The odds were stacked against the New York Rangers on Saturday, but they came through anyways.
Rangers vs. Penguins 2016 final score: New York evens the series with a 4-2 win
New York overcame plenty of obstacles in a Game 2 victory.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Down two defensemen and playing against a squad on the mend, the Rangers handily earned a 4-2 win in Game 2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist returned from a Game 1 injury to stop 29 of 31 shots for the win.
The Rangers entered Game 2 without captain and top defenseman Ryan McDonagh and fellow defender Dan Girardi. On the flip side, the Penguins returned center Evgeni Malkin to the lineup, seemingly giving the home team the advantage.
Instead, the Penguins didn’t get a shot past Lundqvist for the better half of the game, despite two power play opportunities in the first period. It took all five Penguins combining for a gorgeous tic-tac-toe goal in the second period to break open the scoring.
And then the tide turned quickly. Keith Yandle and Derick Brassard scored just 18 seconds apart for the Rangers soon after to take the lead. Brassard's goal proved to be another controversial one after the Penguins unsuccessfully challenged that he was offsides.
With four minutes left in the second period, Rangers winger J.T. Miller registered his third point of the night by setting up Mats Zucarello's goal. New York struck again just 39 seconds into the third frame when Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley turned the puck over to Rangers winger Chris Kreider, who fired it past goalie Jeff Zatkoff for a 4-1 lead.
Phil Kessel scored his second of the game later in the frame, and the Penguins pulled their goalie with four minutes left in a desperate attempt to mount a comeback. It was for naught, and the Rangers tied the series with a 4-2 win.
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