Malkin, Crosby record 2 points each as Penguins take 3-1 series lead over Rangers
Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring and assisted on the final goal of the night for the Penguins in Game 4 on Wednesday in New York, while Sidney Crosby added two assists to help the Penguins earn a 4-2 win and a 3-1 series lead over the Rangers.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed two goals in the loss, but was not overly tested by a largely woeful Rangers offense that mustered only 15 shots on net.
Overall, Pittsburgh basically owned this game from start to finish.
[Courtesy Extra Skater]
Star Performer
Malkin gets the edge for scoring a goal en route to his two points.
The man they call Geno opened the scoring early in the first with this spinning backhand goal on Henrik Lundqvist, and accumulated a total of 13 attempts on net over the course of the game.
[Courtesy NHL.com]
One player who could benefit from this type of performance is Rick Nash, who at one point during the game was booed by the home crowd. Nash registered four shots on goal but continues to sit on one goal in 22 playoff games for the Rangers dating back to last year.
Turning Point
Late in the second period, the Rangers were looking to score their first power-play goal in 36 attempts; instead, they allowed a shorthanded marker scored by Brandon Sutter, which ended up being the game-winner.
[Courtesy NHL.com]
Highlight Reel
Carl Hagelin provided a small glimmer of hope for the Rangers with this tying goal in the second period.
[Courtesy NHL.com]
The goal ended Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff shutout streak at 145 minutes.
On the uglier side of things, Marc Staal took a run at Crosby from behind with a fairly dangerous looking hit.
Quote of the Night
Rangers forward Brad Richards addressed the booing of Rick Nash and alluded to the fact that his team may benefit from heading away from the not-so-friendly confines of the home rink.
Richards:"What a better time to get on the road and not just (Nash), all of us and just forget about these two. It couldn’t have gone worse"
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) May 8, 2014
Series Recap
Game 1: Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (OT) (Rangers lead 1-0)
Game 2: Penguins 3, Rangers 0 (Penguins tie 1-1)
Game 3: Penguins 2, Rangers 0 (Penguins lead 2-1)
Game 4: Penguins 4, Rangers 2 (Penguins lead 3-1)
Game 5: Friday, May 9 - 7 p.m. EST
Game 6*: Sunday, May 11 - TBD
Game 7*: Tuesday, May 13 - TBD