2014 Stanley Cup Final Rangers Vs. Kings: Don't Give Up

You've probably already gone through most of the stages of grief after Game 2. Denial, anger, bargaining and depression, mainly.

You're probably furious. Furious that Dan O'Halloran somehow didn't think that Dwight King being on top of Henrik Lundqvist in the crease was enough of a reason to blow a play dead for goaltender interference. King, of course, tipped the puck in and scored (again, while on top of Henrik Lundqvist in the crease) to give the Kings all the life they needed to tie the game. Then you're probably even more furious that the linesman missed a blatant, black-and-white puck over the glass penalty (he actually pounded the glass after it went out, which is astounding since it never came close to toughing the glass and I really do wonder what he was looking at) and the Kings scored the overtime winner when they should have been on the penalty kill.

You're upset that the series is now 2-0 Kings when it just as easily could have been 2-0 Rangers. You probably bargained with someone or something to help get the Rangers back in this series. And as it sunk in that you just witnessed one of the most heartbreaking losses in Rangers' history you probably became depressed. Some of you might even be thinking of accepting what's happened and starting to give up.

Don't give up. Don't you dare.

If you've watched these past two games and actually thought to yourself, "there's no way we could have won either of those two games" you're out of your mind. You want to know how long the Kings have held a lead in this series? 0 minutes and 0 seconds. That's not a typo, that's a fact.

Yes, despite that figure the Kings are up 2-0 in the series, which is obviously a reason for concern. The Rangers need to win Game 3 and Game 4 on home ice. They need both, not one, plain and simple. But aside from self-inflicted wounds in Game 1 and seriously some of the worst officiating ever in a Stanley Cup Final in Game 2 this is a different series.

If you've watched the past two games and thought that the Kings have blown the Rangers out of the water (third period of Game 1 aside) and run all over them you'e crazy. If you don't think the Rangers could have easily won both Game 1 and 2 you're so pessimistic you're allowing it to cover your judgement.

And if you think for a millisecond that the Rangers are going to give up, just stop watching the games. If we've seen anything this year it's that this team doesn't quit. They don't give up on themselves and they don't give up on each other. They don't stop moving forward, ever.

You have a role in this too. The Garden better be as loud as I've ever heard it tonight. Take all that frustration, anger, depression, denial and anger again and throw it on the ice. Support the living Hell out of this team tonight. Be insane. Make sure neither team can hear the national anthem. Regardless of what's happening on the ice, act like this is Game 7 -- because in a lot of ways it is.

This team needs to be supported. They're probably just as angry and just as frustrated as all of you are. Lundqvist could barley contain himself in the presser after the game. Alain Vigneault was just as angry (although you'd never know it if you didn't watch him for the entire year). The guys care and the guys are hurting. They're bruised and they're tired. But so are the Kings.

When they walk on that ice, they need to hear a place that's even louder than it would be if they were up 2-0. Cheer at irrational times and even more irrational levels. Let them know you're behind them. Because they've been behind you all year. They've talked about how they expect to find a way on home ice. That says something about every fan in that building. There is an expectation, there is a hope.

So be loud tonight. Be supportive tonight. Let them know you have not and will not ever give up on them.

If nothing else, do it because they sure as hell haven't given up on you.