Dose: No Blinking on the Brink

Really, the East series had to go seven games, didn’t it?

At least, it had to since the New York Rangers were the ones facing elimination. Aside from the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, the Alain Vigneault-Rangers have been remarkably pesky. If coming back from 3-1 series deficits in two straight postseasons wasn’t enough, they once again avoided elimination against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 last night.

(Hopefully I didn’t *gulp* jinx anyone with Tuesday’s column.)

Ultimately, we have somewhere between six (if the WCF ends on Thursday and the SCF is a sweep) to 10 games left before we close the door on the 2014-15 season. Let’s take a look at how last night’s contest shook out.

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RANGERS 7, LIGHTNING 3

-- Is Derick Brassard taking strides in general? Sure, his five-point night exaggerated his postseason success a bit, but it's not as if he hasn't been productive before. While his work during the 2014 SCF run was actually his weakest since joining a playoff team (i.e. the end of his Columbus days) with 12 points in 23 games, his other two postseasons have belied elite play. He had 12 points in 12 playoff contests in 2012-13 and now has 16 points in 18 playoff games this time around. Eight of those points have come in this series against the Lightning.

The strides in general talk isn't just isolated to some nice playoff work, either. He set career-highs in goals (19), assists (41) and obviously points (60) this season.

Brassard is one of those guys who sort of sneaks up on you a bit - I'd imagine many know he was a first-round pick, but some may be surprised that he went as high as sixth in 2006 - but he's one of those guys who makes the Rangers' offense more dangerous than it may seem if you only look for star power.

(His stat line last night was ridiculous overall: hat trick, two assists, +5 rating and 10 SOG! I don't use exclamation points often, but I think that was a fair time to use them.

-- J.T. Miller bumps Teuvo Teravainen down the "how was he a healthy scratch?" power rankings.

-- The Bolts can't be happy to see Rick Nash with that slump monkey off of his back. While Nash and the Rangers were totally shut down in Game 5, Nash had four points (one goal, three assists) in Game 6 and three in Game 4 (two goals, one assist). Those seven points represent half of his 14 points in these 18 playoff games.

This also represents easily the best postseason output of the 30-year-old's career, even though he played seven more games last run (collecting 10 points in 25 games).

Honestly, it feels like the world is a little more reasonable, as his (lack of) puck luck was starting to get downright weird.

-- Speaking of weird, take a look at Ben Bishop's last four games:

Game 3: five goals allowed, win

Game 4: five goals allowed, loss

Game 5: shutout (obviously a win)

Game 6: five goals allowed, loss

The unsettling thing is that Bishop has faced 26 SOG or less in that four-game span, so it's not like he's getting bombarded.

Jon Cooper might argue that it's "asinine" to wonder if Bishop's really the guy in net, but it's absolutely a reasonable long-term question.

But hey, it's not like he's going against the NHL's most famous active goalie whose numbers are legitimately legendary in Game 7's (especially at Madison Square Garden), right?

Uh oh ...

-- Ryan Callahan finally scored his first goal of this postseason, and he deserves serious tough guy points.

I'd still try to trade him this summer, if you could find a taker (paging Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic?) and get him to waive his various clauses. Callahan's contract is only going to look worse as Tampa Bay needs to re-sign pieces like Steve Stamkos, the Triplets and Victor Hedman.

-- Amid all that carnage for the Lightning, said Triplets still managed to generate offense. Nikita Kucherov scored two goals and Tyler Johnson grabbed a pair of apples.

-- Valtteri Filppula had zero shots and a -4 rating in this one, so I'd probably peg him as the Lightning player who had the roughest night stats-wise.

-- I know certain pundits are super enthused about Stamkos throwing his body around, but I'd rather him generate six SOG than six hits (he had six hits and two SOG last night to go with a -2 rating).

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