HOW THE RANGERS CAN BEAT THE BLACKHAWKS IN CHICAGO
1. GOALTENDING: Igor Shesterkin is better than Spencer Knight. That should be a two-goal New York advantage right off the bat.
2. SMOTHER THE KID: Connor Bedard must be treated like Connor McDavid. Put the Crash Line of Noah Laba, Will Cuylle and Brett Brerard on Bedard's line whenever the Hawks' ace steps on the ice. Instead of Me and My Shadow, it will be Us Shadowing You!
3. FIX THE POWER PLAY: Once and for all coach Mike Sullivan has got to scrap the five-forward PP. Insert Slava Gavrikov as quarterback and there'll be dividends. Admit it already, Sully, the five-forward plan = The Square Root of Chai-Nothing.
4. KEEP UP TO SPEED: Chicago's spate of gifted, young skaters are fast. The way to keep up is by a 100 percent Blueshirt effort from the opening face-off – not waiting for the game to begin in the second period.
5. BEWARE OVERCONFIDENCE: This is not the easy-to-beat Humpty Hawks of the past few years. Taking them lightly will be a horrendous mistake. (And please don't toss that hoary "Mistakes happen" line.)