NEW YORK – Now the Rangers have no excuses.

Neither dives, nor any bad referee call cost them Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The only fault comes from themselves as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins and have their backs against the wall, going down 0-3 in the series.

“It is pretty tough being down 3-0, but they have to win four games,” said Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr. “They have to close it. Even such a great team like the Yankees didn’t hold a 3-0 lead. They are the best ever. We can make history.”

Even though the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders did it, it is a daunting task. But the Rangers can take some hope with the Islanders comeback coming 33 years after the Maple Leafs and 2008 marks the 33rd anniversary of the New York victory.

For the Rangers to achieve history, they will have to play much better in Game 4 on Thursday night. Henrik Lundqvist can’t give up five goals on 17 shots and the New York power play must get going. Another 0-5 won’t do it.

“Maybe the pressure is getting to us a little bit,” Jagr said about the power play woes. “We know we have to score. That was the difference. They scored on their opportunities and we didn’t score on our opportunities. We just have to focus on the next game.”

The Blueshirts will need to, since there’s a lot to forget here. First there was Lundqvist, who allowed some soft goals on the night. With the first coming just 1:02 into the game with Marian Hossa knocking a Pascal Dupuis rebound past the Ranger netminder.

Lundqvist also allowed soft goals to Georges Laraque and Ryan Malone, both of which looked very stoppable.

“It’s a tough game,” said Lundqvist. “A couple of tough goals, but the bottom line is that we have to play better. We just have to try harder and try to do better.”

The team also has to play smarter, especially the lower line players. Tom Renney said the turning point of the game was a late second period boarding penalty by Ryan Hollweg. With both Blair Betts and Chris Drury out during the period with injuries, the shorthanded Rangers were forced to kill against the top power play unit. With seconds remaining, though, Evgeni Malkin scored his second on the night to break a 3-3 tie.

“I don’t think anyone feels worse in the building than Ryan Hollweg,” said coach Tom Renney. Hollweg, though, only said he was “playing his game” when questioned about it.

Even though they allowed two power play goals, the Blueshirts failed to convert on their five, including two 5-on-3 penalties in the second on three consecutive Penguin penalties.

The Blueshirts better hope Jagr continues to play his best in Game 4, because he was almost a one-man wrecking crew in this matchup. With what could be considered a “Gordie Howe” hat trick, Jagr crashed Marc-Andre Fluery to set up the first Ranger goal; got into a skirmish – and took a roughing penalty for it – with Malone and then scored the tying goal in the second.

In what could be his penultimate game as a Ranger, No. 68 also led with 10 of the Rangers 39 shots on goal and was the most consistent Ranger by far.

“He was outstanding,” Renney said. “As much as Malkin was good for them, I thought Jaromir Jagr was the best player on the ice.”

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of his team.

Notes: The whole diving controversy was squelched by the referees when Marian Hossa was called for diving on Jagr’s hooking penalty early in the first…Betts left the game after he took a Malone shot off the face in the second, he didn’t return...Drury left the game in the second where it looked like he hurt his arm taking a shot in the second. Although he returned for the third, he was limited and said after the game he originally got hurt in the first. No word on if the injury will hinder him in Game 4.

  E-mail this story |  Printer-friendly |  Discuss