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Hartnett: Here's Why Rangers Can Upset Penguins In Playoff Series

By Sean Hartnett
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The Rangers enter the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs as a battle-tested group who know exactly what it takes to summon their best when adversity strikes. Time and time again, the Blueshirts have risen when the chips are down.

A year ago, this group's resilience was put under the microscope when a serious brain contusion ended key winger Mats Zuccarello's postseason just five games in. The Rangers collectively rallied in trademark fashion and came within a whisker of advancing to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

All of their character will be tested against the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins, who enter the playoffs on a tear, having won 14 of their last 16. Aside from all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, the player the Rangers could least afford to have missing from the lineup is captain Ryan McDonagh.

Shutting down the free-scoring Penguins is going to be a tremendous challenge as their most steady blue liner is set to miss at minimum the early portion of the series due to a right hand injury. Head coach Alain Vigneault has not ruled out that McDonagh could return at some point this series.

This series has the makings of a high-scoring, roller-coaster, seven-game epic. It is not recommended for the faint-hearted. Both the Rangers and Penguins roll deep scoring lines, and neither boasts a particularly rock-solid blue line.

Even with superstar Evgeni Malkin missing the start of the series, Pittsburgh has a strong supply of offensive firepower, and defenseman Kris Letang is a power play dynamo. Their first line of Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist really work well together and possess excellent chemistry. The flash and dash of the Carl Hagelin-Nick Bonino-Phil Kessel second line caused the Rangers all kinds of problems in their last meeting at Madison Square Garden on March 27. A sneaky scorer to watch out for is bottom-six winger Tom Kuhnhackl.

Former Rangers assistant Mike Sullivan is getting the most out of the Penguins by installing a simplified system, which allows quickness through the neutral zone and plays off the rush. Like Vigneault, Sullivan preaches chance taking, measured by avoiding high-risk situations. The mobile Pens averaged a league-best 3.24 goals per game since Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston.

There's a lot to like about the Rangers' scoring depth. Derick Brassard, Zuccarello, Derek Stepan, J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider each collected 21 goals this season. If Vigneault can get streaky winger Rick Nash going, watch out.

Looking back at the 2014 Eastern Conference champion Rangers, the trade deadline addition of Martin St. Louis was a game-changer. They're hoping for a similar payoff this time around, having acquired 2006 Stanley Cup winner Eric Staal on Feb. 28. In 20 regular season games as a Ranger, the big man was only able to contribute six points – but the Blueshirts are banking on his playoff pedigree. Through 43 career postseason games, Staal has recorded 43 points. After being forced to watch the playoffs from his couch for six consecutive years, you know he's going to leave it all on the ice.

"I've been watching this team on the couch the last couple of years," Staal said during a March 30 conference call. "I know in the playoffs anything can happen. I'm excited for this opportunity to join a great team and hope things can work out and we can raise a Stanley Cup. I think we're capable of playing with anybody. Going from the couch to on the ice is pretty surreal, and that's something I'm definitely pumped about. It's going to be fun.

"I think it will be a whole other ballgame," he continued. "Once I actually get out there for warmups for Game 1, it will be a whole set of emotions that it's been way too long since I've gotten to experience. That experience I'm extremely looking forward to."

Keith Yandle really looked the part on the power play once he became fully healthy in time for last spring's Eastern Conference final. This season, Yandle registered a team-leading 42 assists and became the first Rangers defenseman to record 40 assists in a single season since Hall of Famer Brian Leetch in 2001-02. The electrifying defenseman led the NHL with 13 power play assists and 14 power play points from the All-Star break until the end of the regular season.

Prediction: Rangers in seven.

Like a crafty prizefighter, the experienced Rangers will guile their way to a seventh game – then Lundqvist will deliver the knockout punch by outdueling Marc-Andre Fleury.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey

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