Game 4: It’s All About Pride for the Blueshirts
The Rangers will look to keep the Kings from skating with the Cup at the Garden (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Forget about losing the first three games of this series. Tonight’s objective is simple:
DO NOT ALLOW THE KINGS TO SKATE WITH THE CUP ON GARDEN ICE!
The New York Rangers have to shut off all the noise around them. They must forget all the heartbreak and mistakes that have led up to this point. The mindset needs to be ready to play a simple and aggressive game for 60 minutes.
“We still believe that we can do it. We have to start by just focusing on the first period tomorrow.” – @HLundqvist30 #NYRCupFinal
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 10, 2014
All the right things are being said and in the room they still believe in each other. But let’s be realistic, it’s a small flame that’s being nurtured here. Picture it as a fire on top of a matchstick, but a win here in game 4 and the flame gets bigger.
“You look at those teams that have done it, you get one game and you start feeling better about yourself. We can’t look at the big picture and obviously everyone said that going through it, but tomorrow we try and win one game.” Marc Staal told reporters that yesterday and it’s exactly what NY will need to do.
Win or lose tonight, the Rangers are going to come out with an edge. They are hurting inside and all they have right now is each other. They will pull together and they will come at the Kings with a level of desperation they have only shown versus Pittsburgh.
The Rangers attitude was best summed up by Alain Vigneault after his press conference. After being told one of his players seemed down and he wasn’t so jovial lately he said, “We’re all lacking sleep. Excuse us if today we’re not real cheery, but tomorrow we’re going to show up.”
UPDATED NOTES: Dan Carcillo has served his 6 game suspension and is eligible to return. According to Pat Leonard of the NYDN, he is likely to replace Derek Dorsett. Cam Talbot remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury and has not dressed for a single Finals game.
The biggest question going into tonight will be the power play. Will Vigneault finally take Brad Richards off the point? NY’s PP has killed them again this series and it appears a change is required. Rick Nash was buzzing in game 3 and started to get a look on the PP. Will he get more? Tune in tonight at 8PM EST on NBCSN.
Here’s a collection of interviews going into game 4:
-all videos from BlueshirtsUnited
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