Rangers come out flying tonight playing on all cylinders and will not take no for an answer versus the lightning tonight. Nash takes his big ass to the net, kreids does the same and hits every lightning in sight and rangers D remembers tonight why they are best group in hockey. Henrik is a given and will be a wall in goal tonight.
Scoring first is the key to beating Tampa. It allows us to not have to play catch up and try and take more chances. Important to score first and hit hard and often against this team. They don't like being hit, they like hitting. Take the physicality to them and watch them shrink away.
Scoring first is big tonight. Team scoring first has won 5 of 6 games I believe. What I don't want is the typical we control the play yet somehow the score is 0-0 or 1-1 after the 1st period. We need to finish against Bishop and get EVERYTHING on net...period.
Scoring first is far more important to TB and us. By that i mean if TB scores first, this team has faced adversity before where i'm confident the team can come back and tie it then win it, but if we score first i think TB tightens up and starts to feel the pressure and may be done.
I totally agree scoring first is more important for them than us, but either way I do think it is big. Their record when scoring first is really good, some doubt could start to creep into TB's minds if we score first as you said, and 5 of 6 games have been won by the team scoring first. If we don't score first we can win still, see Caps game 7, but it would make things a little "easier" if we scored first.
TB will probably go back into shot blocking mode again so the Rangers will have to try and take them out of that mode more than they could in gm 5.
Best way to do that.....take some slapshots that hit them where there isn't padding. If you see them getting ready to go down, aim for the midsection, feet, hands etc. Don't just blast it into their shin pads. As for scoring first, obviously we can still win if they score first. My concern is that if they score first, we will inevitably take more chances to score and THAT is when Tampa is at their best, when they can counter attack and take advantage of your over commitment to offense.
Recipe for success ... They have to come out and play a punishing, yet smart style of hockey (no stupid penalties), with 3 to 5 dirty playoff goals. Do not give Tampa room to skate, and no free chances in front of Hank.
Crash the net get traffic on Bishop. When they do that they score goals in bunches. When they don't they lose. Let's Go Rangers!!!
