The Rangers come back in Game 4

Game 4 was fight or flight for the New York Rangers who were down 3-0 to the Boston Bruins and in danger of elimination after one more loss. The first period got off to a lackluster start for the Rangers, even giving up a penalty early on in the game and working to kill it off, both teams were playing a pretty safe game.  The first period ended scoreless.  The start to the second period revealed a Rangers team that appeared to be accepting their series shut out, they weren’t might better than during the first period.  The Rangers were digging a hole with their two early period penalties.  The Bruins worked the puck into the Rangers zone and scored 4 minutes into the second period. Then Krug claimed the second power play goal for the Bruins and the Bruins took a 2-0. Then in a fluke, Tukka Rask goaltender for the Bruins, appears to trip over his own feet letting the puck slip by him into a completely open net. That goal was a momentum changer for the Rangers and re-energized the stadium.  The Rangers, a team that appeared to be ready to lose Game 4 shifted into game mode late in the second period.  After that unfortunate stumble by Rask, he regained his composer in the net to block a flurry of shots from the newly confident Rangers.  Early in the third period the Rangers received another gift from the hockey gods and scored on the wrap around with basically no defense yet again to tie the game 2-2.  Derek Stepan swooped in on the forecheck and picked the puck right off of Zdeno Chara’s stick to wrap into a completely empty net.  The Bruins came back to take the lead 3-2.  And then the Rangers get another opportunity and scored their first real goal of the game to tie the game again. The Rangers battled back from a 2-0 deficit in a game where the Bruins should have put a nail in the Rangers coffin.  The game entered over time and the Rangers scored to come back in the series.

The Bruins made some mistakes and gave the Rangers the critical room they needed in order to make the opportunities happen last night at Madison Square Gardens. During the beginning of the game the Rangers were down and accepting their loss before it happened but halfway through the New York Rangers showed up and hammered the game home.  The Bruins still the stronger team on the power play can come back and win this series.  Last night was more of a fluke than anything else. The Bruins need to tighten up their game, keep on the gas and play the entire 60 minutes like it’s the game of their life, win the series and get some rest. The Bruins and the Rangers will face off again on Saturday in Game 5.