NEW YORK -- Slowly, ever so slowly, the Penguins stopped being so slow.
Phil Kessel ignited that process, pretty much all by himself. So before we get into grinding through all that wound up so very well for the visitors Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, meaning the 3-1 throttling of the Rangers in Game 3 of this first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, let's give initial applause where due: Kessel was the most pivotal player in perhaps the series' most pivotal game.
Through two full games plus two-thirds of another, the offense had gained zero ground at even-strength. The stars were sputtering or sulking or slashing out their frustrations. The supporting cast couldn't generate a routine forecheck, never mind actual chances. And most ominous, the very anchor of the New York franchise, Henrik Lundqvist, was beginning to build those familiar moats around his castle.
It was shades of 2015.
And 2014, for that matter.
All except for No. 81 whizzing all about The World's Most Famous Arena as if it were a frozen Wisconsin pond. He went end to end, corner to corner, maybe out to the concourses for a visit to the hot dog vendor while we weren't looking.
"Man, Phil ... " as Patric Hornqvist would tell me a lot later, "he was just flying out there."
Sure was. And my goodness, he even looked like he was -- gasp -- having a little fun.
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- Get the puck over the blue line with a New York forechecker bearing down.
- Get a quick glance at what options might lie ahead.
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