The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers will decide their second round playoff series on Tuesday night with a winner-take-all Game 7 at the Consol Energy Center. New York has won back-to-back games to force this do-or-die game, winning Game 5 on Sunday night by a score of 3-1.
The Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat continue their Eastern Conference semifinal series at the Barclays Center on Monday night. The Nets finally got on the board with a win on their home court on Saturday, and look for that momentum to carry over into this one.
Canadiens on the Brink – Hope to Stay Alive in Boston Monday Night
The Boston Bruins can end their second round series with the Montreal Canadiens Monday night but they will have to do so on enemy ground – at the Bell Center where they won Game 4 but have struggled the last couple of seasons.
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will make the trip back to Madison Square Garden in New York after the Rangers picked up a victory in a must-win Game 5. The Rangers claimed that game decisively, winning by a score of 5-1 to extend the series.
The Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat will head over to the Barclays Center for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series which shifts to Brooklyn on Saturday. The Heat have yet to hit a speed bump in the postseason, posting a 6-0 record, including wins in each of the first two games in the series.
Habs and bruins Seek 3-2 Series Lead – Game 5 Saturday Night
The series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston bruins has been razor-close thus far – but if either team was able to hold serve on their home ice, we would be looking at a possible elimination game.
The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers shifts back to the Consol Energy Center for Game 5 on Friday. The Penguins have won three in a row in the series, putting the Rangers on the brink of elimination.
Boston Looks to Reclaim Home Ice Advantage – Game 4 vs. Habs Thursday Night
The Montreal Canadiens have become used to fast starts in their second round series with the Boston Bruins – unfortunately they have become used to coughing up leads in the third period and letting their Original Six rivals back in each game.
The Brooklyn Nets look to rebound in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. The heat ran away with the opener in this series, claiming a 107-86 victory.
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will continue their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series with Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Penguins wrestled back home ice advantage with back-to-back wins, but they can now put their foot on the throats of the Rangers with a win in Game 4.
Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4
Pittsburgh Penguins (6-3) at New York Rangers (5-5)
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, New York
O/U Odds: 5
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Money Line: Pittsburgh -106, New York -102
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The Penguins don’t get shutout wins often, particularly in the postseason, but that’s been the case in each of their last two outings. The team usually relies on its high-powered offense, but the team didn’t even do much in the way of generating chances in Game 3.
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In that contest, the Rangers actually outshot the Penguins by a wide margin, 35-15, and the Rangers even had a 5-to-1 edge in power plays, but like we saw in some of their games against the Flyers, the Rangers just couldn’t catch any breaks.
Now, having been shut out in back-to-back contests, the Rangers are desperate to find goal-scoring anywhere they can. The team wasn’t shut out in back-to-back contests in the entire regular season, so it seems safe to say they won’t be shut out for a third consecutive game on Wednesday night.
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The last time the team was shut out in back-to-back games, they responded by scoring four goals against Winnipeg, then six against this very Pittsburgh team in back-to-back wins. Derek Stepan scored twice against Winnipeg, while Rick Nash had a goal and a helper. Derick Brassard had a goal and three assists in the win against Pittsburgh, and Brad Richards had a goal and two assists in that game.
Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault would love for any one of those players to step up right about now. Vigneault blasted the schedule-makers after Game 3, and his team will now have to put up, or shut up.
The Rangers need this win in a bad way. The schedule-makers deserve a lot of the blame for the speed bump the team just hit, but now that they’ve had a day off, there won’t be any excuses after this one. Expect an A-effort from the Rangers in this one after back-to-back duds.
Additionally, with goals being hard to come by for the Rangers in their last two games, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist knows he’s going to have to stand on his head in this one if the team has a chance. With competent play from Marc-Andre Fleury at the other end, this game should stay under the number.
The Rangers are 11-2 in their last 13 games played on a Wednesday, and 5-2 in their last seven home games.
The under is 16-6-3 in the Rangers’ last 25 home games, and it is 9-2-6 in their last 17 conference semifinal games.
The play: New York -102, Under 5
Habs Bring Home Ice Advantage Back to Montreal
The Boston Bruins have a little work to do in order to regain home ice advantage in their series with the Montreal Canadiens. But a win in front of a rabid Bell Center crowd certainly won’t be easy.
The Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will face off in the second round of the postseason in a battle of the first and sixth seeds in the Eastern Conference.
The Brooklyn Nets will make the trip out to South Beach just two days after a deciding Game 7 in their opening round series, as they will continue into the Eastern Conference semifinals with a visit with the Miami Heat.
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will head over to Madison Square Garden as their series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday. The Rangers laid an egg in Game 2 on Sunday, and while the schedule played a major factor in their performance, they’ll need to get up for this one on the second night of this back-to-back.
In a strange twist it was Washington that made quick work of their opponent in their round 1 series. Meanwhile even though Indiana ultimately put away Atlanta, they certainly did not look like a top team in the process.
The 2014 NBA playoffs have been anything but a breeze for the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the two will face off in what could very well be the most entertaining series of the entire second round.
