Jagr and Henrik deliver Game Five

May 2, 2008   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

With their backs to the wall, the two best Rangers stepped up to deliver a huge 3-0 Game Four shutout win over the Penguins before a very supportive Madison Square Garden earlier tonight.

Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist performed the way your best players should play in such a situation. Faced with the prospect of an ugly second round sweep at home, the extremely motivated Ranger captain and a much sharper Lundqvist wouldn’t allow it to happen.

Playing his most inspired hockey since finishing runner-up to Joe Thornton for the 2005-06 Hart Trophy, Jagr again was a one-man wrecking crew in this game notching two goals and an assist to stave off elimination against his former club.

It was the 36 year-old Czech’s highlight reel wrister which broke a scoreless contest with 7:15 remaining in the second period. Taking a pass in front of his bench at the Pens’ blueline, Jagr then skated with purpose using Sergei Gonchar as a screen ripping his fourth home. Vintage No.68. That he took a tough high hit from Gonchar’s partner Brooks Orpik falling flat to the ice was awe inspiring. 

A couple of minutes after he got up under his own power, Jagr received a rousing ovation and deserving chants of, “Ja–gr, Ja–gr, Ja–gr!!!!!”

“It’s great, but we have to make sure we play a little longer,” the determined Czech later told a group of reporters at his locker of the chants.

“Enjoy the moment. It’s too bad that we got into a tough situation. Maybe it’s happening for a reason that we’re down 3-0. You never know. We should just play.”

One thing about the Garden is they know what’s going on and especially when to give a special player overwhelming support. There have been instances where I’ve been on his case but in these playoffs, Jagr has turned back the clock and flat out dominated. He’s trying to will this team right now and it’s really something to watch. Given all the uncertainty on whether he’ll return next season, our fanbase showed him the love and respect he deserves.

When you witness a superstar playing at this level in what’s supposed to be the twilight of his career, it just does something. I can’t remember being so energized. I was practically telling people to stand up at times. That’s how badly I wanted this game.

If Jagr did his thing hiking his total to a postseason best 15 points (5-10-15), then the same could also be said for Lundqvist. A couple of nights removed from a subpar showing, the Vezina candidate bounced back strongly playing to capability by shutting the door on the highly skilled Pens, who for the first half were dictating the action but never could beat the 26 year-old Swedish netminder.

His rebound control was superb. Everytime the Pens threatened, Lundqvist silenced them with timely stops. There weren’t a ton of shots until the Jagr goal. Pittsburgh held an 11-7 edge. Behind following Jagr’s spectacular goal, the Penguins killed off a Ranger power play and then got the kind of chance they’ve been burying.

Here came the game’s most dangerous player Evgeni Malkin in on Lundqvist looking for the tying goal. Did the 21 year-old Russian score? After a lengthy review with Toronto involved, they ruled that Lundqvist was shoved in by Malkin as the net came off.

Still, the refs appropriately rewarded Malkin with a penalty shot because Ranger defenseman Dan Girardi pushed him from behind. So, even if a few of the fans from our section protested, it was a good call. Yet after the game there you had Michel Therrien whining much like his star captain Sidney Crosby. What would you expect? Let him complain when his best player still had the puck one-on-one against Lundqvist with a chance to tie it up and swing the momentum.

Here came Malkin again at a very deliberate pace trying to get Lundqvist to flinch first. Only the Ranger netminder never did instead getting his glove on the shot and turning it aside. By now, a place full of believers were delirious. I knew right then they weren’t going to lose. Not the way Lundqvist was playing.

“Last game was a tough one,” he said. “It’s not a new series, but hopefully we have them thinking. We think we can do it. We’re going to go for it in Pittsburgh. There’s no other way for us.”

Inspired by their teammate’s huge save, the Rangers outworked the Pens on the next shift drawing a hooking penalty. Now, given how inept it had been maybe most didn’t think much of it. Especially when Pittsburgh easily killed off the first 46 seconds as the second expired. It’s usually hard to capitalize when a man-advantage is split up. However, for once the Blueshirts made it work thanks to some excellent puck possession from Jagr, Martin Straka and rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky.

Keeping the puck down low away from attacking Pens, they finally got it to the net. Even after being illegally taken down by Hal Gill, Dubinsky recovered and drove a turnaround shot past Marc-Andre Fleury for his first of the series 44 seconds into the third.

Humongous lift!

Instead of sitting back as they normally would under Tom Renney, the Rangers kept pushing forward drawing a couple of more penalties with even Crosby and Malkin taking frustration roughs following a clean Girardi takeout of Marian Hossa.

The Rangers played a more physical brand of hockey even without Sean Avery and Blair Betts, finishing checks and getting under the skin of their opponent. They also won the special teams battle effectively killing off all four Pittsburgh power plays while converting twice in seven chances.

Thanks to some diligent work late, Pascal Dupuis went to the sin bin for a high stick with 1:14 remaining. Sixty seconds later, Jagr put the exclamation point on a great Game Four hitting the empty net for his fifth.

When the three stars were announced, the game’s second star got the loudest cheers along with more chants including:

“Jar—o—mir Ja—gr, Jar—o—mir Ja—gr, Jar—o—mir Ja—gr!!!!!”

He might’ve been tabbed second star but everyone knew who the true No.1 star of this game was. Even if Lundqvist had done the job making all 29 saves, it was the Ranger team captain who led by example bringing hope back to his team.

“We have to believe,” No.68 pointed out. “That’s where you start everything. If you don’t believe, you don’t have a chance. You have to believe that anything is possible. Then you have to put the pieces together.”

“He is a driven man right now,” a prideful Renney noted of his superstar. “We are going back to Pittsburgh still in the series, and that is the most important thing. We live to play another day and we intend to win.”

Notes: The Pens were looking to start the playoffs 8-0 which hadn’t happened since the 1985 Edmonton Oilers, who repeated as Stanley Cup champs. … Veteran forward Gary Roberts made his first appearance in the series replacing injured Pen teammate Max Talbot. He played 7:33 finishing without a shot. … Petr Prucha was inserted into the Ranger lineup playing alongside a gritty Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan. Even with a rib problem, Drury logged nearly 21 minutes and assisted on Jagr’s empty netter. Prucha meanwhile got over 10 minutes and had two SOG. … Ryan Hollweg shifted to center a fourth line of Fredrik Sjostrom and Colton Orr which hardly played with Renney wisely giving more ice-time to his best players. … Veteran D Jason Strudwick (10:15 TOI) dressed in place of Christian Backman teaming effectively with Paul Mara. Rangers outhit the Penguins 40-36 with Girardi leading the charge with six. For Pitt, Orpik paced everyone with eight while Jordan Staal had six. … As has been a theme in the series, the Pens blocked 20 shots to the Blueshirts 12. … Fleury finished with 31 saves. … The teams get an extra day off to recovery with Game Five slated for 2 ET Sunday on NBC. Game Six would be back at MSG the following night with a potential Game Seven Wednesday back in Pittsburgh.