Jason Zucker speaks to the media following his return to Pittsburgh Penguins practice on Monday afternoon at UPMC Lemieux Complex. PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins have seen vast improvements from both of their power play and penalty kill in recent weeks. Teddy Blueger’s return to the Penguins lineup help push the penalty kill to its old form, while a simpler system on the power play has proven to be useful. The power play has scored at least a goal in eight straight games while the penalty kill is rolling along as one of the best in the NHL with a 83.51% kill rating. Both of those units will be tested as the New York Rangers come to town for their first meeting with the Penguins since the 2022 postseason. The Rangers not only bring a seven-game winning streak, but strong defensive teams units that will be a handful for the Penguins. New York’s penalty kill that sits well within the top 10 in the league and their power play has been on a roll, picking up numerous goals along the way in their streak. According to Mike Sullivan, the Penguins will have to counter with a strong game from their own special teams units. “I think they’re going to be critically important,” Sullivan said. “When you look at New York’s team and the success they’ve has as of late, their special teams has been a big part of it.” Sullivan made note that both the Penguins and Rangers have been on great runs and the special teams have been playing huge roles. “They’re on a similar run to our team in a lot of ways,” Sullivan said. “The special teams has been a big part of our ability to win games as of late, I think you could say the same for the Rangers.” The similarities are there the Rangers are riding a seven-game winning streak, while the Penguins just had their seven-game winning streak snapped. If the Penguins want to get back to the win column, it’ll be vital for the special teams to continue chugging along. “There’s a lot of dangerous one-time threats in the league,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to face one tonight with [Mika] Zibanejad.” The Penguins are expecting a challenge from all angles and are hungry to not only find a little revenge on the Rangers, but also climb back up the rankings of the Metropolitan Division. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Jeff Petry Takes Reps Prior to Penguins Morning Skate [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-jeff-petry-reps-prior-morning-skate] Jason Zucker, Josh Archibald Game-Time Decisions for Penguins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-jason-zucker-josh-archibald-game-time-decisions] Penguins Seek Revenge Against Rangers [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-seek-revenge-new-york-rangers] 3 Things to Watch: Penguins vs. Rangers [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-3-things-watch-new-york-rangers] Penguins Expect Challenge in First Battle Against Rangers Since Postseason Knockout [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-expect-battle-against-new-york-rangers] * undefined * undefined
