Home ice advantage belongs to Pittsburgh now.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have created a distinct advantage for themselves heading into their Game 3 matchup with the New York Rangers. Now they must use it in order to take control of the series.
Pittsburgh's win in Game 2 tied the series at 1-1, and with the next three games in Pittsburgh the time is ripe for the Penguins to take the fight to the Rangers. The key for Pittsburgh will be to continue their aggression without going over the line, something they've failed to do thus far.
Aggression may have helped the Penguins keep New York at bay late in Game 2, but it's also sent them to the penalty box 12 times. Pittsburgh is lucky that the Rangers have dried up on the power play, going 2-for-12 on the man advantage. But if their puck movement on Friday is any indication, New York has figured out how to disorganize the Penguins' penalty kill and could finally begin capitalizing on their penalty woes.
To counter that, the Penguins will need to see more improved production from their top players. Sidney Crosby's two goals in Game 2 means he has just three tallies in his last 20 playoff games. Chris Kunitz broke a similar slump with a late-game goal. Pittsburgh has been getting by with points from lower-tier players, something they can't rely on as the series progresses.
Game 3 coverage
7 p.m. ET | Game 3, Eastern Conference Round 1
Consol Energy Center | Pittsburgh, PA
Local: ROOT, MSG | Nat'l: NBCSN, CBC
Live stream at NBC Live Extra
More coverage: Rangers blog | Penguins Blog
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1J2p8OP
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