Rangers coach Gerard Gallant is a skeptic when it comes to playoff momentum.
Sure, the Lightning have put pressure back on the Rangers by evening the series after back-to-back wins in Amalie Arena. And yes, the Rangers have some concerns down the middle with centers Filip Chytil and Ryan Strome both listed as game-time decisions for Game 5.
But the Blueshirts can hit the reset button with the series heading back to New York. Never mind the fact that Gallant has already watched his team turn the tide with series comebacks against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.
“How many times have I said it? There’s no momentum,” Gallant said on Wednesday before flying back from Florida.
“When we’re up two games to none, I don’t think we carried any momentum. I just think it’s about getting ready for the next game. The momentum doesn’t carry over. I really believe that. That’s what we’ve proved.”
Now, the Rangers will have to prove it against the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have shaken off any doubt about rust or the mileage that comes with three playoff runs in 22 months. And they’ll need to kickstart the offense after a 4-1 loss down in Tampa.
The good news for the Rangers is a return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night (ESPN, 8 p.m.). The Rangers have turned it into a house of horrors with an 8-1 playoff record at home while outscoring teams, 38-20.
Andrew Copp described the advantage as part matchups, part mental.
“Any time things are going well, they’re behind you and increasing that momentum and snowballing a little bit,” Copp said. “When things aren’t going well – as soon as you get any sign of life – they can push you in the right direction.”
Gallant chalked it up to a combination of factors, including the favorable crowd and the chance to sleep in your own bed. And tactically, the Rangers coach believes that having the last change has been “a little bit bigger” in this series than some others.
The hope is it will help unlock an offense that’s gone two games without an even-strength goal. Forward Tyler Motte pinned the drought on the Rangers’ forecheck and sustained pressure – or lack, thereof.
“We just haven’t been able to get to that as much as we would like to,” Motte said. “I think that’s a big game-changer for us.”
The question now is what the roster will look like when the Rangers return to the ice.
Gallant had no update on Chytil or Strome on Wednesday morning, but revealed that the latter forward was “real close” to playing in Game 4. Strome was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury, while Chytil (upper-body) went out in the second period after a hit from Tampa’s Victor Hedman.
In their absence, Gallant brought out the line blender with 10 different combinations at forward. Gallant tried to find a spark by moving Artemi Panarin to the top line, but the trio of Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Frank Vatrano got out-chanced (12-7 in shot attempts) in 6:40 together at full strength.
The Rangers’ only goal came on a 6-on-4 with fewer than four minutes left.
“We just couldn’t find a way to break through that neutral zone and get sustained zone time,” Copp said. “So I think we’re all confident where we’re at right now, but there’s got to be an increased level of desperation for sure.”
Copp took comfort in the fact the Rangers are still in a better spot than they’ve been in for much of the playoffs. For one, a victory would put them one step away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2014.
This time, the Rangers aren’t facing a multi-game deficit or the threat of a hostile atmosphere for Game 7.
“It’s a best-of-three in the Eastern Conference finals,” defenseman Jacob Trouba said on Tuesday night. “That’s something to be excited about as a group. We’re in a pretty good spot here. We’re going to go home and do what we can to win a game.”
Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @seanfarrell92
