Photo by: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
In a game where the Rangers faced an either winning or go home situation, they came into Madison Square Garden and took game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers look to make history in the Stanley cup and today they took the first step by winning Game 4 and cutting the lead 3-1. They just need three more steps to take the Cup but it won’t be easy since the Kings have home court advantage in game 5.
Photo by: Jim McIssac/Getty Images
The Rangers entered game 4 with a lot of momentum. They avoided a dreaded swept in the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the LA Kings at MSG. The hero: no other than Henrik Lundqvist. Henrik had a total of 40 saves in game 4. He seemed to do something he hasn’t done in the past three games; save the puck from going into the net. Out of those 40 saves he only had one goal against him by Dustin Brown.
It seems though that history is being made here. In the Stanley Cup Final 2012, the Kings were up 3-0 against the New Jersey Devils. In game 1 and 2, the Kings won it in overtime. Game 3 was a shutout in New Jersey were the Kings won 4-0, but game 4 and 5 New Jersey won both games but it took game 6 for the Kings to win the cup. Now 2014, both games 1 and 2 were won by the Kings in overtime, game 3 was a shutout, and game 4 was taken by the Rangers. The Kings though look to take it in game 5 since they have home court advantage.
The Rangers on the other hand will look to bring it back to New York for a game 6 but they will have to deal with the Kings who will have home court advantage. They’re hope: Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is 8-0 with a .968 save percentage when facing elimination in the past eight home games. New York is also 11-2 in the past 13 elimination games. But teams who have led 3-0 in the Stanley Cup have won 25 out of the 26 times, that being the Kings in 2012.
Jonathan Quick, who had an astonishing 32 saves in game 3, faced 19 shots, one only in the third period, and made 17 saves. The Kings had more possession of the puck in game 4 but it wasn’t enough for the Kings to win it. Lundqvist had a big help from his offensive line. It came in the first period when Benoit Pouliot got a goal 7:25 into the game and one from Martin St. Louis 6:27 into the second period. Pouliot’s goal came after a power play was over two seconds later. Brassard was able to pass it to John Moore who shot the puck 60 ft. away and Pouliot was able to tip-it in with his stick and allow the Rangers to take 1-0 lead.
In the second period, Martin St. Louis gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead in a play where Stepan passed the puck to St. Louis and was able to find the puck and shot it in on the left side of Quick.
The Rangers lead by two goals in game 1 and 2 but gave away the lead and it looked like history was repeating itself in game 4 where the Rangers lead 2-0 and in a turn over play were Girardi lost control of the puck and the Captain, Dustin Brown was able to find the puck and cut the lead to 2-1 in the second period.
Two times the Kings had a chance to cut lead or tie the game. In the first period, Alec Martinez’s shot got behind Lundqvist before Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman knocked it out the goal line with his stick.
In the third period, a play and call that will be talked about all night and tomorrow and probably in preview to game 5, the Kings had a chance to tie the game with 56 seconds left in the game. Lundqvist got help from center Derek Stepan, who swiped the puck off the goal line and according to nhl.com, into the goalie. The puck went through Lindqvist’s legs and was slowed down by a garden ice, which led to Stepan deflecting it out of the goal line with his glove and from my perspective, seemed to be holding the puck instead of Lundqvist.
The Rangers got help from Pouliot (5), and St. Louis (8), while Brown (6) scored for the Kings in game 5. In order for the Rangers to win in game 5, Lundqvist will have to step it up and play the way he played in game 4 and will need a lot of help from his defenseman line.
The Rangers faced elimination and stepped it up in game 4 to take game 5 back to LA. The Kings look to end the series and win the cup at home Friday night when they host the New York Rangers at Staples Center. The game will take place at 8PM ET/5PM PT.