Tonight could be the final game the New York Rangers play before an offseason loaded with unknowns. After dropping Games 3 and 4 in Pittsburgh, the Blueshirts’ season is on the brink. Trailing 3-1 in this opening round playoff series, the Rangers will need a victory tonight in order to stave off elimination and send the series back to Pittsburgh for a potential Game 6.
Each of the previous five playoff clashes between New York and Pittsburgh have seen the series reach a point of one team leading the other by a 3-1 margin. The Penguins were the leaders in four of those five series, and ended New York’s season with a Game 5 victory in three (1996, 2008, and 2016) of those instances.