from Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post,

These aren’t hockey games any longer, but something else entirely, something more visceral, something more vicious, something more exhausting. These are endless sessions on a treadmill with the speed on 12 and the grade on 5. These are water-polo wrestling matches, hard on the stomach, harder on the lungs, hardest on the heart.

In March, in the one-and-done NCAA Tournament, we often hear that old chestnut Jimmy Valvano dreamed up years ago: survive and advance. In March, in the NCAAs, that’s supposed to be a metaphor.

In May, in these NHL playoffs, as far as the Rangers are concerned?

It may not be literal.

But it sure seems literal.

And so it was that a stuffed Madison Square Garden learned to breathe again a few minutes past 10 o’clock Friday night. Nine minutes and 37 seconds into overtime, maybe half an hour after the Rangers appeared ready to lie in state, they were instead exploding off their bench, rushing toward Ryan McDonagh, speeding toward Sunday night.

continued

Watch the game highlights below...