On the verge of being swept, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers staved off elimination with an impressive win over the Los Angeles Kings. Puck luck was definitely on the side of the Rangers, and the play of Henrik Lundqvist proved to be the difference. The 2-1 Rangers win at Madison Square Garden earns them a trip back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Friday night.
The first period was a back and forth period. The Kings outshot the Rangers 11-7 and also had more scoring chances. The Rangers were the only team to get on the scoreboard in the first period. Benoit Pouliot tipped a shot from defenseman John Moore that beat Jonathan Quick, and give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
The second period featured goals from both teams. The Rangers made it 2-0 at the 6:27 mark when Martin St. Louis banged home a rebound off a rush. Derek Stephan and Chris Kreider broke into the zone and fired a shot on Jonathan Quick. St. Louis was crashing the net on the far side and banged home the rebound. Despite a couple very impressive Kings rushes they came up empty handed. Eventually the Kings scored their lone goal at the 8:46 mark when captain Dustin Brown beat Lundqvist with a wrist shot.
The third period ended the way it started 2-1. The Kings came with an arsenal of shots on the Rangers. They outshot the blueshirts 15-1, and completely dominated the period. Derek Stephan saved the day, when he grabbed a loose puck that made its way behind Lundqvist and sat on the goal line. Stephan grabbed the puck with his hand a pushed it under the goaltender Lundqvist. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault described the play, “I could not see it, but I knew it was not in because the red light did not go on.” After seeing the reply he said, “Sometimes its good to have soft ice.”
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The play of Lundqvist helped the Rangers survive in Game 4. The Kings outshot the Rangers 41-19. The Rangers now have hope as the series moves back to Los Angeles. The Rangers will definitely come out with more jump and confidence after this win.
If the Rangers win Game 5 they will pull within one, and bring the series back to New York for Game 6. If the Kings win they will hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years. It has all the makings of a classic game.
Brad Burud the owner/editor of the Inside Edge Hockey News. I am a huge fan of hockey, from youth hockey, to junior hockey, and of course professional hockey. I have played, coached, worked as statistician, and watched hockey all of my life. Hockey is not just a game, it is a lifestyle and family. The game of hockey is great! It can bring you nights of great enjoyment. It also brings nights where you feel like your team will never win. I am proud to be a journalist for the greatest game in the world. I have a degree in Business Administration, Psychology from Minot State University. I also have a Hockey General Manager and Scouting, and Sports Communications/Journalism degree from Sports Management Worldwide. I am also a member of the Sports Executives Association. Most of all I am a fan. Hockey is a huge part of my life and my families life.