The New York Rangers will go for the sweet tonight in Washington DC, looking to close out the Washington Capitals and be the only team to complete a sweet in the first round. Florida and Carolina both lost yesterday in their respective Game 4’s, and the Rangers are the only team left with a 3-0 series lead.

But for the Rangers to complete the sweep, they need to be far better than they were in Games 2 and 3, preferably getting back to what they did in Game 1. Specifically in Game 3–which may have been business as usual in the final 10 minutes–where they allowed far too many net front chances that Igor Shesterkin had to stop. But there’s more to it than just “be better.”

1. Better defensive zone coverage and puck movement

It would be lazy to start with just defensive zone coverage, right? That’s a part of the equation, but the Rangers struggled in Game 3 to move the puck out of their own zone. Puck movement and controlled zone exits haven’t really been a problem for the Rangers for most of the season, but they do struggle against teams that apply pressure.

Since Carolina is also an aggressive team on the forecheck, this is a good opportunity for the Blueshirts to get back to basics and make their quick, smart passes to lead a breakout. There was a 20 minute stretch in Game 3 where the Rangers simply could not move the puck through the defensive and neutral zones without a turnover or a dump in.

If the Rangers are able to better control their own defensive zone exits, the defensive zone coverage should follow suit. The Blueshirts play a hybrid man/zone defensive zone system, with man coverage below the dots and zone above the dots. It’s very similar to Alain Vigneault’s system, except this time the Rangers have mobile defensemen that make it work.

This is heavily reliant on quick transitions and smart passing plays. The Rangers got too cute with the puck in Game 3. Back to basics.

2. Stay out of the damn box

Stop taking penalties. It’s easier said than done with the way the refs have targeted Matt Rempe (who isn’t doing himself any favors lately) and with the specific refs the Rangers have drawn in the first three games. There’s been a lot of ticky-tack penalty calls that haven’t even been consistent for both teams.

That said, the more aggressive team that is controlling play will usually get more powerplays. Game 3 was probably the worst we will see from the Blueshirts–in terms of penalties– this series, and likely for the remainder of the playoffs.

Being better in their own zone will help them stay out of the box as well. Teams take far fewer penalties when they aren’t under duress for most of the game. A general rhythm to the game will help as well, hopefully with some stronger play and more consistent officiating.

3. Score early and force the Caps to play from behind

One of the keys in winning road games in the playoffs is to “simply” take the crowd out of the game. The Rangers can do that by getting the first goal early and forcing the Caps to play from behind. They started off right in Game 3 by answering the Caps’ opening goal right away.

There’s a mental aspect to this as well with the Caps trailing 3-0. It’s already a daunting task to try to win four in a row in the playoffs, let alone against one of the top teams in the NHL. Getting the first goal makes that task even harder for the Caps. The first two goals and they may start to fade.

The Rangers dictated pace of play in Game 1, but have gradually gotten worse over the next two days. They’ve won, of course, but they’ve had some serious stretches of mental mistakes which led to being outplayed (or vice versa). Get back to basics, get the first goal, and be better in all three zones, and the sweep will happen.

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