NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers
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In 2022, the New York Rangers were down 3-1 in a best-of-7 playoff series and stormed all the way back against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now this spring, their Madison Square Garden brethren, the New York Knicks, are staring down that same hole against the Indiana Pacers.
Different sports, same city and situation. Maybe the Knicks can draw some inspiration from the ’22 Rangers, who stared down playoff elimination in three consecutive games to survive and advance.
That being said, this isn’t a carbon copy situation. In 2022, the Rangers comeback came against a Penguins team that was missing major pieces. Sidney Crosby was injured in Game 5, missed Game 6 and wasn’t himself when he returned for the decisive seventh game. Louis Domingue was forced to step in as the third-string goalie for the Penguins during the second overtime of the series opener and started the next five games.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are facing a fully loaded Pacers squad. If anything, it’s the Knicks who are beat up, since Karl Anthony-Towns is dealing with a knee issue.
The stakes also weren’t as high. The Rangers rallied back in a first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. The Knicks and Pacers are duking it out in the Eastern Conference Final of the NBA Playoffs. The winner advances to the NBA Finals, something the Knicks haven’t done since 1999.
But perhaps the Knicks can take something from their MSG co-tenants. The Knicks just lost a brutal Game 4 on the road Tuesday to land on the brink of playoff extinction. That’s not dissimilar to the 2022 Rangers, who were embarrassed 7-2 in Game 4 in Pittsburgh.
So, now the Knicks are left with the same choice the Rangers faced three years ago: wake up or break up.
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How Rangers rallied from 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Penguins in 2022
The Rangers lost a memorable series opener to the Penguins in 2022, falling in triple overtime at The Garden. This spring, the Knicks also opened their series against the Pacers with an OT loss, 138-135. And it was truly memorable, as well, since the Knicks became the first team in NBA history to lose in the playoffs when leading by at least 14 points with 2:45 remaining in regulation.
Three years ago, the Rangers jumped out to an early lead in Game 1, getting goals from Adam Fox and Andrew Copp to take a 2-0 lead. The Garden was rocking, the energy was through the roof, and New York looked in control.
Jake Guenztel beat Igor Shesterkin twice in the second period, and although Chris Kreider responded with the go-ahead goal off a beautiful pass from Mika Zibanejad, Bryan Rust tied it at three just before the second intermission.
Many may forget this moment, but before going to overtime, Filip Chytil scored what looked like the go-ahead-goal for the Rangers with under three minutes left in regulation. But after review, goalie interference was called on Kappo Kakko, erasing the Chytil’s goal.
Goalie Casey DeSmith left the game in the second overtime, forcing the Penguins to go to Domingue since Tristan Jarry already was out injured. It took a deflection off Evgeni Malkin’s stick at 5:58 of the third overtime to finally beat Shesterkin — who made 79 saves in the 4-3 loss, the most ever recorded at Madison Square Garden.
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Much like Game 1, the Rangers struck first in Game 2. Copp fired one past Domingue from the slot, but Guentzel answered minutes later to tie it. The Rangers reclaimed the lead on a second-period power-play goal by Ryan Strome, and never looked back. Goals from Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Frank Vatrano helped seal the 5-2 win to tie the series.
Brock McGinn scored just two minutes into Game 3 for Pittsburgh, but Kakko tallied the equalizer. Power-play goals from Jeff Carter and Evan Rodrigues gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead and Rodrigues scored again to make 4-1 by the first intermission.
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Vatrano, Panarin, and Copp scored in the second period when the Rangers tied the game. But Pittsburgh had the final say, netting three unanswered goals (two into the empty net) in the third to take the third game, 7-4.
Alexis Lafreniere and the Kid Line struck first in Game 4, but that was just about the only good news for the Rangers. Pittsburgh’s stars took over — Crosby, Malkin, and Guentzel all found the score sheet and the Penguins exploded for seven goals for the second straight game. New York looked dead in the water. All momentum had shifted to Pittsburgh. But then … something changed.
Game 5 at Madison Square Garden
Back at MSG and on the brink of elimination, the Rangers needed everyone to be at their best in Game 5. But Guentzel continued to dominate them, scoring his seventh goal of the series to open the scoring in the first period. Things got more tense for the Rangers when Kris Letang scored early in the second period to make it 2-0.
Midway through the period, Crosby left the ice with an injury. It was a definite turning point in the game and series. The Rangers exploded with a barrage of three goals in under three minutes to take the lead — Fox struck first, followed by Lafreniere, and Jacob Trouba, whose go-ahead goal sent MSG into a frenzy.
Guenztel — who else? — tied it up at 3-3 just 13 seconds after Trouba’s goal. But New York punched back in the third period. Chytil buried a power-play goal at 2:53, and Ryan Lindgren sealed the win with an empty net goal. It was more than just a win, it was the first multi-goal comeback win in an elimination game for the Rangers in their postseason history.
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Game 6 at PPG Paints Arena
Again, the Penguins ran out to a 2-0 lead, this time scoring twice late in the first period of Game 6. The “IGOR” taunts started raining down from the Pittsburgh crowd, and things looked bleak for the Rangers after Carter scored his fourth goal of the series and Rust doubled their lead.
But Zibanejad came to life in the second period, scoring twice to tie the game. On the power play, Shesterkin’s long pass landed on the tape of Zibanejad’s stick and led to Kreider’s go-ahead goal at 13:48. But Malkin scored three minutes later to tie the score, 3-3.
Kreider scored again — this time with just 1:28 left in regulation — and Copp’s empty-netter sealed a massive 5-3 road win to force Game 7 back home.
Game 7 at Madison Square Garden
Kreider got the Garden rocking eight minutes into Game 7, beating Jarry off a 2-on-1 with Zibanejad. Danton Heinen tied it at 1-1 before the end of the first, and Guenztel’s power play goal gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead in the second. But K’Andre Miller’s point shot deflected off a Penguins skate and found its way in to tie the score briefly before Rodriguea answered with a short handed goal just before the second period ended, giving the Penguins a 3-2 lead.
Copp fed Zibanejad for the game-tying goal with 5:45 left in regulation, to support Shesterkin, who was brilliant with the Rangers being badly outshot.
With the season on the line in overtime, the Rangers got an early power play. They set up in the zone, and after Panarin took a pass from Fox, he skated in and buried the series winner. MSG erupted into absolute pandemonium as the Rangers completed their third 3-1 series comeback since 2015.
Mentioned in this article: Artemi Panarin Chris Kreider Igor Shesterkin Mika Zibanejad More About:New York Rangers News