PITTSBURGH — It was kind of like that old tastes great/less filling lite beer commercial.
Because when Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals had ended on Friday night with a 3-2 Rangers’ overtime victory against the Penguins, the winning club’s forwards were giving credit to the defense for snuffing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin while the defensemen were paying homage to the forwards’ hard work coming back to take away time and space from two of the world’s great offensive talents.
“There’s not a chance that we can beat this team if we don’t have five-man units on the puck at all times,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “So they’re both right.”
The new offensive latitude the Rangers gained in the transition to Vigneault from John Tortorella has not impaired the Blueshirts’ ability to defend, not in the least. The Rangers have accepted the responsibility that comes with freedom. Their work without the puck has been one of this club’s most enduring attributes.
“When we work so hard against players like Crosby and Malkin to limit their chances, it makes such a big difference for me,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who has won his last two overtime matches to improve his record in such playoff contests to 5-11. “Our defense played very, very well, but our forwards were making great reads and getting the puck in deep so that we could stand up and control the gap.
“I thought we did a great job against both of them.”
Derick Brassard, who raises his bar in big games and who got the winner at 3:06 by beating Marc-Andre Fleury just under the bar, was matched against Crosby’s line on the match’s final shift, as well as one other turn in the fourth period.
“My first objective was to win the faceoffs because it’s a lot better if he doesn’t start with the puck,” said Brassard, who did win his two OT draws against Crosby in an overall 9-of-19 night at the dots. “But when they had the puck, our ‘D’ did such a great job against him, really, they deserve the credit.”
Credit the Rangers for regaining their composure and their game during the second intermission after frittering away a 2-0 first-period lead in dreadful second through which they rarely had the puck. Credit the Blueshirts for sticking to their plan, rolling four lines, strategically using their three pairs on defense in the tightest of moments. Credit the Rangers for being who they are … a very tough out.
“We took a deep breath between periods and basically told each other that Game 1 on the road, to be 2-2 after the second period, we still had the opportunity to win it with one goal,” Marc Staal said while sporting the internally awarded Broadway hat that symbolizes game MVP status. “We didn’t like the way we played in the second, at all.”
There was effectively nothing not to like about Staal, who has been steadfast through the tournament paired with Anton Stralman in what has become Shutdown Pair 1A, given the uncharacteristic and ongoing struggles of putative shutdown pair left defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
Vigneault essentially divided the defensive matches equally against Crosby — still without a goal in the tournament after getting three shots on net, and, more critically, minus-3 in this one — and Malkin. Staal got a game-high 26:03 (10:36 in the 23:06 after the second period) while Stralman played 22:59. McDonagh was on for 23:49 while Dan Girardi played 20:51. Vigneault essentially divided the defense-pair matches equally against Crosby and Malkin.
“It is so important to go be able to go on the road and have two pairs that can play against the opposition’s top line,” Vigneault said. “That’s so important for us.”
Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma united Crosby and Malkin for just three shifts worth 2:30 of ice. The divide-and-conquer approach did not pay off given the Blueshirts’ matching strength against the Penguins’ talent strength.
“Sid takes what you give him,” Staal said. “If you’re on him, he likes to spin off you and make a play, and if you stay off him with a soft gap, he pulls up. He’s probably as good on his backhand as he is on his forehand, maybe better, and he never gives up on a play.
“It’s always a challenge.”
It was a challenge met by the Rangers on a night on which things could have easily spun out of control. But did not. The Blueshirts stuck to it the way they stuck to Crosby and Malkin.
Tasted great. Was fulfilling. One-nothing series lead, Rangers.