Elimination waits for another night.
Game 4: Los Angeles vs. NY Rangers.
The Rangers may not be out, but they're not in this series, either.
They won 2-1 last night but were out-shot 41-19. That just counts shots on goal, not the ones that were blocked or missed. Not that it matters much; LA would hold a huge advantage either way.
Quick and Lundqvist were both great, obviously. In a low-scoring game like this, the goaltenders put in a solid effort. Lundqvist was rewarded by being named the first star of the night.
Pouliot and St. Louis scored for the Rangers. Kings' captain Dustin Brown had the goal for the other side.
So what does this mean, really?
Well, the Rangers won a game. And they proved that they're not going away easily, which in this case just means they're not getting swept.
But do they have a chance to win the series?
I think that ship sailed when they lost Game 3 in about as convincing a win as you'll see in the playoffs. The Rangers weren't in that game in any sense of the word, despite having a bunch of shots on goal.
Going down 3-0 is not something that is conducive to winning a series. Sure, you can point to the Kings doing it earlier this postseason against the Sharks, but that's a fool's errand if I've ever seen one. A team going up 3-0 and then giving up that lead is a rarity. It doesn't happen in the NBA and it happens slightly more frequently in the NHL.
That's not to say the Rangers didn't play well last night. They certainly did. I don't think they have the firepower to win the next three games, especially with Quick in the opposing net.
Then again, these are all elimination games now. And Lundqvist has proven that in an elimination game, you want him in net.
Los Angeles leads 3-1. Game 5 is Friday.
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