ECF vs. NJ G3: Hank turns off the lights, shuts out NJ 3-0 in Newark

There aren't going to be too many times where I feel that Lundqvist was the one sole reason for any Ranger victory, but in todays 3-0 win in Game 3, Lundqvist was simply unbeatable. The Rangers were badly out played and out hustled to every puck along the boards in the first period and the Rangers were extremely lucky to get out of the first period without finding themselves down on the score sheet. More of the same lethargic hockey came out of the Rangers to start the second period, but following what will likely be a landmark timeout at 1:51 of the second period by Tortorella, the Rangers play began to change, albeit slowly. The Rangers did get a few chances in the second including Callahan on the doorstep that he couldn't sneak by Brodeur.

The third period was a different Ranger team compared to the team from the prior 2 periods before. The Rangers had a little more jump to their game and finally managed to get a puck past Brodeur following a Richards faceoff win to Girardi, who sniped one past Brodeur stick side from the high slot at 3:19. The Rangers scored again less than 2 minutes later following a McDonagh shot from the point that Kreider tipped past Marty at 5:16, the rookie's fifth of the playoffs. The Captain added an empty netter at 17:47.

It's an ugly way to win playoff games, but its somewhat disheartening to see the Rangers play as lethargic as they did coming out of the locker room. Whether or not the game start time played any type of role in today's game you'd like to see the Rangers play 60 full minutes of playoff hockey. It looked at times that the entire Ranger team went bar-hopping Friday night with the exception of Lundqvist and Kreider who was the Rangers best forward today and the only one who seemed to have legs. I hate to say it but the Rangers are tired. Getting called for 5 penalties in a undisciplined fashion, to me showed where the fatigue level was throughout the team. But today's win was a character win by the club who simply will not say die even when it seems like they are teetering on the edge of elimination.