The facts paint a bleak picture for the Rangers.

For the second straight series, they return to the Garden in a 0-2 hole. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there has not been a team in NHL history that has won consecutive Stanley Cup playoff series after spotting opponents the first two games as the Rangers have against the Capitals and the Bruins.

The Rangers have been outscored 8-4 in the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Only three players — Brian Boyle, Carl Hagelin and Anton Stralman — have a positive rating after the first two games of the series. The power play is 0-for-8 in the first two games and 2-for-36 in the playoffs.

And their Vezina-finalist goaltender appeared to injure his shoulder in the final moments of Sunday afternoon’s 5-2 loss in Game 2.

With all of that said, head coach John Tortorella painted a much different picture.

“I thought we played a much better game in the second game,” Tortorella told reporters after the Rangers’ practice in Greenburgh, N.Y. on Monday in preparation for Tuesday’s Game 3. “I’m very optimistic as far as where we’re going as a team.”

Tuesday’s game is at the Garden, where the Rangers are 3-0 in these playoffs and have outscored opponents 9-6 in those games. The Rangers finished the regular season with a 16-6-2 mark at the Garden compared to a maudlin 10-12-2 road record.

The biggest reason for Tortorella’s confidence is a Henrik Lundqvist, who appears likely to play in Game 3. Lundqvist, the reigning Vezina winner, tweaked his arm in the third period of Sunday’s loss while making a diving save.

“I landed on it awkwardly and it hurt a little bit but it’s under control,” Lundqvist said. “Everybody is sore. It’s the playoffs. You can’t sit out because it’s hurting a little bit. It happens. You have to do the right things to keep it going.”

In order to extend their season past the next two games, the Rangers will have to be decidedly better defensively than they were in the first two games, in which the Bruins attempted 143 shots towards Lundqvist.

To that end, it appears as if the customary top defensive pairing of Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi will be reunited. According to reports, the two skated together during Monday’s practice session.

Split up prior to Game 1 in order to have a strong defender on the ice against Boston’s top two lines, the two logged their accustomed ice time while partnered with Anton Stralman and Michael Del Zotto, respectively. McDonagh finished with a goal in Game 1 in 55:55 of ice time in the series, while Girardi is minus-4 with an assist in 51:34 spanning the first two games.

Girardi was on the ice for four of Boston’s goals in Game 2, including Brad Marchand’s top-of-the-crease tap-in 26 seconds into the third period which gave the Bruins an insurmountable, 4-2, lead.

“We can defend,” Tortorella said. “It surprises me that we made some mistakes that we very rarely do on simple coverages. The third and fourth goal, they’re simple coverages and we beat ourselves.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Not even Don Draper could spin what happened Sunday afternoon into anything other than a disaster.

The Rangers are two losses away from a premature and unsatisfying end to a season which began with Stanley Cup aspirations after absorbing a 5-2 loss to the Bruins at the TD Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0. Game 3 is Tuesday night at The Garden.

What is most troubling is that the Rangers have not had an appropriate response to the Bruins’ momentum surges in the first two games. For all intents and purposes, yesterday’s matinee was decided 26 seconds into the third period when Boston’s nominal second-liners Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand hooked up on the Bruins’ fourth goal.

Bergeron carried the puck along the wall into the Rangers’ end while being hounded by Michael Del Zotto. The Bruins center held off the defenseman, then fired a perfect saucer pass to a driving Marchand when Dan Girardi momentarily spied Bergeron. In an instant, the Rangers were down 4-2.

Milan Lucic added his third of the post-season 12:13 later to end the scoring. Boston outshot the Rangers 11-10 in the third. The Rangers had a 37-32 advantage in shots on goal.

Torey Krug, Gregory Campbell and Johnny Boychuk also scored goals for the Bruins. Boychuk’s top-of-the-circle wrister at the 12:08 mark of the second period was the game-winning goal.

What will rankle the Rangers is that, for as poorly as they played Sunday afternoon, they had a chance to win. Ryan Callahan and Rick Nash scored goals that tied the game at 1-1 and 2-2, respectively.

However, the Rangers could not score a go-ahead goal, and were unable to slow Boston’s rushes which were marked by defensemen consistently jumping into the play.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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First blood goes to the Bruins.

Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the playoffs at the 15:40 mark of overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 win over the Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday night at the TD Garden. Boston leads the best-of-seven series, 1-0. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Boston.

Marchand finished a counterattack with centerman Patrice Bergeron by tapping a feed under Henrik Lundqvist (45 saves).

The series opener between the Original Six franchises was not the mosh pit most expect the series to become. Instead, the two teams engaged in a feeling-out process.

Zdeno Chara opened the scoring in the series at the 12:23 mark of the second period with a slap shot Lundqvist never could quite control and inadvertently knocked into the goal. The goal ended Lundqvist’s playoff shutout streak at 152:23.

Ryan McDonagh tied the game with 1.3 seconds left in the period. The defenseman finished a sequence which began with a Rick Nash wraparound with his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal.

After the initial shot, Nash broke up a Tyler Seguin clearing attempt, and the puck landed on McDonagh’s stick.

The Rangers took a 2-1 lead 14 seconds into the third period on Derek Stepan’s third of the playoffs. Patrice Bergeron won the faceoff against Stepan to start the period but Marchand was unable to get the puck into the Rangers’ end. The Rangers’ top line counterattacked, finishing with Stepan one-timing Carl Hagelin’s feed past Tuukka Rask (33 saves).

The lead didn’t last long.

Torey Krug, one of three rookie defensemen in the lineup for the Bruins alongside Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski due to injuries, tied the game 2:41 after Stepan’s goal with his first playoff goal in his first NHL game.

Interestingly, head coach John Tortorella split up his normal top defense pair of McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Girardi started the game paired with Michael Del Zotto, while McDonagh played with Anton Stralman.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Dan Girardi summed up the impending Rangers-Bruins Eastern Conference semifinal series with one word: physical.

“It’s definitely going to be physical for sure,” Dan Girardi said following a spirited practice at the Rangers’ training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. Wednesday in preparation for the best-of-seven series which begins Thursday night at the T.D. Garden in Boston.

This will be the 10th time the Original Six brethren have met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers have lost six of the nine series, but won the last meeting, a five-game elimination of the Bruins way back in the 1973 quarterfinals.

The Rangers won two of the three regular season matchups between the long time rivals, including a 4-3 shootout win in Boston on Feb. 12, the last time the teams met. Both teams finished with nine goals scored in the three games.

“[We played] them three times in the first couple weeks and that’s pretty much it,” Girardi said.

At first glance, the Bruins and Rangers appear to be mirror images of each other. The Bruins ended the regular season with one more goal than the Rangers (127-126). The Rangers finished the regular season ranked third in the NHL in hits (1,413) and sixth in blocked shots (773), while Boston was 10th (1,200) and 22nd (650) in those categories.

“I think the teams are pretty similar,” Girardi said. “Both teams want to get on the forecheck, create some momentum that way.”

When the Bruins are at their best, Boston’s top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton is able to use their size to wear down their opponents in the offensive zone. The trio totaled 29 points in the seven-game Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Maple Leafs.

“It’s going to be a pretty good challenge for us,” Girardi said. “I think they’re going to do their best to get in front of [Henrik Lundqvist] and bring pucks to the net. We just have to be strong down the walls, make sure they can’t get to the front and just be strong. [We] can’t let them push us around in front of the net. We have to make sure [it's clear] for Hankie in front – let him [see] shots.”

Like the Bruins, the Rangers also have size. Since the trade deadline acquisitions of Ryane Clowe from San Jose and the triumvirate of Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore from Columbus, the Rangers are 13-7.

“We’re able to play the way we want to play more consistently because I think we have a deeper lineup,” head coach John Tortorella said. “I think we played our best game of the seven game series in Game 7. I’m hoping that transfers over to the start of the [Bruins] series, where I can use the whole bench.”

One of the themes in the series win over Washington was the Rangers’ secondary scoring. While the Capitals kept the Rangers’ stars in check, the Southeast Division champions did not have an answer for the Blueshirts’ depth.

Brassard totaled nine points in the seven games. Mats Zuccarello and Carl Hagelin finished with five points (one goal and four assists) and four points (two goals and two assists), respectively. Linemates Brian Boyle and Taylor Pyatt recorded three points (two goals and an assist) each.

“For a team, it helps when your second [and] third line guys contribute, as our team did, but for the top end guys, that’s why they are where they are [as] top players because they want that,” Tortorella said. “So I don’t think it takes any pressure off them. I think they want to be the person to make a difference.”

One such player is Rick Nash. Nash only had two assists against the Capitals, but he did lead the team with 22 shots in the seven games. Tortorella believes the left wing is due to break out.

“He played really well in Game 7, and really didn’t have many bad games in the series. In Washington he didn’t finish,” Tortorella said. “He certainly wasn’t totally on but he’s very close. I thought he played very well in Game 7. He’s playing and I think he’s going to be a really big part of this as we enter into Boston.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Let’s just say head coach John Tortorella does not have any use for the Capitals’ grousing regarding the officiating in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

“We get everybody and their brother whining out there in Washington about what happened in that series, and I think that’s a big reason why they lose that series,” Tortorella said, unprompted, in response to a question about the importance of playoff experience during his post-practice press conference Wednesday afternoon in Greenburgh, N.Y.

The Capitals were bothered by what they perceived was league favoritism toward the Rangers in the series. The Rangers had 28 opportunities on the man advantage in the seven games compared the Capitals’ 16.

Following the conclusion of the series, Alex Ovechkin told Slava Malamud of the Russian-language newspaper Sport-Express “The refereeing … you understand it yourself. How can there be no penalties at all [on one team] during the playoffs? I am not saying there was a phone call from [the league], but someone just wanted Game 7 — for the ratings. You know, the lockout, escrow, the league needs to make profit. I don’t know whether the refs were predisposed against us or the league. But to not give obvious penalties [against the Rangers], while for us any little thing was immediately penalized.”

Yesterday, Capitals general manager George McPhee backed his captain.

“I don’t think there’s a league conspiracy, but it sure didn’t feel right. Alex wasn’t wrong. I talked to them during the series, but at some point you stop. They’ll referee the way they want to referee,” McPhee told the Washington Post. “What we didn’t get a chance to do was go on the power play very often, and it was a real strength of ours. It was real good during the season. We didn’t get many power plays during the series; I don’t know why. We had to kill too many penalties; I don’t know why. I didn’t think that part of the game from the league standpoint was all that good.

“I didn’t like the refereeing, but if you complain about it during the series and you’re accused of trying to gain an edge. If you complain about it after a series is over, then it’s whining and sour grapes.”

Yankee Stadium hockey

The House That George Paid For With Taxpayer Money will accommodate hockey next January.

Yankee Stadium will host two games as part of the NHL’s Coors Light Stadium Series, the league announced yesterday. The Devils will host the Rangers on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 at 12:30 p.m., and the Islanders will meet the Rangers three nights later.

The Rangers will be the visiting team in both games.

“The innovative nature of the Stadium Series affords the opportunity to have all three NHL teams in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area play, outdoors, at one of the most-celebrated stadiums in the world,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We’ll be able to create a multi-faceted, multi-day experience for our fans, and we thank the teams, Coors Light, the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium for their support of this memorable NHL event.”

The two games at Yankee Stadium are part of a four-game series of outdoor games sponsored by the beer conglomerate. Previously, the NHL announced a Jan. 25, 2014, game between the Ducks and Kings at Dodger Stadium, and a March 1, 2014 match involving the Blackhawks and Penguins at Soldier Field.

These outdoor games are separate from the Jan. 1, 2014, Toronto-Detroit Winter Classic, which will take place at Michigan Stadium. That game was scheduled to take place this past January but had to be postponed due to the NHL lockout.

Information regarding how to purchase tickets will be released shortly.

Injury updates

Ryane Clowe, Darroll Powe and Marc Staal did not practice. There was no update on their conditions. Clowe has not played since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Powe missed the final four games of the series, while Staal only played in Game 3.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Rangers and Bruins are meeting in the postseason for the first time since 1973. New York won this year’s regular season series, 2-1. A look at when and where the two teams will clash in the NHL Stanley Cup semi-finals:

• Game 1: at Boston, Thursday, May 16 (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

• Game 2: at Boston, Sunday, May 19 (3 p.m., NBC)

• Game 3: at New York, Tuesday, May 21 (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

• Game 4: at New York, Thursday, May 23 (7 p.m., CNBC)

• Game 5: at Boston, Saturday, May 25 (To be determined)

• Game 6: at New York, Monday, May 27 (To be determined)

• Game 7: at Boston, Wednesday, May 29 (To be determined)

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The devastation felt in the immediate aftermath of Game 6 was gone, but the hurt of a collective dream gone unfulfilled lingered.

Almost 36 hours after Brooks Orpik’s first career Stanley Cup playoff goal, a slap shot at the 7:49 mark of overtime Saturday night which ended their season, the Islanders congregated at the Nassau Coliseum Tuesday to say goodbye and reflect on a season in which the franchise qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

“It’s tough,” Matt Moulson said. “It’s a crappy feeling.”

Despite acknowledging the pain of a season ended far too soon, the Islanders spoke of a sense of accomplishment in transforming the perception of the franchise and expressed excitement about what the future may hold. The Islanders compiled a 24-17-7 mark in the regular season and fought the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Penguins to six games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

“We’ve come a long way,” John Tavares said. “Obviously we’re getting a new home in a couple years, here. You can really see the team we’re becoming. I, for sure, think it will change a lot of the perceptions that were out there. I think it’ll make guys think a little bit. [Whomever general manager] Garth [Snow] and the organization approaches, we’ve got a great thing going here and it’s a great time to be part of the New York Islanders.”

Organizational decision-makers have been unequivocal about their plan to rebuild the franchise from within. Already, there are pieces in place. Tavares is a Hart Trophy finalist. Kyle Okposo began to play the power-forward game which made him the seventh-overall pick in the 2006 draft. Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald are a solid shutdown pair.

And more is on the way. Prospects Ryan Strome and Griffin Reinhart made an impression at training camp before being returned to their junior teams. Brock Nelson did not look out of place during his 7:44 of ice time in Game 6 Saturday night.

All three could earn jobs next year.

“My mindset doesn’t change as far as guys that [can] produce [and] help us are going to play, but all of the personnel questions are going to have to go towards Garth,” head coach Jack Capuano said.

Snow was unavailable for comment.

The stockpiling of cost-controlled assets has been vital for the Islanders, who have not been able to attract high-end free agents. Last season, the Islanders had the NHL’s third-lowest payroll at $53 million.

That number will assuredly change even with the league salary cap ceiling falling to $64.3 million next year. Fourteen players are free agents this summer, with Hamonic (restricted free agent), Josh Bailey (RFA), Mark Streit (unrestricted free agent), Evgeni Nabokov (UFA) and Kevin Poulin (RFA) being the most critical signings.

Nabokov reiterated his desire to re-sign yesterday. When asked directly if he and his agent had spoken with Snow, Nabokov said they talked briefly “three, four weeks ago” because the goaltender did not want to divide his focus between the team’s playoff push and contract negotiations.

While it is likely Nabokov re-signs, Streit could be a different matter. The 35-year-old is the pre-eminent defensemen in a rather mediocre market. Streit played in all 48 games last season and recorded 27 points (six goals and 21 assists) while averaging 23:35 of ice time. The Top-4 defenseman was minus-14 and had 22 penalty minutes, as well.

There will be suitors, especially for teams looking to improve their power play from the back end.

“This year is a little bit of a different situation because my contract is running out,” Streit said. “I’ve been here five years and played with a lot of great players. It’s a great organization. I love the team and living on Long Island. I really want to come back.”

He added that his representation would reach out to Snow shortly.

Then there’s Tim Thomas. Acquired in February from the Bruins in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2014 or 2015, Thomas did not play this season as he took a year’s sabbatical. Thomas is also an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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For the first time since the 1973 quarterfinals, the Rangers and Bruins will meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Original Six brethren advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with Game 7 wins Monday night.

In the ultimate win-or-go-home-for-the-summer game, the Rangers routed the Capitals, 5-0, Monday night at the Verizon Center.

Trailing in the series 3-2, the Rangers won Games 6 and 7. Last night’s win was the first in the series for either team on the road. It was also the first Game 7 road win in franchise history.

Arron Asham’s off-wing goal 13:19 into the match was the series winner.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 35 shots he faced to record his eighth career Stanley Cup Playoff shutout, second most in franchise history behind only Mike Richter.

Taylor Pyatt, Michael Del Zotto, Ryan Callahan and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Rangers. Ten players recorded at least one point, led by Derick Brassard and Steve Eminger who each had two assists. The plus-3 rating Del Zotto and Anton Stralman finished with led 16 players.

Boston defeated Toronto, 5-4, in overtime. Trailing 4-2 with 1:22 left in regulation, Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron potted back-to-back goals to force the extra session. Bergeron scored the series-deciding goal 6:05 into overtime.

The Original Six rivals met three times this season, with the Rangers winning twice.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Moments after the Rangers concluded their 1-0 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, a media member suggested Derek Dorsett’s play in the game was “Prustian,” referring to the gritty ex-Ranger Brandon Prust, now a member of the Canadiens.

Dorsett, acquired on trade deadline day along with Derick Brassard and John Moore from Columbus in exchange for an ineffective Marian Gaborik, played his strongest game of the season Sunday afternoon. In 12 minutes of ice time spanning 14 shifts, Dorsett had three hits and a blocked shot.

“Being out nine weeks, I feel better every day. I feel better every day,” Dorsett said. “I just want to make sure I keep going and doing whatever I can to help this team achieve its goal.”

Dorsett drove the Capitals to distraction in Game 6. He drew three penalties, including a cross check from Mike Green that the right wing said bloodied his upper and lower lip. After the game, the Capitals complained bitterly that Dorsett had attempted to slew foot Green, but multiple replays showed the Rangers winger was attempting to ride the defenseman into the boards.

“I think emotions ride high in the postseason. Things are bound to happen. It’s part of the game and you can expect it,” Dorsett said. “When I get moving my feet and playing hard, sometimes it can get under their skin. Anytime I can do that I want to try and help get the team on the power play.”

As is his wont during the Stanley Cup playoffs, head coach John Tortorella declined to discuss the play of specific players. But he praised the work of the Dorsett-Brian Boyle-Taylor Pyatt third line.

The trio had a combined 12 shot attempts, 10 hits and three blocked shots. Their sustained forecheck gave the Rangers time in the offensive zone.

“I thought everybody contributed,” Tortorella said. “I’m not going to pick out one name but I thought that line played well and forechecked well. He is what he is. He brings us energy and it’s important when you get to this time in the series.”

Home sweet home?

The home team has won every game in this series. Yet the Rangers are confident going into Monday night’s Game 7 at the Verizon Center.

“If you can lose two in overtime, you’re close,” Lundqvist said. “It’s just a bounce and you win it, so we know we can do it.

Boogaard family files suit

According to a published report, the family of Derek Boogaard has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NHL.

Boogaard died on May 13, 2011, after overdosing on prescription medication and alcohol. At the time, the then-Rangers winger was recuperating from post-concussion symptoms developed after a fight with Matt Carkner, now of the New York Islanders.

An autopsy revealed Boogaard suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He had 61 fights and 589 penalty minutes in 277 NHL games.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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They are two of the most exciting words in sports: Game 7.

The ultimate do-or-die game in sports will be contested at the Verizon Center tonight after the Rangers’ pulsating 1-0 win over the Capitals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals yesterday afternoon at the Garden.

The best-of-seven series is tied at three games apiece. The puck drops for Game 7 at 8 p.m.

“We are just going to have the same mentality we had coming into this game,” said Derick Brassard, who scored the game’s only goal. “We just played our game [and] had fun. It was positive. The guys were relaxed and that’s what we need to do tomorrow.”

The Rangers broke through 9:39 into the second period on Brassard’s second goal of the series. Brassard’s slap shot from inside the blueline deflected off of Capitals’ defenseman Steve Olesky and past Braden Holtby (28 saves).

“The crowd kept chanting [‘shoot the puck’ and] I didn’t see myself giving a pass to one of my teammates there. I think I had to shoot,” Brassard said. “They obviously want us to shoot. On the ice, it’s a little different. We try and make plays. Sometimes it can work. Sometimes it doesn’t work. I just took two steps and ripped it as hard as I could.”

“We needed it. There was desperation out there,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 27 saves to earn his seventh career shutout in the playoffs, and his first since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals last May.

The Vezina finalist is tied with Hall of Famer Dave Kerr for the second-most Stanley Cup playoff shutouts in franchise history. Mike Richter’s nine playoff shutouts are most in team history.

“I felt like this was going to be the type of game where there were one or two goals, tops,” Lundqvist said. “My focus was on trying to shut it down.”

He was aided by a defensive effort that mostly limited Washington to shots from the outside as the Rangers finished with 17 blocked shots and outhit the Capitals, 33-28.

“We showed a lot of character and worked really hard,” Lundqvist said. “It was that type of game [yesterday] where you pay the price — big blocks, physical.

“Everybody contributed,” head coach John Tortorella said. “For us to sustain the forecheck and sustain some territory, we needed bodies.”

The Capitals did not have a power play in yesterday’s game, as the only penalties assessed to the Rangers were roughing minors to Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi in a scrum involving all 10 skaters on the ice at the final buzzer.

“We know what’s at stake when we put them on the power play. They can capitalize pretty quickly,” Ryan McDonagh said. “One thing that we said every time in-between periods is to use our legs, not our sticks. We have to dictate the tempo and forecheck to create penalties for them.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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During his press conference after the early skate Saturday morning, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano suggested his team had the same attributes as their dynastic predecessors.

The early 1980s Islanders were one of the legendary teams in NHL history. But before they won four Cups in four years, there was a five-year period of devastating playoff losses. They lost before they won.

It is a painful lesson the 2013 edition learned all too excruciatingly as their renaissance season ended Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Penguins in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Pittsburgh won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, and will meet the Senators in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“Overtime and they get a lucky shot. It really [ticks] you off. It really does,” Travis Hamonic said. “I think that we played really well. We could’ve won the series — should’ve, in my opinion. It leaves a bitter, sour taste for the rest of the summer.

“It’s going to take awhile — weeks — to digest this.”

Brooks Orpik’s goal 7:49 into the extra session was the series clincher. Orpik’s slapshot appeared to deflect off Brad Boyes before it sailed past Evgeni Nabokov (32 saves).

“I’m not even sure how that last one went in,” Matt Martin said.

As the Penguins mobbed each other along the half boards in celebration, the crowd of 16,170 who packed the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike began chanting “MVP!” toward Hart Trophy-finalist John Tavares and “Let’s Go Islanders.”

It was a final tribute to a team which defied expectations while giving their supporters a first taste of a tantalizing future.

“They’re going to be in the playoffs for a long time,” Sidney Crosby said.

Last night, in the do-or-die game, it was the Islanders who controlled the vast majority of play due to their hitting and speed. The eighth seed outhit the top-seeded Penguins 31-23, and forced 15 takeaways compared to Pittsburgh’s six.

By being able to implement the speed and physical elements of their game, the Islanders were able to generate offense. The Islanders had a 38-21 advantage in shots on goal, and had a 73-56 advantage in attempted shots.

“We showed we [can] play with anyone,” Martin said. “We’re excited about the future.”

Tavares opened the scoring with a snapshot goal 5:36 into the match. The marker ended the Islanders’ goalless streak of 143:18 against Tomas Vokoun dating back to March 22.

The lead lasted all of 123 seconds. Jarome Iginla tied the game 2:03 later by shoving the rebound of a Sidney Crosby shot past Nabokov.

Not being able to build upon a lead was a game- and series-long theme for the Islanders, who had leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 Saturday night, but were unable to extend the advantage.

“We just couldn’t get that second-goal lead,” Hamonic said.

Another aspect that felled the Islanders was an ineffective power play. The Islanders finished the series 2-for-20 on the man advantage, and were 0-for-3 in Game 6. All three power plays came in the second period.

“Pretty much all year they had a good [penalty kill],” Capuano said of the Penguins. “They were consistent. We had our chances. It’s not like we didn’t have chances tonight. We had [Matt] Moulson on the back door, just weren’t able to bury it.

“I thought our adjustments as we moved along helped us a little bit, but we talk about health, luck, goaltending and special teams in the playoffs. Their special teams were better than ours.”

Yet in the immediate aftermath, there was an unmistakable sense of pride and accomplishment emanating from the Islanders room. The franchise’s five-year long rebuilding process has begun to bear fruit, and there was already a collective eye looking toward the 2013-14 season and beyond.

“We took huge strides as an organization. Not many people gave us a chance to get where we got,” Capuano said. “Anybody that watched the games, saw the crowd and the atmosphere in the building, we got some respect around the league right now. We got good players. To attract some players, they want to play with good players. They should realize now we have a good young core of guys, some good veterans, and I’m sure it opened some eyes for people around the league that will be unrestricted.”

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Thirteen Islanders made their playoff debuts in this series, including Josh Bailey, Travis Hamonic, Matt Martin, Andrew MacDonald (who will miss the next 6-to-8 weeks after undergoing surgery for a broken hand after being struck by a puck in Game 4), Matt Moulson, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo and John Tavares.

“I think they’ve embraced it,” head coach Jack Capuano said after the Islanders’ morning skate at the Coliseum Saturday. “They’ve embraced it.

“We’re trying to win a Stanley Cup. It’s everybody’s goal at the start of the year to try to hoist the Cup. That’s our goal. We’re up [against] a good team. We know that. But if we play our game, we feel we have a chance.”

More praise for Tavares

Tavares’s strong regular season has earned the franchise bedrock critical praise.

The NHL announced Friday that Tavares, Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby and Washington left wing Alex Ovechkin were the finalists for the Hart Trophy. The voting was done by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Should Tavares win the Hart, he would join Bryan Trottier in 1979 as the only Islanders to earn the award.

Tavares finished the truncated regular season with 28 goals, 19 assists and 47 points in 48 games. The 28 goals were third most in the NHL.

“I probably wouldn’t be standing up here [Saturday morning] talking to you guys [in the media] if we didn’t have the performance of John Tavares and the way he’s played for us,” Capuano said. “He’s a big reason why we’re here.”

Crosby, Ovechkin and Tampa Bay right wing Martin St. Louis were named as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Thursday. The Ted Lindsay Award is awarded to the most outstanding player as voted on by other players. Both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Awards will be presented during the Stanley Cup final.

“It’s a well-deserved honor for a guy who works that hard,” Capuano said.

Radio exposure

WFAN carried WHRU’s broadcast of Saturday night’s game, in a joint statement released by the all-sports radio station and the Islanders Friday.

“The New York Islanders are an incredible story this year,” WFAN and CBS Radio New York Vice President of Programming Mark Chernoff said in the statement. “Led by their Hart Trophy finalist John Tavares, this team has all of New York excited about the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’re excited to team with the Islanders and Hofstra University, 88.7 WRHU, to broadcast such a crucial game.”

Saturday night marked the second time in as many games an all-sports station picked up WRHU’s broadcast of an Islanders playoff game. ESPN New York 98.7 carried WRHU’s broadcast of the 4-0 loss in Game 5.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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As chaos reigned around him, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist slammed his stick off the Rangers bench.

It was a moment that summed up a night — and maybe a season.

The Rangers are one game away from a premature and unsatisfying end to a season that began with Stanley Cup aspirations after Mike Ribeiro shoved a rebound goal past Lundqvist 9:24 into overtime to give the Capitals a 2-1 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the Verizon Center.

Washington leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2. Game 6 is set for 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Madison Square Garden due to the Leafs beating the Bruins, 2-1, in Game 5 of that Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series last night.

That the Rangers were in overtime was a testament to Lundqvist. The reigning Vezina winner stopped 33-of-35 shots in a game where the Southeast Division champs out-shot the Rangers, 81-67.

While the Capitals had the better play for the majority of the game, the Rangers actually led 1-0 53 seconds into the game when Brian Boyle tapped a Derick Brassard feed under Braden Holtby (24 saves).

But the Rangers could not capitalize on the advantage or four power plays. The Rangers went 0-for-4 in four man-advantage opportunities in the first two periods.

Then Washington began to surge. Alex Ovechkin, Karl Alzner and John Carlson all fired shots Lundqvist stopped in the final 17 seconds of the first period.

Washington’s barrage intensified over the second and third periods, as the Capitals outshot the Rangers, 19-9. The disparity in shots does not account for the disproportion in possession and zone time. The Capitals initiated the play and the Rangers spent 40 minutes absorbing body blows.

The Capitals tied the game 7:34 into the second period on Joel Ward power play goal. Exactly 11 seconds after Boyle was called for slashing Ribeiro, Ward culminated a game of tic-tac-toe with Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom with his 11th career playoff goal.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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A season in which the Islanders began to flex long unused muscles is one loss away from ending.

The Islanders were shut out by Tomas Vokoun and the Penguins, 4-0, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2. Game 6 is set for May 11 at the Nassau Coliseum.

The game was alarmingly reminiscent of the 5-0 loss in Game 1, in which the Islanders were not aggressive against the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Pittsburgh finished with more hits (33-27) and more blocked shots (14-8) in a game in which Pegnuins head coach Dan Bylsma made personnel changes.

Along with replacing goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with Vokoun, Bylsma added Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale to the lineup in an attempt to ice a heavier, more physical team.

It was Kennedy who opened the scoring 7:25 into the second with his first goal of the series in his first game in the series. Kennedy corralled a long home run pass from Kris Letang at the Islanders blue line and bore down on Evgeni Nabokov before pumping a quick shot past the Islanders’ goaltender.

Douglas Murray flipped a harmless-looking shot from the half boards that popped up off a stick and bounced off of Nabokov into the net 1:22 later to make it 2-0.

Sidney Crosby increased the lead to 3-0 nearly six minutes later when he wove through the neutral zone and beat Nabokov stickside. Crosby’s goal was evocative of a Mario Lemieux goal scored against the Islanders in 1988, which the Penguins franchise has commemorated with a statue outside of the arena.

For all intents and purposes the competitive portion of the game was over by the second intermission, but Crosby left no doubt about the outcome by setting up Norris Trophy candidate Kris Letang’s power-play goal 5:33 into the third. Crosby walked down the wall and threw a gorgeous diagonal backhand pass that Letang drove over Nabokov.

Following the goal, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano replaced Nabokov with Kevin Poulin. Poulin replaced Nabokov in the 5-0 loss in Game 1.

Vokoun made 31 saves. Nabokov allowed all four Penguins goals on 27 shots. Poulin stopped all four shots he faced.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Head coach John Tortorella believes the Rangers possess character and resilience. Those attributes were on full display last night.

There will be at least one more hockey game contested at Madison Square Garden in this abbreviated season after the Rangers evened the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series after a 4-3 win over the Capitals in Game 4 Wednesday night. Game 5 is Friday night at the Verizon Center.

“We got the job done,” said Dan Girardi, who was one of four goal-scorers for the Rangers last night.

Derek Stepan’s goal 6:02 into the third period was the game-winner. Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin also scored goals for the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves.

The series is now a best-of-three, and neither team has been able to win a game on the road in the first four games.

“We feel good now,” Ryan Callahan said. “We have to keep the momentum and keep the confidence rolling. … It’s a tough building to play in. They play [well] there.”

Richards opened the scoring 16:25 into the first to culminate a bizarre sequence. A shaky Braden Holtby (30 saves) attempted a bad clear that was knocked down by Taylor Pyatt and intercepted by Hagelin, who blasted a slap shot into John Carlson. The rebound bounced out to Richards, who ripped a shot into a half-empty cage.

Hagelin doubled the lead with his second of the series at 10:13 of the second. The left wing one-timed Derick Brassard’s gorgeous cross-ice feed over Holtby’s glove. Brassard has four points in the four games.

“[Brassard] grabbed a hold of it here and makes just a great play on [Girardi’s] goal,” Tortorella said. “He’s stepped in here to try and make a difference and he’s made some big plays for us. I’m not afraid to put him in a lot of different positions in a lot of different situations.”

The Rangers never trailed in the game and, in fact, dominated the Southeast Division champions for the first 35 minutes. But the teams went into the second intermission tied at 2-2.

Mathieu Perreault cut the deficit in half at 13:08 of the second period by stuffing Joel Ward’s rebound through Lundqvist. Troy Brouwer evened the game with 18 seconds left in the period with a backhander after Mike Green was able to keep a loose puck in at the blue line.

“It took us a little while but once we got our legs, I thought it was a pretty good hockey game,” Capitals head coach Adam Oates said. “I think we gave them a couple chances too many. We made a couple mistakes.”

Girardi put the Rangers back up, 3-2, 59 seconds into the third, with a slapshot goal on the power play. Stepan’s goal nearly six minutes later doubled the lead.

“Getting that goal right away by Girardi was key,” Hagelin said. “That’s what we talked about in here [during the second intermission], ‘We want to get the next one.’ They obviously had a good last five minutes there in the second but we came in with a lot of confidence in the third that we were going to score on the [power play], and we did.”

Karl Alzner cut the lead to one, 4-3, with 7:31 left.

From there, the Rangers implemented a rope-a-dope strategy against the Capitals, who shot from everywhere to no avail. The Capitals had 25 shot attempts in the final 7:31.

“Guys are confident. You can’t panic. We weren’t trying to throw pucks away but in those situations you’re just trying to get it out [and] they picked some off,” Girardi said. “For the most part, guys were blocking shots, keep everything to the outside and we found a way to get the win.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Henrik Lundqvist was the one constant for the Rangers in this most inconsistent of seasons.

Lundqvist was rewarded Wednesday morning for a most remarkable year by being named one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy. Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose’s Antti Niemi are the other finalists.

Lundqvist is a Vezina finalist for the fifth time in his career. He finished third in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and won the award for the first time last year.

“It means a lot. I am really proud to be in that category,” Lundqvist said after the Rangers’ early skate at the Garden before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Capitals. The Rangers trail the best-of-seven series, 2-1.

“It’s been an interesting year — a different year, a shorter season. [It's been a] tight schedule [and] things maybe didn’t go our way all the time. When you have to work really hard to get back in the race and to finally get in, it’s just a big reward. Last year, I thought a lot of things were going our way. This year we had to work really hard for it. Consistency this year is something I am very pleased about.”

Lundqvist compiled a 24-16-3 record with a 2.05 goals against average and .926 save percentage during the abbreviated season. He led the league in wins and starts (43).

“He is the backbone of our club,” head coach John Tortorella said. “I think in the past number of years, you would have your starting goalie and you would never take him out. I think more and more teams flip flop their goalies. Certainly, it’s nothing against the goalies that have been here behind him. That doesn’t cross our minds. He is that good and that consistent.”

In a typical season, the Rangers would have limited Lundqvist to around 60 games in order to keep the goaltender fresh while getting in the subsequent practice work with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire.

Tortorella did not have that option this season due to its truncated nature. Lundqvist started the last 14 games of the regular season as the Rangers battled to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh time in the last eight years.

“We were still trying to get him some rest,” Tortorella said.

Reserve goaltender Martin Biron only played six games this season. He was 2-2-1 with a 2.32 GAA and .917 save percentage. His last game was the 3-0 win in Montreal on March 30.

“But as we went through our years and we were fighting along trying to get in, I played him more than I certainly expected to,” Tortorella said. “You have to make those adjustments along the way.”

Bobrovsky (21-11-6, 2.00 GAA, .923 save percentage, four shutouts) and Niemi (24-12-6, 2.16 GAA, .924 save percentage, four shutouts) are finalists for the first time in their careers.

The NHL’s 30 general managers vote for the Vezina. The winner will be announced during the Stanley Cup final.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for coverage throughout the playoffs.

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The renaissance season will last at least two more games.

The Islanders return to Pittsburgh having evened the Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup by topping the Penguins 6-4 in Game 4.

Game 5 is Thursday night at Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center.

“Anytime you play a team like that, as skilled as they are, I thought we did a great job,” head coach Jack Capuano said after the best-of-seven series was reduced to a best-of-three. “We did a lot of good things.”

John Tavares’s goal with 9:49 left was the game-winner. Tavares fired a shot that skittered under Marc-Andre Fleury’s arm and along the ice after Brad Boyes forced an Evgeni Malkin turnover in the Penguins’ end.

The goal broke a 4-4 deadlock.

The win was the Islanders’ first at the Coliseum in the Stanley Cup playoffs since April 28, 2002. The Islanders beat the Maple Leafs, 5-3, in a game remembered for Eric Cairns’s TKO of Shayne Corson.

The Islanders led twice, 1-0 and 2-1. Brian Strait opened the scoring 5:55 into the match with a 51-footer that fooled Fleury.

But as quickly as the Islanders had leads, the Pens tied the game. Forty-five seconds after Strait’s goal, James Neal tied the game at 1-1 with his first of the postseason. Evgeni Malkin tied the game at 2-2 1:02 later.

“We’ve learned areas of our game where we need to be better,” Capuano said. “The one thing about that team is that they don’t need many chances. They can strike — quick — and they did that. But I thought we responded well and you can see our guys growing.”

Brandon Sutter gave Pittsburgh its first lead of the game, 3-2, at the 11:03 mark of the second. But the Pens couldn’t grow the lead and it cost them when Kyle Okposo’s behind-the-net backhand banked off of Fleury’s pads into the cage with 1:24 left in the period.

“I knew Fleury was scrambling around. I knew there [were] a lot of bodies in front and I was trying to get it out there,” Okposo said. “Bank it off something and it ended up going off him.”

Fleury allowed all six goals on 24 shots.

“We want to get shots from everywhere,” Okposo said when asked if the Islanders were making a concerted effort to make Fleury work. “Obviously you don’t shoot too much from behind the net, but we’re trying to get pucks to the net and get bodies there.”

Pittsburgh went up 4-3 41 seconds into the third when Pascal Dupuis tipped Chris Kunitz’s centering feed past Evgeni Nabokov (27 saves). It was Dupuis’s fourth goal of the series.

Mark Streit tied the game with a shot that ricocheted off Douglas Murray’s skate at 4:30 of the third period. It was his second goal of the game, after being credited with a power-play score in the second.

“We don’t want to have to [play] ping-pong game, up-and-down,” Streit said. “We like to get the lead and play well defensively. Sometimes things just happen and they’re going to get opportunities. It’s just how you respond as a team. [You] just have to keep working and keep plugging away and work for your chances. Never give up.”

Casey Cizikas’s second of the series ended the scoring, yet there was one last pyrotechnic display as Malkin and Travis Hamonic engaged in a fight as the horn sounded which saw all 10 players on the ice get involved.

“You have to ask them,” said Hamonic, when asked why the scuffle started. “Let them think what they think. We’ll worry about ourselves. It’s the way we like to play, but you’d have to go and ask them if they’re frustrated.”

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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John Tavares’ message was direct and to-the-point: there is no time to live in the past.

“[It was a] long day and a half for us,” Tavares said after the Islanders’ morning skate at the Nassau Coliseum Tuesday morning prior to Game 4 against the Penguins. “It was a great hockey game, I’m sure, to watch and be a part of it, but we need [Game 4].

“[It’s] a big one here. [We] want to guarantee that we’re going to come back. That’s our goal: to get a big win tonight.”

Even though the Penguins have outscored the Islanders, 13-8, in the series, the teams are even in goals (8-8) over the last two games as Pittsburgh has struggled with the Isles’ speed and forecheck.

“It’s going to kill you,” Matt Carkner said when asked why a team wouldn’t opt to sit back and counterattack against the Penguins. “Any team in this league right now, you want to be the aggressor. You want to be aggressive but within your system. You don’t want to go full-out and exchange chances. You want to be the aggressor in every situation. You don’t want to give them time and if you sit back against these guys, they have such great players; they’re going to make plays on you. They’re going to make you look silly. So we just have to keep moving our feet and get in their faces.”

Listening to the press

Give head coach Jack Capuano credit for being honest.

The Islanders’ coach told reporters Tuesday morning he chronicles what is said and written about his team during the offseason.

“I don’t read papers, I don’t read blogs, I don’t read tweets [during the season]. I do over the summertime. People like yourselves that try to pick where teams are going to finish, I look at it,” Capuano said. “The thing about our club is we’ve matured and we believe. We have good character and good leadership. Work ethic will dictate a lot; it dictates the scoreboard.

“For us, it’s just a matter of every single guy believing in themselves and playing to the best of their abilities to give us a chance to win. I don’t know if we rallied around [preseason predictions] because from Day 1 we believed we were a good hockey team. We believed we had good players, good character, good leadership. If we played the way we wanted to play, we thought we would have success. It didn’t happen early on but it started to happen and the belief sets in even more. But I don’t think we rallied around that people didn’t pick us because it would be a distraction and we just go about our business the way we need to go about our business.”

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The season has not been salvaged, but it has been extended.

The Rangers battled their way to a 4-3 win over the Capitals last night at the Garden. Washington leads 2-1 in the series.

“It’s huge. We definitely knew it was a big game,” Derek Stepan said. Stepan’s goal at 613:35 of the third was the game-winner. It was his first goal of the playoffs. “We didn’t want to go down three-zip. [Game 3] changed the series quite a bit.”

“Be a little tenacious,” Brian Boyle said. “Don’t be satisfied with one win and four goals. You have to keep going.”

Boyle skated 20:42 spanning 29 shifts last night. He finished with two points (a goal and an assist), attempted six shots, blocked two shots threw a hit and won 14 of 21 faceoffs.

In a game in which scrums seemingly ensued after every whistle, the Rangers outhit Washington, 33-22, and had a 19-14 advantage in blocked shots.

“I think our style is of a grind-it-out style,” Stepan said. “We know their top line has a lot of skill and their power play has a lot of skill. We have to continue to work on our game, getting our game to our pace.”

The Rangers also benefited from secondary scoring. Arron Asham and Derick Brassard added goals. Brassard’s goal came on the power play, which has long been a detriment for the team. The Rangers finished 1-for-6 on the power play and killed off all three of Washington’s opportunities with the man advantage.

“They did a really good job of protecting [Henrik Lundqvist],” Capitals coach Adam Oates said of the Rangers’ final penalty kill, a 4-on-6 over the last 114 seconds. “We probably could have tried a better way to get to the net to start the process of [Lundqvist] not being able to cover his rebounds — get to the second waves. We were probably a little too cute with it.”

Lundqvist was a virtuoso in stopping 28-of-31 shots, including all 11 off the stick of Alex Ovechkin. He yielded just Nicklas Backstrom’s game-opening goal 4:06 into the match, Mike Green’s marker at 17:19 of the second, which tied the game 2-2, and Jay Beagle’s goal 7:19 into the third.

“There was a lot of determination going into this game,” Lundqvist said. “We knew we had to win this one. It was a must win.”

The Rangers also got a boost from the return of Marc Staal to the lineup after missing 29 games due to an eye injury. Staal skated 17:17 as part of a second defense pair with Anton Stralman.

“He’s so well-respected in the room and this is two major injuries that he has come back from,” head coach John Tortorella said, referring to the concussion that limited Staal to 46 games in 2011-12. “It really helps the room. He’s so well-liked and there are times when you can tell it’s going to take a little bit to totally get back but he made some really big plays at key times too.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Rangers trail the Capitals, 2-0, in the best-of-seven series, and have scored only one goal in 128 minutes in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

For many coaches, it would be cause for concern. Head coach John Tortorella is not most coaches.

“I think [the first two games] have been a hell of a lot more even than a lot of other people think,” Tortorella said in his morning press briefing before Monday night’s Game 3 at The Garden. “I think we’re close. I will put it to you that way.”

Part of the basis for Tortorella’s belief is that the Rangers have generated 60 shots on goal in the first two games, including Rick Nash hitting the post midway through a scoreless third period Saturday afternoon.

“Playoff series [are about] momentum [shifts] within the game,” Tortorella said “What if Rick Nash scores his goal in the third period [of Game 2]? [The momentum] changes.”

Most likely, Saturday’s games does change if Nash scores. But what did happen was Mike Green blasted a slap shot past Henrik Lundqvist eight minutes into overtime, and now the Rangers are in a must-win game.

“We need to win a game and that is all we are thinking about,” Tortorella said. “It means squat if you don’t win.”

Nearing full strength

Will the Rangers have all hands on deck Monday night?

Thirteen players participated in the optional morning skate at The Garden, including defenseman Marc Staal and left wing Ryane Clowe.

Staal has not played since March 5, when he suffered an eye injury when he was struck in the face by a Kimmo Timonen slap shot. Clowe has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury suffered in the 4-3 overtime in Carolina on April 25.

“I feel pretty good,” Clowe said after the skate. “I [felt] pretty good out there. Obviously you guys want to know if I’m going to play tonight but I’m not sure.”

The Rangers acquired Clowe from San Jose on April 2. In 12 games with the Blueshirts, Clowe recorded three goals and eight points.

“Like anyone else at this time of year, no one is 100 percent. But when I come back I’ll definitely feel capable of doing everything that I think I can bring or the style I can play, which is obviously a physical style. I think that’s the key point I’m looking at here,” Clowe said. “Whenever guys come back, they’re not going to come back and put themselves at risk, even though we’re all tough guys and play through injuries. But more than anything, guys look at how they can help the team.”

Staal was unavailable for comment.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Ottawa Senators were pounding the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 Sunday in Game 3 of a first-round playoff matchup when every player on the ice — yes, two entire lines — decided they hated each other.

What ensued was a scene straight out of the movie “Slap Shot.” Nine game misconducts were doled out, including a total of 236 penalty minutes (Ottawa, 107; Montreal, 129). Ottawa won the game 6-1 and holds a 2-1 series lead over Montreal.

Here you go …

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Sunday’s matinee was the first playoff game at Nassau Coliseum since April 18, 2007. Yet, the 16,170 that packed the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike did not need a tutorial on how to create a playoff atmosphere.

The Coliseum crowd roared throughout Game 3, and the decibel levels grew exponentially after the Islanders scored the first two goals of the game and the final two goals in regulation.

It was a reminder of the fervor Islanders fans have for their team and for a product worthy of their support.

“It was fantastic,” Tavares said. “People here are the most passionate hockey people I’ve ever seen. They have a lot of pride [and] love the tradition of the New York Islanders. We fed off that and we’re excited for them coming up in Game 4.”

More to do

The Penguins have scored 11 goals in the first three games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

But head coach Dan Bylsma is not impressed.

“We think we can play better,” Bylsma said after the 5-4 overtime win in Game 3 Sunday afternoon.

Eight Penguins finished with at least one point, led by Sidney Crosby (three assists) and Chris Kunitz (two goals and an assist), both of whom authored three-point outings.

“We haven’t played our best,” Bylsma said. “We need to do a better job.”

For starters, Bylsma is concerned the chemistry between the team and trade-deadline acquisitions Brendan Morrow, Jarome Iginla and Douglas Murray isn’t quite there. Morrow finished with three shots on goal in 18:03 of ice time. Iginla had a goal and attempted seven shots in 17:06. Murray tallied a goal and four shot attempts in 20:43.

“There is some of that learning [how] to play together,” Iginla said. “There’s still better hockey from our team.”

Looking on the bright side

Professional sports are a bottomline business. Effort is nice, but wins and losses are the final determining factor in all decisions.

The Islanders are acutely aware of the fact they trail the top-seeded Penguins 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The Eastern Conference eighth seed is also extremely aware of what they have accomplished over the first 188:44 of the series, and specifically in the third period Sunday afternoon.

The Islanders outshot Pittsburgh 13-3, and outscored the Atlantic Division champions 2-0, in the final regulation period to force overtime.

“I think we outshot them much of the game,” John Tavares said. Tavares’s off-wing goal 10:48 into the third tied the game at 4-4. “We had a lot of puck possession, creating opportunities. We were playing physical, [and] didn’t make it easy for them. We got pucks in, got pucks to the net, moving our feet, being difficult to defend. I think we built that the last two games and we have to keep understanding those are the things that are giving us success, giving us a chance to win some games.”

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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What was lost in the euphoria surrounding the Islanders’ first playoff appearance in six years was that playoff games, by their very nature, can be painful.

It is a lesson the Islanders learned Sunday afternoon.

“We played [well]. We played a good game. We need to regroup and know that we’re playing some good hockey. We’re creating opportunities and believe in ourselves,” said John Tavares after the Islanders’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday night at the Coliseum.

Chris Kunitz’s power-play goal 8:44 into the extra session was the game-winner. Sidney Crosby drew the penalty by forcing Brain Strait to taking a holding penalty as the best player in the world curled toward Evgeni Nabokov.

For good measure, Crosby recorded the primary assist on Kunitz’s game-winner. The Penguins’ captain finished with three points — all on assists. Kunitz had two goals, and Jarome Iginla, Pascal Dupuis and Douglas Murray added one each.

“[The assists are] typical [of what] Sidney Crosby can do,” Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said. “I like [his] drawing the penalty the best.”

Yesterday’s game was only Crosby’s second in the last 16 games. He suffered a broken jaw when he was struck by a Brooks Orpik slapshot in the Penguins’ 2-0 win over the Islanders at CONSOL Energy Center on March 30

“He hasn’t played a ton of hockey. He isn’t totally there [conditioning-wise],” Bylsma said. “His play down low in the overtime period [is indicative of what he can do].”

Kunitz’s game-winner was merely the final scene of an incredible three-act play authored by the Atlantic Division rivals. The teams experienced momentum surges throughout.

The Islanders jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 5:41 thanks to goals from Matt Moulson (1:43) and Casey Cizikas (5:41).

But the Islanders could not grow the lead despite pressuring a back-on-their-heels Penguins squad. Some of it was due to Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 32 saves. Some of it was a first-time playoff team making mistakes, such as Michael Grabner’s drop pass at the blue line creating an offsides.

And much of it was yielding three power-play goals. Pittsburgh was 3-for-5 with the man advantage Sunday afternoon, including the game’s first two goals which tied the game late in the first period.

“Your penalty kill obviously starts in goal and works its way out. We have a certain structure that we want to use,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said. “We took some wrong routes [Sunday] on our penalty kill. The entries for them were way too easy. They established zone time right away, and they were able to work the puck in the zone. When you allow that to happen, with the skill guys that they have, they’re going to take advantage of it.

“To me, when I look at the penalty kill, it’s the first eight seconds, it’s the desperation. We won some key faceoffs tonight; we never cleared the puck 200 feet. That all comes back to haunt you and that’s what happened. Execution on the PK, from a details standpoint, has to be better.”

Down 4-2 in the third, the Islanders fought back to tie the game. Kyle Okposo’s second goal of the series cut the deficit to 4-3. Tavares tied the game 5:17 later with his first of the series.

“Your best players are going to be your best players for us to have a chance,” Capuano said.

They were, but they are down 2-1 in a series that, arguably, they should be leading. Yet, rather than frustration, the Islanders feel good.

“The sun is going to come up tomorrow,” Capuano said. “It takes four to win the series.”

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for coverage of the Islanders and Rangers throughout the playoffs.

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The worst truths are the ones that are painful.

For the New York Rangers, the painful truth is they have played well in the first two games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series and yet are returning home down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Mike Green’s power-play goal eight minutes into overtime was the only marker in the Capitals’ 1-0 overtime win Saturday afternoon at the Verizon Center. Game 3 is Monday night at the Garden.

Green’s game-winner came exactly one minute after Ryan McDonagh was assessed a two-minute minor for delay of game, and set off a wild celebration inside the raucous arena.

The goal was Henrik Lundqvist’s lone mistake in an oft-spectacular 37-save performance. Lundqvist made 25 saves in the final two periods of regulation and overtime.

Washington was 1-for-2 on the power play.

Unlike Game 1, the Rangers were far more physical in Game 2 and were able generate zone time. The Rangers generated 57 shot attempts, threw more hits (58-50) and blocked more shots (21-13).

Those were undeniable positives.

But the undeniable negatives are that the Rangers went 0-for-3 on the man advantage, and were unable to solve Braden Holtby. The Capitals’ netminder stopped all 24 shots he faced.

Washington has outscored the Rangers, 4-1, in the first two games of the series.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Islanders vowed they would be better in Game 2 and they were.

As a result, the Islanders return home to Long Island having drawn even with the top-seeded Penguins after a come-from-behind 4-3 win Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Last night’s win was the Islanders’ first in the Stanley Cup playoffs since April 14, 2007, a span of 2,211 days.

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum. It will be the first playoff game contested at the Coliseum since April 18, 2007.

Even though the Penguins led 3-1 at the first intermission, the Islanders had more shots on goal (20-12) and more shot attempts (35-19). The Islanders finished with a 42-33 advantage in shots on goal and attempted more shots (79-57) as well.

There were two turning points Friday night. The first was Kyle Okposo’s second-period bout with Matt Niskanen. Okposo challenged and subsequently bloodied the Penguins defenseman after Niskanen’s open-ice hit on Matt Moulson.

Fourteen seconds after the fight, Colin McDonald’s off-angle shot slithered under Marc-Andre Fleury to cut the deficit to 3-2.

After McDonald’s goal, Matt Martin one-timed Josh Bailey’s off-the-end-boards rebound past Fleury to tie the game at 3-3 about five minutes later. It was the first of two off-the-backboard goals Fleury would yield, including Okposo’s game-winner with 7:37 left.

The other turning point came as the Islanders killed John Tavares’ four-minute minor for high-sticking Brendan Morrow spanning the final 3:29 of the second period and the first 31 seconds of the third.

Sidney Crosby, in his first game action since suffering a broken jaw in the 2-0 win over the Islanders on March 30, scored two goals and Evgeni Malkin added a marker of his own. Fleury made 38 saves.

Evgeni Nabokov was strong in Game 2, making 30 saves. Matt Moulson added a goal.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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It is clear this spring’s Rangers-Capitals series will not be 60-minute long staring contests.

The Capitals took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, 3-1, in a manner decidedly opposite last season’s Rangers series win.

Unlike 2012, when the Dale Hunter-run Caps played to avoid mistakes, new head coach Adam Oates turned Game 1 into a track meet instead of the physical, grinding game the Rangers believe they must play in order to be successful.

Carl Hagelin’s wraparound 16:44 into the series gave the Rangers an early lead, but it would be their only goal.

The Rangers could not grow the lead, despite four power plays, and Washington continued to press. It paid off when Alex Ovechkin one-timed Mike Green’s rebound for a power-play goal at 6:59 of the second to tie the game at 1-1. Ovechkin’s goal was his 31st in 52 playoff games.

Eight minutes later Marcus Johansson potted the go-ahead goal on a semi-breakaway. Jason Chimera’s goal 46 seconds later ended the scoring.

The Rangers had a chance to cut the deficit to 3-2 late in the third, when John Moore’s off-angled shot hit Braden Holtby, who contorted his body into the cage. But replays were inconclusive and it was ruled no goal.

Lundqvist made 29 saves. Holtby stopped 34-of-35 shots.

The Rangers were 0-for-4 on the power play. Washington went 1-for-4.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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It had been 2,203 days since the New York Islanders competed in a Stanley Cup playoff game.

It may take that long to wipe the egg off of their faces after being thoroughly outclassed by the Penguins, 5-0, in Game 1 last night at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Game 2 is Friday night in Pittsburgh.

Not one Islander distinguished himself in the series opener against the top-seeded Penguins. Fourteen Islanders finished minus-1 or worst. The top line of Brad Boyes, John Tavares and Matt Moulson only generated 14 shot attempts. Evgeni Nabokov was pulled after yielding four goals in the series’ first 21:51.

Even more of a concern was that the Penguins spent much of the game skating with impunity.

Pascal Dupuis scored two goals, and Beau Bennett, Kris Letang and Tanner Glass each potted a marker. Nine Penguins were plus-1 or better. Ten Penguins recorded at least one point in the game.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves to earn his sixth career shutout in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

All of the offense the Penguins needed came 3:30 into the match. With Brian Strait in the box for interference, Bennett walked down the wall and cut toward the net before snapping a quick shot over Nabokov for the series’ first goal.

It was a punch to the solar plexus. And the Penguins kept pounding the Islanders’ collective body.

Dupuis sandwiched goals (13:23 of the first period and 1:51 of the second period) around Letang’s marker (1:19 of the second). Following Dupuis’ second, Jack Capuano replaced Nabokov with Kevin Poulin. Poulin stopped nine of ten shots.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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There are signs that spring is upon us. The days are longer, the weather is warmer and the Rangers and Capitals meet in a playoff series.

For the third time in the three years — and the fourth time in five years — the Rangers and Capitals will face off in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference quarterfinal series begins Thursday night at the Verizon Center in Washington.

“We wanted to keep on playing,” head coach John Tortorella said after the Rangers ended the regular season with a 4-0 win over the Devils Saturday afternoon at the Garden.

A preseason favorite to win the Stanley Cup, the Rangers spent much of the first 10 weeks of the season alternating wins and losses before authoring a strong April, in which they went 10-3-1 and led the NHL with a 3.6 goals per game average.

“We are where we need to be,” Dan Girardi said Saturday. “April was a good month for us. We played our style of hockey and won in different fashions.”

The strong April coincides with the trade-deadline acquisitions of Ryane Clowe in a trade with San Jose, Derick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett in a trade with Columbus and the free-agent signing of Mats Zuccarello.

“I’m really happy with the past month, five weeks,” Tortorella said. “I really like the team. I think we stabilized ourselves when we got a little bit of the middle of the lineup straightened away.”

It has also had the effect of jump-starting a slumping Brad Richards. Richards, who finished the season with 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 45 games, scored 16 points (six goals and 10 assists) in April.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Richards said Saturday. “It’s a good time to start feeling good.

“If it’s an 82-game schedule I probably don’t let some of the stuff get to me like I did. In the position I was in, it is tough to see your team battling in the seventh, eighth, ninth spot if you aren’t producing. I might have forced it a bit because of the short season. I got out of my game and my mind got in the way a little bit. Finally, something broke through. I started contributing and it just feels better.”

Tortorella created a line of Richards, Zuccarello and Rick Nash in the 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina on April 25, and the trio has fit together. Richards scored the game-tying goal against Carolina, and the line combined for two goals, three assists, five points and a plus-6 rating against the Devils.

“He has certainly found his game,” Tortorella said of Richards on Saturday. “Some of the goals he scored — it doesn’t matter with those type of goals — one was off a skate, one was off the backboard, it does not matter. It relaxes them a little bit.

“I thought that line, [when] we put it together the last game, I thought it ignited [Nash] in our last game. When he was with [Brassard] and Clowe — before Clowe go hurt — it just wasn’t working. Hopefully it will continue.”

Washington won two of the past three series, but the Rangers beat the Capitals in seven games last May to advance to the Eastern Conference final. Last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal is memorable for Marian Gaborik’s triple overtime game-winner in Game 3, Richards’ tying goal with 7.7 seconds left in the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 and Dale Hunter’s bizarre usage of Alex Ovechkin.

Series breakdown …

FORWARDS: This looks to be as even as can be. Of Washington’s 146 goals, 124 were scored by forwards, led by Alex Ovechkin’s league-most 32. The Rangers finished 15th in the league with 126 goals. One hundred and eight were scored by forwards, led by Rick Nash’s team-high 21. The Blueshirts led the league in April with a 3.6 goals per game average, and John Tortorella has said the trade-deadline acquisitions of Ryane Clowe and Derick Brassard have provided the coach depth. Tortorella is hopeful Derek Dorsett — also acquired at the deadline — and Brian Boyle will be able to play at some point.

DEFENSE: This is a clear Blueshirt advantage. Tortorella has three defensive pairs he can use, compared to last spring when he was limited to five defensemen. The top pairing of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh will be paired against Ovechkin’s line. They will be followed by the second and third groupings of Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman and Steve Eminger-John Moore. There is a decided drop off from Washington’s first two pairings — Mike Green-Karl Alzner and John Carlson-John Erskine — and the third unit of Jack Hillen and Steve Olesky.

GOALTENDING: Following the regular-season ending 4-0 win over the Devils at the Garden Saturday afternoon, Henrik Lundqvist said three words that should give the Rangers a great deal of confidence heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs: “I feel good.” Lundqvist ended the year with a 24-16-3 record and two shutouts. Last year’s playoff darling, Braden Holtby finished his first full year as a starter 23-13-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .920 save percentage. Holtby went 1-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .923 save percentage in three games against the Rangers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Tortorella did not want to talk about special teams following Saturday’s season-ending win over the Devils, but it is a certainty the coaching staff and players are working on the man-up and man-down units. The Rangers finished 23rd (15.7 percent) and 15th (81.1 percent), respectively, on the power play and penalty kill. Washington’s 26.8 percent power-play efficiency led the NHL.

PREDICTION: This appears to be the best of the eight first-round series. Logical arguments can be made for either team winning. Both teams enter the playoffs playing their best hockey of the season. The Rangers won 10-of-14 games in April while Washington rebounded from a slow start to the season to win 16 of their final 20 games and clinched the Southeast Division title in the process. Lundqvist will be the difference.

RANGERS IN SEVEN.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for coverage throughout the postseason.

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Collectively, the New York Islanders had a goal heading into the truncated 2013 NHL regular season: To be a playoff team.

They can consider it mission accomplished. The Islanders will participate in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

Now that the Islanders are in, though, the objective has changed. Now, it’s about making noise.

“We understand that we have to be way better to make any run in the playoffs,” Matt Martin said after the Islanders beat the Panthers, 5-2, April 16 at the Coliseum. “We’re not going to beat some of the better teams in the league in a seven-game series if we play like that.”

Success and failure are enmeshed with attention to the game’s details. For the Islanders, implementing those details will be paramount if they are to upset the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Penguins in the best-of-seven series beginning Wednesday night at the CONSOL Energy Center.

“We’ve talked about how our team is built and how we have to play as a team,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said after the Islanders beat the Flyers, 4-2, April 9 at the Coliseum. “They’re buying in, not only in the framework and structure of our team but in one and other. They’ve been real good, from top to bottom.”

Pittsburgh won four of the five regular-season meetings between the two teams, outscoring the Islanders, 17-9. The Islanders only win was a 4-2 decision on Jan. 29 at CONSOL Energy Center.

The Penguins were among the most active teams at the trade deadline, adding defenseman Douglas Murray from the Sharks and wingers Brendan Morrow and Jarome Iginla from the Stars and Flames, respectively. The veteran trio added grit, depth and skill to an already-potent Penguins squad. Pittsburgh’s 3.38 goals per game average was the NHL’s best in the regular season.

By any appreciable measure, the Penguins are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. But there are reasons for the Islanders to feel confident heading into the series.

The Islanders finished the final month of the regular season with an impressive 8-1-4 mark, including wins over playoff squads Boston and Toronto.

“It’s huge,” Martin said after the win over Florida. “We’ve grown up a lot as a team.”

Among the reasons the Islanders were successful this season was their ability to play an up-tempo, forechecking game. The Islanders finished the year sixth in the NHL with a 2.81 goals per game average.

Top-line center John Tavares’ 28 goals and 47 points were third- and 10th-most in the league. He was followed by Michael Grabner (16 goals), linemates Matt Moulson and Brad Boyes (16 goals and 10 goals, respectively) and Josh Bailey (11).

“We’re playing much better,” Tavares said after the April 9 win over the Flyers. “We’re giving ourselves the best possible chance we can.

“I like our chances. We’re playing well and we have to keep building off the things we’re doing.”

This will mark the fourth time overall and the first time in 20 years the Atlantic Division rivals have met in the playoffs. The Islanders have won all three series. David Volek’s goal 5:16 into overtime of Game 7 of the 1992-93 Eastern Conference semifinal eliminated the then two-time Stanley Cup champions.

Series breakdown …

FORWARDS: These groups present an interesting matchup for a number of reasons. The Penguins have the deepest collection of skill forwards in the league, and the possibility exists that Sidney Crosby could return from a broken jaw suffered in the 2-0 win over the Islanders on March 30. The Islanders counter with Hart Trophy candidate John Tavares, linemate Matt Moulson and secondary-scorers Josh Bailey, Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo.

DEFENSE: Half of Pittsburgh’s top six defensemen — Kris Letang (broken toe, illness), Brooks Orpik (lower body) and Paul Martin (broken hand) — battled injuries in the second half of the season. So if the Islanders are to advance, look for foot soldiers Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Colin McDonald to wear them down. The Islanders have back-end playoff experience in Lubomir Visnovsky, Matt Carkner and Mark Streit.

GOALTENDING: An argument can be made that Evgeni Nabokov was just as important to the Islanders’ success this season as Tavares. Nabokov was in goal for 23 of the Islanders’ 24 wins this season, and he compiled a .910 save percentage and 2.50 GAA. Marc-Andre Fleury is the Rodney Dangerfield of goaltenders. He gets no respect, despite going 23-8-0 in the regular season. He is 12-14 with a 3.08 GAA and .682 the last three playoff seasons though.

SPECIAL TEAMS: This is a mixed bag for both teams. The Penguins (24.7 percent, second in the NHL) and Islanders (19.9 percent, tied for 10th in the league) are close to lethal with the man advantage, but both teams are below middle of the pack in penalty killing. The Islanders finished the regular season 21st on the penalty kill (80.2 percent) and Pittsburgh was 25th (79.6 percent).

PREDICTION: The Islanders talked throughout the year about taking a step forward, and they have by qualifying for the playoffs. But there is a decided difference between qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs and advancing a round. The Penguins’ depth and skill will be too much.

PENGUINS IN SIX.

Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for comprehensive coverage of the Islanders and Rangers throughout the postseason.

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It’s been a big week for everyone’s favorite female basketball star, Skylar Diggins.

Diggins, who was recently selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, signed on with Jay-Z’s new sports agency, RocNationSports. She was immediately captured throwing up the “dynasty” sign. Diggins joins the Yankees’ Robinson Cano and the Giants’ Victor Cruz on Jay-Z’s client list.

Earlier in the week, Diggins and injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant enjoyed some light-hearted banter on the Twittersphere.

Bryant initiated the conversation while remarking on Diggins’ appearance at a Nike camp, writing, “Heard @SkyDigg4 is visiting my Nike fam campus! It would be great to have her be the 1^st official #ladymamba rep #mambamen …”

To which Diggins re-tweeted and replied, “Lady Mamba lol”

No word yet from Vanessa Bryant …

Feeling a draft

The NFL Draft is mere hours away as we sit here typing. While the experts — and yes, even Metro did a mock draft — break down the best of the best, we want to use this space to introduce you to the first WAG we’ve come across.

Matt Barkley is a quarterback for USC. He may go in the first round, if a team desperately seeking a quarterback wants to reach. More likely, he’ll go in the second or third round, and maybe his suitor will secure the steal of the 2013 draft.

More likely, we’ll all just be cheering for him to go early, so we can get up close and personal with his girlfriend, Brittany Langdon, much like we did a year ago with Ryan Tannehill and his smokeshow disguised as arm candy.

In the meantime, enjoy Brittany, courtesy of BustedCoverage.com.

Happy drafting everyone!

The post Playing the Field: Skylar Diggins signs with Jay-Z, flirts with Kobe Bryant appeared first on Metro.us.