Anticipation Meets Reality
Most pundits and even a lot of fans, looked at this series against the Pittsburgh Penguins as pretty much a win for the Rangers. The Rangers had won the season series 3-1, with all three wins coming in the last six weeks of the season. By contrast, the Penguins had limped through the second half of the season, had lost their starting goaltender, and had a core that was into their mid 30s or beyond.
Contrast that with the remarkable season that the Rangers had, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in five years, and with a record that was just one win from the best in franchise history. It wasn’t as if the Penguins last three playoff trips had been particularly remarkable, all three had ended with first round exits, including – like the Rangers – a loss in the play-in round in the shortened 2019-20 season.