Video: New York Ranger: Derek Stepan's Series-Clinching Goal and Hand Shake

The New York Rangers are going back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a second year in a row. Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Derek Stepan scored the series-clinching goal at the 11:24 mark fo the overtime period.

Former #Badgers McDonagh and Stepan have OT goals to help Rangers advance past Washington in Stanley Cup playoffs.

— Andy Baggot (@AndyBaggotWSJ) May 14, 2015

Brandon Prust and Derek Stepan, A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

I thought this was a classy move.

(Video) Rangers Daniel Carcillo Car Bombed by the NHL, Prust and Dorsett fight

Today, the NHL car bombed Daniel Carcillo. The Rangers pugilist has been suspended for 10 games for his abuse of an NHL official, I think the suspension should be 20 games. There's no excuse for pushing, hitting and or elbowing an NHL linesman or referee.

Looking at the video, this was in the first six minutes of the first period of game three. I included the P.K. Subban and Derek Dorsett exchange. It almost looks like a slew-foot. There was no penalty on the play.

The fight between Dorsett and Brandon Prust is per the hockey code. I don’t have a problem with this fight, and in this instance the code worked. Prust took out one of the Montreal Canadiens with a dirty hit, Dorset challenged him to a fight and Prust accepted the challenge.

Brandon Prust Hit on Derek Stepan, Prust suspended two games

A two-game suspension is an joke , and no where near enough for this dirty, predatory hit.

These types of dirty hits have no place in the game of hockey, at any level. There's no defending this hit. It's a brutal, late, and it's interference. There's also significant contact with the head. This hit is unacceptable. Because of Brandon Prust's dirty hit, Derek Stephan has a broke jaw that required surgery today.

Derek Stepan scores goal off of Zdeno Chara miscue

Boston Bruins all-world defenseman Zdeno Chara was lazy with the puck this time and it cost the Boston Bruins a goal. Rangers forward Derek Stephan was Johnny on the spot as he put the puck in the net before the Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could get set on his post. Chara's untimely slipup/turnover caused the game to be tied again at 2-2.

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Kreider seeing little ice time during Rangers run

Larry Brooks has an interesting article on the Rangers and how they have utilized a few of their younger players that happen to have college hockey experience. I really thought the Ragners forward line of Kreider-Stepan-Callahan looked pretty good earlier in the series and for what ever reason the Rangers head coach has broke up that forward line after game two and the Rangers really haven’t generated a lot of offense since.

Larry Brooks, New York Post --- Since Tortorella made decision to limit the 21-year-old rookie to fourth-line cameo appearances in the wake of a pair of deficient plays in the defensive zone in Game 4 led to a pair of Capitals’ goals in Washington’s 3-2 victory, the Rangers have scored one pure five-on-five goal in 144:52 covering more than seven periods, and that by Anton Stralman in the first period of Game 5.

Not a forward has scored a pure even-strength goal since Tortorella benched Kreider while concurrently and mysteriously demoting playmaking pivot Derek Stepan from a top-six role to a checking line assignment between Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Prust while elevating checking center Brian Boyle to the spot between Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov.

The moves have failed. Where the Kreider-Stepan-Callahan line could generate speed off the rush through the neutral zone against the Caps, and did when previously united, the Rangers have been stagnant and station to station since the realignment, the reasons for which have been placed into Tortorella’s accordion folder of confidential material that has grown larger than the Penske File.

I have watched every game of the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals series and this series reminds me of the Bruins and Capitals series, much like the Bruins, the Rangers have failed to get a lot of offensive chances down low in the slot. The Capitals have effectively clogged up the front of the net and have made it difficult to get any chances on net. It not very exciting hockey but the Capitals are negating the Rangers offensive opportunities and you can see it frustrating the Rangers. It’s also been a very unattractive series to watch as well.

Apparently, Rangers head coach John Tortorella isn't even saying whether the former Boston College Eagles star Chris Kreider is going to play in Saturday’s game seven or not, don’t expect Torts to say a lot about the matter either during his press conferences.

Derek Stepan hits Chris Neil

This was from yesterday's Rangers and Senators game. Very nice check by the former Wisconsin Badger and Rangers forward Derek Stepan on the Senators forward and tough guy Chris Neil. It's a text book body check.

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Derek Stepan Hit On Mike Green

Check out this hit by former Wisconsin Badger and current New York Ranger Derek Stepan on Washington Capital Mike Green, by definition this is probably a violation of of rule 48... There was no penalty called on the play, one could make the argument that the cross check by Green on Stepan was just as bad and could have been called a penalty as well. Just for the record, Derek Stepan is not a dirty player and according to the New York Post beat writer Larry Brooks the NHL will review the hit. Mike Green is listed as questionable.

Any more WCHA defections?

Here is a blurb that is going to make Wisconsin Badgers fans a little nervous. Since this is coming from Larry Brooks one might question this story's validity a bit. The Prospect Park kind of picks apart the Larry Brooks article.

Sather said that he would like to sign Wisconsin senior defenseman Ryan McDonagh and junior center Derek Stepan. The GM told The Post both players would attend the Blueshirts’ prospects camp the first week of July.

“We’d like to get them in and have them earn jobs,” Sather said of the two young Americans. “We’re excited to see whether [Evgeny] Grachev and [Dale] Weise and some of our other kids can earn jobs. [New York Post]