
The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to New York for two straight games against the Rangers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in action after a disappointing loss against the Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins will be looking for a much better outcome against a much better opponent: the New York Rangers. These teams met less than a week ago, with the Penguins outlasting the Rangers in overtime for a 3-2 win. The Pens and Rags will play two games in three days, with the Penguin's playoff positioning on the line. Here's what to watch for.
1. Will Malkamania Run Wild at Madison Square Garden?
The Penguins, despite their most recent loss, are playing better hockey of late. Leading the charge offensively is Evgeni Malkin, and he's been a thorn in the Rangers' side his entire career. Malkin has 70 points in 69 career games against the Rangers, and has put up three points in two games against the Rags this season. Malkin is also in the midst of a six game scoring streak, and will look to extend that seven in New York.
2. Jake Guentzel Finding Groove
The end of February and beginning of March was a turbulent time for Penguins' forward Jake Guentzel. Between Feb. 17th and March 4th, he registered only one lone goal in nine contests. Since then, Guentzel has caught fire, and quickly returned to being one of the Penguin's most lethal scorers. He has five goals in his last five games and he's looking to continue putting the puck in the net in what should be a heated matchup between these teams.
3. Rangers' Kid Line vs. Penguins Defense
The Rangers are a deep offensive team, with 10 goal scorers on all four lines. One line in particular that will give the Penguins fits is the Ranger's third line of Alex Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko. The so-called "Kid Line" is quick and will be a matchup issue for the Penguins' third defensive pairing.
All three players on the Rangers third line have been held scoreless in their last three games. It will be interesting to see if P.O. Joseph and Jan Ruuta, who will likely draw the most ice-time against this line, will be able to keep this line scoreless for another game.
The Penguins and Rangers face-off at 7:00 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.
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