As the Rangers head to a do or die Game 6 against Florida tonight, the last three games are creating a pit in fans stomachs, thinking about the doom that may come later tonight. But the Rangers have always been a tough out in the playoffs, rarely going down without a fight in an elimination game. It seemed apropos to revisit one of those elimination games with this same exact core two years ago.

In this particular installment of “Remember When,” we revisit the night of May 13th, 2022, when those Rangers found themselves in a similar situation to the current team is right now.

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider came through when it mattered most. Their relentless effort against the Penguins ensured the resilient Rangers would return home for a decisive Game 7.

Both long-time teammates scored twice, with Kreider’s crucial shot from the point hitting Pens goaltender Louis Domingue high, sailing over his head, and rolling into the net with 1:28 left on the clock. This lifted the Rangers to a 5-3 victory over the Penguins, who were missing their star player, Sidney Crosby. In dealing with an upper-body injury, Crosby missed his first playoff game in five years and had to watch from afar as his team squandered the opportunity to advance.

Despite Crosby’s absence, Pittsburgh seemed poised to move forward. Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter scored in the first period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead, and Evgeni Malkin’s breakaway goal late in the second period tied the game at 3 after the Rangers had taken the lead.

However, Shesterkin stood firm in the third period. Domingue—a solid if unspectacular replacement for the injured Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith—allowed his first soft goal of the playoffs. Kreider’s seemingly harmless shot from the point hit Domingue’s glove and fluttered into the net, sealing the game for the Rangers.

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