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New York Rangers: Alain Vigneault Expects Team to Respond in Game 6

By Nick Ziegler

May 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault coaches against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of game four of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault coaches against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of game four of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Rangers will be facing elimination on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators. Despite this, they are ready to respond with a good game.

It has been a good postseason so far for the New York Rangers. They were able to defeat the Montreal Canadiens in six games to advance to the second round against the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers have fought hard against the Senators in the second round, but they are trailing in the series 3-2. With their backs up against the wall on Tuesday night, the Rangers need a win to keep their seasons alive.

Even though the Rangers came into the Stanley Cup Playoffs struggling at home, they have defended their home-ice nicely this year. With the team on the brink of elimination, head coach Alain Vigneault is expecting a strong effort from his team.

"“This is going to be an opportunity for our team to respond and to play a strong game in a pressure situation,” Vigneault said to Kieran Darcey of ESPN.com. “It’s normal at this [time of] year to be nervous; there’s no doubt our guys are nervous, but you’ve got to control your emotions and you’ve got to focus on what you need to do on the ice.”"

Even though the Senators are up in the series, the Rangers have played well. They haven’t been able to beat the Senators in Ottawa, but they have forced them into two overtime games.

"“You’ve got to give them credit; [the Senators] played a good game, there’s no doubt,” Vigneault said to Darcey. “For us, it’s about executing and playing to our level. [There’s] no doubt in my mind yesterday that our players came with the best intentions, but we had too many guys that just brought an average game.”"

One of the things that the Rangers have to be optimistic about is how well they have done against Ottawa at home. In both games 3 and 4, the Rangers have dominated the Senators. With Game 6 being an elimination game, they will need another strong performance.

Next: Rangers vs. Senators: 6 Players to Watch

If the Rangers do beat the Senators in Game 6, they will need to find a way to beat Ottawa on the road. Since the Rangers are an experienced group, they should believe in themselves to extend the series.

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