Stanley Cup Final: Rangers beat Kings to avoid sweep

And they very nearly let another one slip away.

If nothing else, the game was this close to the third overtime of the series.

And then the almost exact same play happened again in the third period. This time, the puck was just sitting on the goal line, kept out only by a pile of snow in the crease.

They took the dreaded two-goal lead.

Darryl Sutter interviews are always a treat because he never really says anything of substance, but does it in a way that still tends to make you laugh (mostly because it sounds like Sylvester Stallone randomly talking about hockey).

What followed was an awkward silence and a repeat of the question.

In the first period of Game 4, the Rangers finally got one of their own.

And that brought Madison Square Garden to life.

The Rangers were devastated after their Game 3 loss on Monday night, and that depressed mood carried over to practice day on Tuesday. But head coach Alain Vigneault says they’re ready for Game 4, even if they’re in an ugly position.

“Not sure what you guys expected,” said Vigneault, “but I think our overall mood was the one that was expected and appropriate. I didn’t think anybody would be making cartwheels yesterday. Today we’re back at work. We had a good meeting this morning. We’re getting ready for a good hockey game tonight.”