If only those drives stung New Jersey's Martin Brodeur that way, the Rangers might not be facing playoff elimination so quickly.
But New York has hit the Devils' net behind Brodeur only twice in three playoff games - all Rangers' losses in a best-of-seven series that could end Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
The trouble goes back further. The Rangers have lost eight straight and have managed one goal or fewer in the past five games.
Brodeur punctuated that with a 3-0 win in Game 3 that landed the Devils on the brink of the second round. The Devils have completed two playoff sweeps and won the Stanley Cup in each of those seasons.
"We've been through a lot this year, so facing what's ahead I think everybody doesn't want to mess it up," Brodeur said.
By the time New York takes the ice Saturday, it will be three weeks since its last victory. The Rangers haven't won at home since April 6.
"Mission important and possible," Rangers coach Tom Renney said Friday. "It's a race to four games and they've only got three. As far as I'm concerned, we can certainly do that."
If the Rangers extend the series, Game 5 would be Sunday back across the Hudson River.
Lundqvist was mentioned throughout the season as a potential rookie of the year or Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie for posting 30 wins in 53 games.
Yet, he is still looking for his first playoff victory and is running out of time to get it. The Rangers have been outscored 13-2 in the series that has been dominated at both ends of the ice by the Devils, who have won 14 straight games.
"We expected not to score a lot of goals against Brodeur. History speaks for itself and how good a goalie he is, especially in the playoffs," forward Steve Rucchin said. "The biggest problem for us has been our own zone. We've given New Jersey way too many easy opportunities to score goals."
New Jersey has been content to sit back and wait for the Rangers to make mistakes. When New York does, the Devils have been quick to strike with odd-man rushes that have produced a good chunk of their goals.
And the waiting isn't all that long.
The Devils have taken the lead in the opening minutes of all three games. Only once - in the opener - have the Rangers tied it let alone go ahead. New York hasn't had an advantage in any game since a loss at Pittsburgh on April 13 - a stretch of 347 minutes 42 seconds over 17 periods.
"We have to start the game in a good way," Lundqvist said. "I don't think we have to score in the first period, we don't have to score in the second period. We just have to score the first goal. If we do that in the third period, that's good. We just have to be patient."
Jaromir Jagr couldn't afford that, so he pressed his sore left shoulder back into action Wednesday after missing his first game of the season. He couldn't shoot the puck the way he did in racking up team records of 54 goals and 123 points but he tried.
Jagr practised with his teammates fully Friday for the first time since he was injured in the series opener and is expected to play again in Game 4.
"If he's going to dress, then I have high expectations," Renney said. "He can shoot. He may not be able to do the one-timer thing or the slapshot but that's never really been a part of his repertoire anyway."
Rookie Petr Prucha and checking forward Blair Betts are the only Rangers to score in this series. Jagr has one assist, as does fellow top-liner Michael Nylander. The third in that trio, Martin Straka, has none.
Petr Sykora, a former Devils player, has no points yet.
"No doubt we're playing the hottest team," said Martin Rucinsky, who returned from a finger injury in Game 3. "It's hard, but we have to find a way to get it done."
Jaromir Jagr left 53 seconds into New York's season-ending 4-2 playoff loss Saturday when the Rangers forward's dislocated left shoulder was slammed into the boards on a check by New Jersey defenceman Brad Lukowich.
"I knew as soon as I got hit it's not going to be good," he said.
Jagr, the NHL's second-leading scorer this season, was already hampered by his sore shoulder that forced him to miss Game 2. He was injured in the series opener at New Jersey when he tried to reach for Devils forward Scott Gomez late in the 6-1 loss. The New York star made a surprise return Wednesday in Game 3 with limited effectiveness.
Without him, the Rangers couldn't avoid being swept out of the playoffs in their first appearance since 1997. New York lost its final five games of the regular season to fall from first to third in the Atlantic Division on the final day.
The four-game playoff sweep meant the Rangers ended their season with nine straight losses.
"You always look at the way you finish and it wasn't pretty," said Jagr, who does not know if he will need surgery to repair the shoulder.
The right winger, who posted team records of 54 goals and 123 points this season, went into the deep right corner in the Devils' end when Lukowich met him with a hit on the right shoulder. The force drove Jagr into the boards, leading with his left shoulder.
"I dislocated my shoulder in Game 1," the 34-year-old Jagr acknowledged for the first time. "I came back and tried in the third game and didn't get hit.
"This game I got hit into the boards. I don't know exactly what happened, but it wasn't good."
Jagr, who had only one assist in the series, crumpled to the ice and stayed down until he was assisted by New York's training staff. He skated off, doubled over and with his left arm drooping, and headed straight down the tunnel to the dressing room.
"I wasn't trying to hit him any harder than anyone else," Lukowich said. "A guy like him, very rarely do you ever get a chance to hit.
"I was just playing the game. He was no target or anything."
New York was outscored 17-4 in the sweep, recording half its goals in the final loss. It was the first time in six games the Rangers scored more than once in a game.
Jed Ortmeyer's tally in the closing minute of the first period put New York on top for the only time in the series. That lead was gone early in the second.
"The worst hockey we played was before the playoffs and in the playoffs," Jagr said. "I don't know why that is."
Malik ended the NHL’s longest shootout in the 15th round Saturday night, fooling goalie Olie Kolzig with a trick shot to give the New York Rangers a 3-2 home win over Washington.
“You have to have guts to do that move,” said Jagr, penalized at the start of overtime for using an illegal stick. “In front of 20,000 people watching you, it’s not that easy to do.”
With only two healthy skaters left on the Rangers’ bench, Malik – a defenseman – took a shot with his stick between his skates and beat Kolzig, who played junior hockey for the Tri-City Americans, for the Rangers’ fifth consecutive victory – their longest winning streak in nearly four years.
“I was watching everything before me,” Malik said. “Olie was unbelievable, he stopped everything from shots, moves. I just thought to myself, ‘Maybe I’ll surprise him.’ I tried the move and it worked.”
New York’s five-game winning streak is its best stretch since a five-game run from March 30-April 8, 2002. The Rangers (16-7-3) are nine over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1995-96 season.
The Rangers, who also got shootout goals from Michael Nylander, Ville Nieminen and Jason Strudwick, improved to 4-1 in the new tiebreaker. Washington fell to 3-2 in shootouts despite goals from Andrew Cassels, Brian Willsie and Bryan Muir.
Islanders 4, at Flyers 2: Jason Blake scored three times and Brad Lukowich had the go-ahead goal 4:43 into the third period, leading New York over Philadelphia.
At Senators 4, Bruins 2: Jason Spezza had two goals and two assists and linemates Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson each had a goal and two assists for Ottawa.
At Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 3 (OT): Mats Sundin scored a power-play goal at 1:29 of overtime to give Toronto its 10th victory in its past 13 games against Montreal.
At Thrashers 7, Panthers 4: Marc Savard had two goals and two assists to help Atlanta end a three-game losing streak.
Blue Jackets 4, at Blues 3: Aaron Johnson’s first goal of the season snapped a third-period tie and Columbus ended a seven-game losing streak.
Stars 3, at Predators 1: Stu Barnes, Jere Lehtinen and Antti Miettinen scored goals and Marty Turco made 23 saves for Dallas.
At Coyotes 2, Canucks 1: Ladislav Nagy had a goal and an assist and Curtis Joseph made 34 saves for Phoenix.
At Kings 3, Blackhawks 2: Luc Robitaille scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and Alexander Frolov had a goal and an assist for Los Angeles.
Red Wings 7, at Sharks 6: Brendan Shanahan scored the tying and winning goals in a 70-second span late in the third period and Mathieu Schneider scored three goals to help Detroit hand San Jose its ninth loss in a row.
Slap shots
Los Angeles Kings left wing Ryan Flinn sustained a severe head injury when his head struck the ice during a fight with Chicago defenseman Jim Vandermeer. The game was delayed eight minutes midway through the first period while the Kings’ medical staff attended to Flinn, who got in the most punches during the brawl and at one point knocked Vandermeer’s helmet off. Flinn was placed on a stretcher and carried off the ice, leaving a large pool of blood behind. The 25-year-old Flinn was called up from Manchester of the AHL on Saturday. … Pittsburgh Penguins rookie center Sidney Crosby could miss today’s game at Tampa Bay with a bruised left foot. … The Atlanta Thrashers recalled goalie Adam Berkhoel from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. … The Florida Panthers activated center Rostislav Olesz from the injured list, and he scored a goal in the second period against Atlanta.
