PITTSBURGH − This is how opponents talk after they run into the 2014-15 Rangers at their most diligent.
Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy was asked Tuesday afternoon if Pittsburgh’s physical approach through three playoff matches was getting to the higher-seeded Blueshirts and sufficiently disrupting their opponent.
“It didn’t last night,” Lovejoy said of the Rangers’ 2-1 win in Game 3 on Monday night to take a 2-1 series lead. “They came out of way more scrums than we did with pucks. Whether that’s physical play or being smart with your stick, they were able to win those battles, and in my opinion, that was a difference-maker for them.