First Period:
Second Period:
- Chris Kreider (5) Assists: Mika Zibanejad (2), Patrick Kane (4)
- Jack Hughes (2) (Power Play) Assists: Dougie Hamilton (1), Jesper Bratt (1)
Third Period:
Ad
Overtime:
- Dougie Hamilton (1) Assists: Jesper Bratt (2), Nico Hischier (1)
Notes:
- Game 5 will be at 7:30PM on Thursday in NJ.
Stats:
- The Rangers won Game 1 on special teams and they basically lost tonight because of special teams. The first PP they had was solid and had a bunch of chances, but the rest were hit and, especially the last few, miss. I don’t know if the Devils changed their PK, whether it was just a lack of execution/finish or that Schmid made a few saves that Vanecek may have let in. No matter what, the PP didn’t come through tonight.
- Overall I thought it was a pretty even game, but that the Rangers were just a little off with their execution. It seemed like they had the puck more than the Devils, but they weren’t generating as much. The Devils were definitely sharper than Game Two, but I didn’t think that they were anything that a little better execution/finish could beat. They were smarter with the puck and sharper defensively than earlier in the series, but it wasn’t anything that the Rangers can’t get through.
- It seemed like in the third period and at times in OT that the Rangers were losing battles, were second to pucks and giving the Devils a chance to get in and stay in the game. I didn’t think that the Devils did much to change things or pressure them more, just that the Rangers didn’t have the same kind of urgency or killer instinct than the two games in Jersey.
- But now the Devils are back in the series and the Rangers missed the chance to put them on the brink for Monday. And now Monday either gives the Rangers another two-game lead and the chance to end it on Thursday, or we go back to NJ tied and that good feeling and dominance after Game Two fades away.
- The Devils, and especially Schmid, deserve credit. They didn’t help the Rangers tonight and they got the saves that they weren’t getting. I don’t think the Rangers had as many high quality chances as they did in the first two games, but he made the saves that he needed to make.
- I think that Artemi Panarin has had his moments through three games and created some chances, but he had the opportunity tonight to score a Hat Trick and he got stopped on one shot and fired way wide on his breakaway and his PP chance late in the third. He’s not great on breakaways, but those two other shots are shots that he buries in the regular season. I don’t know if he is feeling extra pressure, but the Rangers need him to get going.
- Overall I think that the Rangers had a little bit more to give tonight, but they did play well enough to win. They didn’t play well enough to dominate, but they played well enough to squeak out a win, it just didn’t happen. I don’t know that much has to be changed for Game 4, but they just need to finish and execute better.