For a team that was trailing 2-1 in its first-round playoff matchup, the New York Rangers were flat Thursday, as they were outworked, outskated and outplayed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5-0 Game 4 loss at Madison Square Garden.
After their dominant performance, led by Evgeni Malkin's two power-play goals and two assists, the Penguins are headed back to Consol Energy Center with a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The Rangers might have been looking for physical retribution instead of trying to even the series at the game's start. After Kris Letang's non-penalized slash of Viktor Stalberg in Game 3, the Rangers went right after the Penguins to establish a physical presence.