Goaltending and special teams, all year, were the calling cards of this Rangers team. And on that basis, they should have walked away from Game 3 of their first-round series against the Penguins having taken home ice back instead of with a 7-4 loss.
At five-on-five by just about any metric you pick, the Rangers had the better of this match. More expected goals, more high-danger chances, a better-looking heat map and three top forward lines whose numbers reflected that.
That is, of course, an oversimplification, but it does reflect that this was a winnable game for the Rangers, had they managed to play to what we know to be their strengths. And so the list of keys to win Game 4 begin there.
Igor needs to be Igor
The Rangers are going nowhere in this postseason if Igor Shesterkin can’t drive the bus.
