praise. Lundqvist was absolutely outstanding, so much so that his name has been flung back to the forefront of debates about who is the best goaltender in the NHL. His performances in this series were the very definition of clutch. Through two series in the 2014 playoffs, King Henrik has an astronomical .931 save percentage (.940 in this series alone), as well as a goals-against average of 2.00.
It’s impossible to talk about this series without mentioning the tragic, yet heart-warming, story surrounding the Rangers’ Martin St Louis. After the passing of his mother before game 5, St Louis’s determination inspired his team to a resounding 5-1 victory. In game 6, he scored an emotional goal, prompting the fans at Madison Square Garden to chant his name. In fact, several Rangers players have remarked that Marty’s touching story really motivated them and played a huge part in triggering the 3-game comeback.
For the Rangers, the conference final is a looming mountain to climb. They will play either the Boston Bruins or Montreal Canadiens, both of which are very strong teams. However, due to the length and incredible physicality of the Bruins-Habs series, it’s likely that the Rangers will be healthier and less beaten up. Whatever happens, that’s sure to be an amazing series, between two Original Six rivals.
(For the record, I, along with Ben Kerr, Aaron Wrotkowski and Billman DeCosta, was bang-on with my series prediction. Rangers in seven.)
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