For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the final round of the regular season was a welcome form of form. Now the New York Rangers are waiting in the first round of the playoffs.
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The Penguins had faltered before the last round of the regular season. For example, the team lost four straight games between April 2 and 9 and in its last five games leading up to the meeting with the Blue Jackets, the team had only two wins. But against Columbus, the team bowed in a lot of boxes that can give confidence before match 1 against Rangers.
– Before the match, we said that this was the last chance to gain confidence and play in the right way. I thought we did it in the beginning and it followed throughout the match. It feels very good right now, says Swedish hill Marcus Pettersson.
Pettersson was largely behind the victory against the Blue Jackets. He was noted for one goal and two assists in the match. He was behind Evgeni Malkin’s 1-0 goal when he swung around the cage in an attempt to take the kitchen path that eventually left a return for first Danton Heinen and finally Malkin. He himself pushed in 3-0 after 6:26 of the first period. He then fired the shot that Brian Boyle steered to 5-1 at the end of the second period.
– This was probably one of his better matches offensively as he did here in Pittsburgh. I do not know if it was because he did something different. I just think he took what the match offered, says Penguin’s coach Mike Sullivan and continues:
– Marcus is a very smart player. He sees the ice well and he was very involved today, especially in his offensive production. Part of that may be because we had a lot of time in the offensive zone and it gives guys like him the chance to be more involved offensively. He played very well today, says Sullivan.
During March and April, 25-year-old Pettersson has been in the stands of Sullivan and has had difficulty maintaining the high level he did during the autumn. Against the Blue Jackets, the hill was aggressive, played with confidence and followed up the attacks.
– As a team, we play our best when we are aggressive. I choose my time, I thought I did it tonight. You can be aggressive in a safe way or hunt for things that are not there. I had some good chances where I took what I got, and then I had some good bounces on my side, says Pettersson who has now scored two goals and 17 assists (19 points) in 72 games this season.
The Penguins opened by scoring three goals on their first three shots of the match. Experienced Boyle agrees with Pettersson that the start was a key in this victory.
– I liked the emotions and the energy. That’s what we know we can do and that we know we’ll need in the playoffs. It’s just so much fun. When we play with emotions, then we are at our best, says Boyle.
Now awaits the New York Rangers, a team that has gone strong during the regular season, and which is back in the top of the NHL. This will be the eighth time that the Penguins and Rangers have faced each other and the first time since they met three years in a row between 2014-2016. Three of the last four series between the teams have ended with the winner reaching the Stanley Cup final.
The Penguins camp is looking forward to meeting their rival who finished second in the Metropolitan Division.
– Their speed becomes dangerous. They are a fast playing team. They get a lot from their powerplay as well and their twists and turns are a big factor. They want to be aggressive in the game turns. When we play at our best then we defend hard then the chances come and then we have class players out there who can take advantage of them. But it will be a good match series. We look forward to it, says Pettersson.
– Rangers is a very good hockey team. They play with a lot of speed. Their powerplay is dangerous. They have very good goalkeeping games. They have the breadth of the team and are good. It will be a big challenge for us, says Sullivan.
The Penguins will make their 16th playoff game in a row, the longest-running suite in the NHL. After 46-25-11, the team ends this regular season as third in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of the Washington Capitals.
Mike Sullivan was the coach when the Penguins won the Cup in 2016 and 2017 and is now looking forward to a new long hockey spring. The first step will be taken on Tuesday, May 3, when the series against Rangers begins in Madison Square Garden. The effort against the Blue Jackets is something he wants to build on.
– I liked the energy we played with. We had a lot of time in the offensive zone and our game but the puck very well. When we can dictate out there, then we are at our best, says Sullivan.
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