The Rangers are being forced to adjust going into game four in a series against the Penguins which has been just short of a disaster.

In three games the Pens have scored three powerplay goals and they have each been the difference in the games.

In game one Evgeni Malkin’s powerplay goal, or should I say the puck that bounced off Malkin, turned out to be the game winner. In game two Jordan Staal was the only player to score on a goalie during a second period power play. And it was Malkin again scoring the game winner in game three on the power play.

To do this the Rangers desperately need to stay out of the penalty box. They have received 46 penalty minutes over three games and the only chance they’ve got to win this series is to half that over the next four. If they are that lucky.

The Rangers are not only a slower team than the Penguins with less offensive weapons, but they are now battered and beaten. While they can still win this series, it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to move on.

In The Dirt’s projected lineup:
Straka – Dubinsky - Jagr
Shanahan - Gomez - Callahan
Dawes – Drury - Prucha
Hollweg – Korpitoski - Sjostrom