Keep The Hits Coming
As the Ranger prepare for tonight’s game, they’ll likely be hearing the same story from John Tortorella: come out quickly with a strong forecheck, and take the body at every chance.
It was that recipe that ultimately paid dividends for the Rangers in game three, and more of the same will be what’s required tonight. The Caps for their part will likely be looking to ramp up the hitting as they did in game one, so the Rangers will need to be prepared.
Game 4 – By The Stats
How important is game 4 in deciding a series? The answer is, it depends on your point of reference. Since the 2004-05 lockout season, the team that has won game four of a seven game series in the NHL, has gone on to win 55 of the 74 series, just over 71 percent of the time.
If you discount series that finished in four or five games, then the balance shifts to 33 of 41 or 80 percent of the games. And if you further shift the focus just to games that have gone to six or seven games, just in the quarter finals, then you end up with 19 of 25 games or 76 percent.