Mike Sullivan discusses the status of Nick Bonino and the door that opens for Alex Nylander. The Pittsburgh Penguins rattled off a much needed win over the Philadelphia Flyers, catapulting them into the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference. Their reward for a hard-earned victory is to take on the 37 win New York Rangers 24 hours later. Here's what to watch for in this Sunday afternoon showdown. 1. Dynamic Duo Carrying Team The Penguins aimed to bolster their bottom six before the trade deadline. While they've shown some brief improvements, it's still clear that this team is being carried by their top two players: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Both Crosby and Malkin have six points in their last five games, and their lines are consistently generating offense. Crosby is especially upping his play over the last five games. He's chipped in two power play goals, both coming off of one-timers from the high slot. The Penguins have struggled all season on the man advantage, and Crosby seems to have taken it upon himself to change that. The Rangers need to have a strong effort if they want to shut down Sid and Geno in this matchup. 2. There Ain't No Rest for the Wicked... or These Teams Both the Penguins and the Rangers are playing in their second of back-to-back games when they face off today. Both teams picked up two points in their first games, playing through hard fought games. Which team will have the better endurance in this matchup? The Penguins are the older team, and it will be interesting to see if they play with the same intensity against the Rangers as they did against the Flyers. 3. Patrick Kane Bringing it to Broadway The Rangers went all in for this season, acquiring 34-year-old Patrick Kane in an effort to get this team over the hump. Scoreless in his first few games with the Blue Shirts, Kane has come to life after settling in. He has goals in back-to-back games, including one on the power play. The Rangers offense was high-powered enough prior to his arrival, but the addition of Kane has brought this team to the next level. The Penguins defense will have an incredibly tough challenge trying to contain Kane and the potent Rangers' offense. This is the first contest between the two teams since December and they will meet three times this week. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins HC Mike Sullivan Reaches 400 Career Wins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-head-coach-mike-sullivan-reaches-400-career-wins] Penguins Get Much Needed Win Over Cross-State Rivals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-much-needed-win-cross-state-rivals] Penguins Make Big Changes to Forward Lines [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-make-big-changes-forward-lines] Nick Bonino Injury Opens Opportunities for Penguins Centers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/nick-bonino-injury-opens-opportunities-pittsburgh-penguins-centers] Nick Bonino Out of Penguins Lineup Week-to-Week with Lacerated Kidney [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/nick-bonino-out-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup-lacerated-kidney] * undefined * undefined
