It's win or go home for the Rangers

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Will a reunited Roaring 20s line help propel the Rangers past the Washington Capitals and into the Eastern Conference finals against the Devils?

That's one of the Rangers' hopes for Saturday night's Game 7, the second do-or-die match at Madison Square Garden in two weeks.

In the previous two games of this series, promising rookie Chris Kreider skated on the fourth line with John Mitchell and Mike Rupp. At practice Friday, however, the Boston College star, who wears No. 20, was on the left side of Derek Stepan (21) and captain Ryan Callahan (24).

"Good players like them like to have the puck on their stick," Kreider said after the team's one-day rest. "Hopefully I can try to win pucks and force turnovers so they can keep playing."

Kreider's defensive errors prompted the demotion by coach John Tortorella, but the line has shown an ability to create some scoring chances.

"We had a little bit of chemistry from the first time we were together in Game 6 against Ottawa," Stepan said. "Those guys move their legs and are really fast skaters, so we want to create space if we can through the neutral zone and create loose pucks in the offensive zone, where we can bury our opportunities."

But in order for the Rangers to avoid being buried, they'll have to ramp up the overall intensity and second efforts after a disappointing Game 6 loss.

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"There's nothing in the past that means anything," Brad Richards said. "One game, all-out, home ice, and move on to the next round. If we win 1-0, it's the same as winning 5-1. We'd like to get out and score two or three in the first, but you play the way the game's being played. We're not going to abandon our structure just because people are writing about lack of scoring."

Scoring has been an issue for the Rangers, however, with only one five-on-five goal in more than seven periods and an 0-for-5 power play in Game 6.

"We want to score, but we can't at the expense of defending," Brian Boyle said. "We've got to get to more pucks, a little more tenacity."

That sentiment is in line with Tortorella's thinking on structure, puck control and physical play. "I know Game 7 isn't just a game," he said, "but we don't change how we do things. It's always good to have the experience of it [a previous Game 7], but every time we go into our building, we are ready to play, and we will be ready to play."

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Before Game 7 against the Senators, a 2-1 win, Tortorella said players who had skated in previous Game 7s (Richards, Rupp, Ruslan Fedotenko) spoke to the team before the game. "I don't think anybody has to speak to the team tomorrow," he said.

Henrik Lundqvist, who has allowed only 12 goals in the series, said Tortorella probably will offer "a few pointers. It's important that we control our emotions; you have to make sure you make good decisions under pressure."

Said Boyle, who already was jacked up for the game: "We have confidence in each other. Doesn't matter how we got here, it's 3-3 after six, so you throw it all out and play one game."