The New York Rangers find themselves in unfamiliar territory - eliminated after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

At the hands of a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon, the Rangers were sent packing in the first round for the first time since 2011.

The stable blue line that anchored the Rangers to two of the last three conference finals didn't show up this spring, and Henrik Lundqvist unraveled as New York allowed at least three goals in every game of the series.

Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault knows the performance wasn't good enough.

"We all wanted and expected more," Vigneault told reporters after the game.

Captain Ryan McDonagh felt the same way.

"They played better, and simply put, they executed better in all facets of the game - power play, penalty kill, and five-on-five," McDonagh said. "We didn't play well enough. They were a lot better throughout the series, made us pay for our mistakes - and we made way too many. It's tough to grasp right now. We didn't play up to our potential."

Lundqvist, who annually is the Rangers' best player, wasn't in top form this postseason, and he knows it.

"You need to be extremely confident as a goalie to stop those types of shots," Lundqvist said, referring to the Penguins' high-percentage scoring chances in the series. "These last two games I wasn't strong enough to do that.

"The last two I have to be better. But also the way we played, the way we give up chances, it's going to be tough to win games," he added.

Now, the Rangers' front office faces an offseason filled with difficult decisions. Already pressed against the salary cap, New York has choices to make with unrestricted free agents Keith Yandle and Eric Staal - who New York added at the expense of future first-round picks - along with restricted depth players Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, and J.T. Miller.

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What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Ask Sidney Crosby.

"We went through a lot of adversity throughout the year," the Pittsburgh Penguins captain said after his club sent the New York Rangers packing in five games, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "I think we learned a lot about this group along the way."

Pittsburgh began the season with lofty expectations, but started extremely slow from the gate, especially Crosby, who had only a goal and four assists through the Penguins' first 11 games.

The club's slow start cost head coach Mike Johnston his job, the Penguins turning a corner after Mike Sullivan was given the position. Pittsburgh only got stronger as the season went on.

Crosby got better, too. He had 10 points in November, 12 in December, 14 in January, 18 in February, and 21 in March.

"I thought we really found our game (in March)," Crosby said. "I think that whole month, we built a lot of confidence."

The Penguins went 12-4 in March. They're peaking at the right time, and that they were able to send the Rangers home in only five games without their No. 1 goalie speaks to the talent and dedication of the club.

"It doesn't get any easier, that's for sure," Crosby said about the next round, and the month ahead. You have to think the Penguins will be just fine, though.

"Right now, they're probably the hottest team in the league and they're going to be a tough matchup," Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said. He knows.

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The third time's a charm for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After back-to-back playoff eliminations at the hands of the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh exploded for a four-goal second period in Game 5, which propelled them to a 6-3 win, and a series victory.

More to come.

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Mercifully, Henrik Lundqvist has been pulled from the New York Rangers' net.

Backup goaltender Antti Raanta started the third period between the pipes in Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, facing a 6-2 deficit.

Pittsburgh exploded for four goals in the second period, but multiple defensive breakdowns were to blame rather than Lundqvist, who was hung out to dry repeatedly.

The disappointing performance dropped Lundqvist's save percentage to an uncharacteristic .867 for the postseason. He's stopped pucks at a .923 clip over his playoff career.

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On the verge of moving on to the second round for the first time since 2012, the St. Louis Blues still have a familiar thorn in their sides - the Chicago Blackhawks.

St. Louis squandered an opportunity to end the series on home ice in Game 5, and the Blues don't want to give the defending champions another chance.

"We don't want to wait until Monday to try to do this," Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "We're ready to come in tonight and play our best game of the series."

With Game 6 set for Saturday night at the United Center, the pressure is on the Blues to win in one of the most hostile arenas in the league, but that doesn't faze head coach Ken Hitchcock.

"We just want to win this series," Hitchcock said. "It doesn't matter when or where. We'll play them on the street if they want."

The Blackhawks are 12-4 when facing elimination since 2009, and have a record of 44-15 in Games 4-7 in that span.

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Since Game 3's ugly ending that saw Philadelphia Flyers fans litter the ice with commemorative bracelets after a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, the team has rebounded with back-to-back wins to force Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center.

Aiming to come back from a formidable 3-0 series hole, the Flyers are treating their fans with T-shirts featuring PA announcer Lou Nolan along with the phrase "Stay classy, Philly!"

The shirts come after Nolan urged Flyers fans to stop throwing bracelets on Monday, pleading: "Hold those wristbands in your hands, show some class. This is Philly, not somewhere else in the NHL."

Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.

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Phil Kessel's incredible playoffs continued Saturday.

With a chance to clinch their first-round series against the New York Rangers in Game 5, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward recorded his fifth point of the series with an assist on an early Carl Hagelin goal, and followed it up with an incredible snipe less than two minutes later.

While on the power play, Kessel was sprung into the offensive zone by captain Sidney Crosby before burying an incredible wrist shot over the right shoulder of Henrik Lundqvist to tie the game at 2-2.

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Scott Laughton is expected to be on the ice Monday, and could potentially rejoin the lineup if the Philadelphia Flyers are successful in forcing a Game 7 in their first-round clash with the Washington Capitals, reports Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Laughton was released from hospital a day after he was stretchered off the ice in Game 4 as the result of a heavy collision into the endboards.

Philadelphia has fought its way back into the series since, thanks in large part to two heroic performances from goaltender Michal Neuvirth.

The do-or-die Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday at noon.

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With Canada's only basketball team looking to take a 3-1 first-round series lead Saturday, one of Canada's biggest hockey stars headed to Indiana to cheer them on.

P.K. Subban - whose Montreal Canadiens missed the NHL playoffs - is sitting courtside at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to cheer on his hometown Toronto Raptors, who are taking on the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon.

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With Canada's only basketball team looking to take a 3-1 first-round series lead Saturday, one of Canada's biggest hockey stars headed to Indiana to cheer them on.

P.K. Subban - whose Montreal Canadiens missed the NHL playoffs - is sitting courtside at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to cheer on his hometown Toronto Raptors, who are taking on the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon.

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