The New York Rangers suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Game 1 against the Boston Bruins on Thursday after losing 3-2 in overtime and the team is ready for a rebound in Game 2 at TD Garden on Sunday.
The Rangers were in control before the Bruins tied the game and after some great play in overtime, the team came through with a goal from Brad Marchand, who put a centering pass through the legs of goalie Henrik Lundqvist to take the victory. The Rangers got goals from Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh but the Bruins kept attacking throughout the game and tied it up each time the Rangers went ahead, including on a goal from Zdeno Chara. Lundqvist finished with 45 saves in the game while Tuukka Rask had 33 and the shot disparity was one of the biggest factors in the matchup.
Derek Brassard is leading the Rangers with 10 points and eight assists while Stepan has three goals, but it was a crucial turnover in overtime that set up the winner. Dave Krejci is still tops for Boston in points with 14, goals with five and assists with nine and the Rangers will need to continue to try and shut him down. Torey Krug added the other goal for the Bruins and the Rangers will be trying for their second road win of the playoffs after winning against the Capitals in Game 7 on Monday night. Boston has dealt with injuries to Wade Redden and Andrew Ference and a number of players have stepped up, including Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron.
The Rangers have had issues scoring all playoffs and Rick Nash and Brad Richards have mostly been held in check, scoring just one goal in eight games in the postseason. Nash has three assists to go along with 28 shots, but both Boston and Washington have played him tight, Henrik Lundqvist has been one of the biggest reasons the Rangers are still alive in the playoffs and his work in the postseason has been nearly perfect, as he has only lost one game in regulation with his other three coming in overtime games.
The Rangers have had issues on the power play throughout the playoffs and it was even more pronounced in Game 1 and the team could not capitalize on its chances and did not get enough scoring chances. The Rangers went 10-12-2 on the road this past season and the Bruins were 16-5-3 at home and the teams are playing in the playoffs for the first time since the 1970s. The Rangers have played seven games series over the past two seasons and if they truly want to make a deep postseason run, they will need to win Game 2 and without some play from Brian Boyle and others on offense, they will be left with another loss on the road. The Rangers have already lost three times in overtime this postseason and coach John Tortorella knows the team needs to be tougher. The coach also had to deal with more complaints from the Capitals about the last series, with Alex Ovechkin and coach Adam Oates calling out the referees and also saying on the radio that he could beat up Tortorella. The coach responded that he is more focused on this current series and that he wasn't surprised to hear that from the Caps.