Rangers must muck up Lightning in Game 4 to avoid dire straits

Slowing and punishing the Lightning will be crucial for the Rangers in Game 4 of their Eastern finals series.

It's time for the Rangers to reveal themselves.

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night at Amalie Arena (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA) stacks up not only as a referendum on their playoff identity, but also as a near must-win for the Presidents’ Trophy winners.

Is New York the team that’s had its defense and goaltending exposed after allowing six goals in consecutive losses to the high-flying Lightning? Or is it something closer to the one that allowed nine total goals in its previous six games combined?

'Triplets' line lead the way again as Lightning down Rangers in overtime

Despite coach Alain Vigneault’s assertions that the Bolts “aren’t dictating” the pace of the series, it’s pretty clear that that’s exactly what’s happened in the last two games. The Rangers may be fast, but Tampa Bay has been faster, more insistent on the attack and far more creative. The Lightning are seizing New York’s zone. They’re scoring off the rush. And the Rangers are all but waving hello as they breeze by.

Tampa Bay has put them on their heels with breakouts and speed through the neutral zone. It’s easy to blame New York’s defense for not slowing the Lightning down, but much of the problem has been in the failings of the Rangers’ forwards to get back and take away Tampa Bay’s numeric advantages. Instead of mucking it up, as they did so effectively in their 2–1 Game 1 victory, New York’s defensemen have too often been forced to fall back and allow the Bolts entry into Rangers’ end. The lack of aggression on the part of New York’s forwards is putting too much pressure on goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who looked shaky while facing 40 shots in a 6–5 Game 3 loss.

The All-Star keeper clearly has to find a way to get over the mental hump of his past two beatings. He’s has allowed 12 goals on just 66 shots in the two losses, including the very stoppable 30-foot wrister from Nikita Kucherov that ended Game 3 in overtime. Before Game 2 against Tampa, Lundqvist had given up just 21 goals on 379 shots in his previous 13 games.

The Late Show: The white-knuckle glory of overtime in the NHL playoffs

The Rangers’ goalie has to be better, but he also needs some help. The Bolts are playing fearlessly in New York’s end, planting themselves in Lundqvist’s crease with impunity. It’s hard to figure out how that’s happening. The Rangers seemed to have had an easier time handling the Capitals’ husky marauders than have Tampa Bay’s undersized Triplets. Part of that might be from fear of taking penalties. It’s a reasonable concern. The Lightning have at least one power-play goal in each of the three games of this series and have scored a total of five in the postseason. Staying out of the box makes good sense, but so does clearing the crease to eliminate scoring threats at five-on-five. New York needs to walk that fine line between discipline and destruction or Tampa Bay will continue to light the lamp.

Yes, the Rangers beat Ben Bishop for five goals in Game 3, but does that in any way feel like something they can replicate moving forward? Why would they even want to try? New York had just 28 shots on net in that loss. Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis continue to fire blanks. J.T. Miller has been the most dangerous player on the first line. Young guns Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes combined for zero shots and were non-factors in Game 3.

For the Rangers to get back in this series, it will need to batten down the hatches. Tighten the gaps. Blanket the neutral zone with tire strips. Turn the front of their net into a punishing no-man’s land.

It won’t be pretty, but that’s the sum of it. If they can’t muck the game up on Friday night, they will be going home in 3–1 series hole.

#http://www.120sports.com/video/v125911144/rangers-rebounding-in-game-4

The numbers game

• The Lightning have scored six goals in consecutive playoff games for the first time in franchise history. The Rangers have not lost three straight games since Nov. 13-17 (0-1-2). They also have won each of their past three series when trailing 2-1 after three games (2015 SR vs. WSH, 2014 SR vs. PIT and 2013 CQF vs. WSH).WSH, 2014 SR vs. PIT and 2013 CQF vs. WSH).

• Ryan Getzlaf, who leads the league in playoff assists (14 in 12 games) this year, is the first player in Ducks history to have five multi-assist games in one postseason. Bruins forward David Krejci, with five in 22 games in 2013,was the last NHL player to have as many as five.

• Patrick Kane needs one more postseason goal to pass Steve Larmer (45) for sole possession of fourth in Blackhawks history. Ahead lie only Bobby Hull(62), Denis Savard(61) and Stan Mikita(59).

#http://www.120sports.com/video/v125911790/boudreau-on-underrated-defense

Hot links

Mike Babcock promises pain, reward as Maple Leafs move forward

• Mike Babcock couldn’t leave Detroit without saying thanks to Red Wings fans.

• Was Joel Quenneville really wrong to bench Teuvo Teravainen for Game 3 or were the failings of his top-six forwards more of an issue for the Blackhawks?

• Tampa Bay forward Alex Killorn may win the Stanley Cup this year, but that wouldn’t make his mom nearly as happy as this did.

• Love these one-off jerseys that the Quebec Remparts will wear for tonight’s Memorial Cup opener.

GALLERY: NHL's best paid coaches vs. NFL's

Highest paid coaches in the NHL compared to the NFL

Mike Babcock ($8M) — Pete Carroll ($8M+)

Harry How/Getty Images; Rod Mar for SI

Babcock's new five-year deal with the Maple Leafs is reportedly front-loaded, making him the NHL's new No. 1 by a wide margin. In April 2014, Carroll signed an extension with the Seahawks through 2016 that was widely expected, by virtue of owner Paul Allen's deep pockets, to vault him over Saints head coach Sean Payton into the NFL's top spot although their respective salaries are reportedly the same.

Todd McLellan ($3M) — Sean Payton ($8M)

Gene J. Puskar/AP; Greg Shamus/Getty Images

Ex-Sharks bench boss McLellan became the NHL's new No. 2 thanks to his five-year deal with the Oilers. In January 2013, the Saints gave Payton a five-year extension that was contested by the NFL due to some of its terms but was frequently cited as making him the NFL's best paid coach.

Joel Quenneville ($2.75M) — Bill Belichick ($7.5M+)

Gene J. Puskar/AP; Jeff Haynes for SI

Quenneville, the Blackhawks bench boss, was the NHL's No. 1 until Babcock and McLellan inked their new deals in May 2015. Belichick is a mystery man. Many media outlets that purport to track salary information admit there's no way to know short of a subpoena exactly what he makes per season, but given Patriots owner Robert Kraft's fondness for Belichick it's likely more than $7.5 million and he's the NFL's top guy in the mad stacks department.

Claude Julien ($2.5M) — Andy Reid ($7.5M)

Gene J. Puskar/AP; George Gojkovich/Getty Images

The Bruins signed Julien to a three-year extension in Nov. 2014 that reportedly lifted him above the $2 million per season mark. Reid was given his reported five-year, $37.5 million deal by the Chiefs in January 2013.

Darryl Sutter ($2.25M) — John Harbaugh ($7M)

Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images; George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Sutter was given a new "multi-year" deal by the Kings according to a team media release in January 2013 and recent reports have put his annual paycheck at $2.25 million. Harbaugh was signed to an extension by the Ravens in March 2014 that bumped his yearly pay from $4 million per to the $7 million neighborhood.

Michel Therrien ($2M) — Tom Coughlin ($7M)

Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images; Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Therrien, the Canadiens bench boss, is just one member of the NHL's reported $2 million club. In March 2015, Coughlin, forever on the hot seat in New York, was given a one-year extension through 2016 that is widely believed to be in line with his currently cited $7 million per season.

Alain Vigneault ($2M) — Chip Kelly ($6.5M)

Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images; John Biever for SI

The well-off Rangers signed ex-Canucks bench boss Vigneault in June 2013 to a reported five-year, $10 million deal that was supposedly fat enough to keep him from landing with the Dallas Stars. Kelly has to be feeling pretty sunny in Philadelphia after inking his five-year, $32.5 million deal with the Eagles in January 2013.

Lindy Ruff ($2M) — Jason Garrett ($6M)

Gene J. Puskar/AP; Carlos M. Saavedra for SI

Ruff, the longtime coach of the Sabres, moved on to the Stars in June 2013 and received a four-year deal that reportedly gave him a spot in the $2 million club. Garrett's new five-year contract with the Cowboys, signed in January 2015, was said by NFL.com to be worth a total of $30 million.

Peter Laviolette ($2M) — Bruce Arians ($6M)

John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images; John Biever for SI

The Predators made Laviolette, a veteran of 12 seasons with the Islanders, Hurricanes, and Flyers (with whom he was reportedly paid between $1-$2 million), the second head coach in Nashville's franchise history with a multi-year deal in May 2014. The Toronto Sun says he as well as Therrien, Vigneault, and Ruff are members of the $2 million club. Arians, the former offensive coordinator of the Colts, signed on with the Cardinals in January 2013 for four years at $6 million per according to NFL.com.

Dave Tippett ($2M) — Mike Tomlin ($5.75M)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Al Tielemans for SI

In June 2013, the highly regarded Tippett signed a five-year extension with the financially struggling Coyotes before entertaining offers from other teams, so his reported $2 million per doesn't seem far-fetched given that the team has new ownership and he likes coaching in Arizona. Tomlin was rewarded by the Steelers with a three-year extension through 2016 in July of 2012 that Forbes reported was worth $5.75 million per season.