NHL Playoffs 2013: Kreider OT Goal Sparks Rangers Victory

May 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) scores the game-winning goal on Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) during overtime in game four of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Rangers win 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Down 3-0 and on the verge of elimination, Chris Kreider put a beautiful Rick Nash pass behind Boston netminder Tuukka Rask 7:07 into the overtime period to give New York its first win of the series and their first OT win in this years playoffs.

Seemingly outplayed all night, New York’s hope of sending the series to a Game 5 back in Boston was looking pretty bleak after going down 2-0 early into the 2nd period.  With the Rangers offense barely able to sustain any pressure on this Bruin’s young D and failing to find the net all to often this series, Carl Hagelin’s ugly goal past a a falling Rask just :48 seconds after going down by 2 seemed to breathe some life back into this Blueshirts team.

In an interview with ESPNNewYork.com’s Katie Strang, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said, “We gained a lot of energy and confidence after that…And the game changed. It really did.”, Lundqvist continued on to say, “it’s probably the ugliest goal I’ve ever seen,” but we are sure no one on the New York bench was complaining.

With the Garden faithful back into the game after Hagelin’s goal cut the Bruin’s lead in half, the Rangers finally showed some signs of life against Boston this series and out hustled them over the next few minutes before the second period came to a close with them still trailing by 1.

Down by a goal at the start of the 3rd period and with nothing left to lose, the New York Rangers came out strong and quickly knotted the game at 2-2 when Derek Stepan picked the pocket of Bruin’s All-Star defenseman Zdeno Chara and buried his second goal of the series and fourth goal of the playoffs on a wrap around shot past an unsuspecting Tuukka Rask.

In a game marked by handful of Boston miscues, this Bruin’s squad fought back to quickly regain the lead when Tyler Segin netted his first goal of the playoffs at 8:06 into the third.  With a sigh of relief after Segin’s first marker in this years run for the cup,  another mental lapse by Boston and costly extra-man penalty put New York on the power play with a little over 10 minutes to go.

The Rangers managed to capitalize on Boston’s mistake and tie the game at 3 when Derek Stepan found Brian Boyle in the slot and he snapped a quick wrister above the right arm of Rask with 10:00 left in the third.  Boyle’s power play equalizer was New York’s first in their last 23 attempts with a man advantage and helped the Rangers recapture the momentum heading into the the extra period.

When Rick Nash managed to break free on a partial 2-on-1 early in OT, his centering pass past Chara and out of the reach of Hamilton was quickly redirected home by Kreider for the 4-3 win.

With Boston already having squandered away a 3-1 lead against the Leafs this postseason, New York’s hope of getting back into the series is still alive.  While one victory may not necessarily start a fire, as ‘The Boss’ Bruce Springsteen famously sang “You can’t start a fire without a spark”,  and hopefully Kreider’s OT winner has finally sparked the fire missing in this Rangers team.