You could've heard a pin drop in Madison Square Garden at the exact moment that Jeff Carter ripped a one-time slapper past Henrik Lundqvist, to give the Kings a 1-0 lead in Game 3 on Monday night. But it wasn't just the 1-0 deficit that took the air out of the building, as it was the after effect of a crucial missed Power Play opportunity New York had just squandered. In the flow of the game, the Rangers had solidly outplayed the Kings to that point, yet they were still going into intermission trailing. From there the stats only became evidently unbalanced. The Rangers outshot LA, 17-8 in the 2nd period, yet lost the period 2-0. For the game New York doubled the shots and scoring chances that the Kings were able to generate, but when the final horn sounded, it was the Rangers who were victim of a 3-0 Game 3 loss and a 3-0 series deficit. Based on these facts it was interesting reading the Rangers post-game remarks to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Some of the Rangers that spoke, said they needed to generate more opportunities to have success. Really? The Kings were able to score 3 times on just 15 shots. New York had 32. Yes, Lundqvist has to be better than that, but the amount of offensive opportunities does not seem to be an issue. "We have a lot of good examples (of what we’ve done well), but you have nothing to show for it, so it’s a matter of finding more ways to create... Just playing and outshooting a team doesn’t mean anything at this point" said Ryan McDonagh. Part of what he says is correct. Generating more chances doesn't mean anything, it's about finishing those chances into the back of the net. Don't get me wrong, last night Jonathan Quick was fantastic. His Game 3 performance will be the premier exhibition that is looked at should the Kings find themselves able to finish off this Cup Final. But there were at least 3 golden opportunites the Rangers had to finish off scoring chances, and either couldn't elevate the puck or had it slip off of their blade with an open net waiting. Hesitation is a team's worst enemy and its what lead to New York being 0 for 6 on the PP. On the reverse side, it was quick decision making and aggresiveness that put the Kings on top at the end of the 1st, and what allowed them to add on in the 2nd period. Teams that win Stanley Cups don't sit in the locker room after the game thinking what if. Unfortunately for the Rangers, that's exactly what seemed to be vocalized after Game 3. "I’m out of words to describe it,” said right wing Mats Zuccarello. “I feel like we’re a good team. We’re playing well. I didn’t feel like they had many chances. It’s tough to talk about it right now.” If New York is going to avoid elimination and win their first Stanley Cup since 1994, they have a tough task at hand. Only one team in professional sports has been able to overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win in a championship round (1942 Toronto Maple Leafs). For the Rangers, it means literally playing like there's no tomorrow. If they continue their Power Play hesitation, poor execution offensively and bad decision making, they will continue to ask "what if", only this time with no more opportunities to correct it
Quotes Credit: Pat Leonard, NYDN. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/thin-ice-quick-shutout-puts-rangers-brink-elimination-article-1.1823328
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