Rags @ Pens | GNT | 4.5.12 | NBCSN

[evolver115]

v

RANGERS (51-22-7) at PENGUINS (49-25-6)

TV: NBCSN (ND), TSN2, MSG2 (HD), ROOT (HD)

Last 10: New York 7-3-0; Pittsburgh 5-4-1

Season Series: This is the sixth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Penguins lead the series 3-2-0 and have won the last three games. Evgeni Malkin and James Neal have led the way for the Penguins combining for six goals and six assists in the five games, while Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik have combined for four goals and seven assists.

Big Story: The Rangers took a bit of the drama out of this game by clinching the top spot in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night with a 5-3 victory in Philadelphia. There may not be a division title on the line, but the two teams are still clawing for every point as the Rangers are locked in a heated race for the Presidents' Trophy and the Penguins are trying to lock up home ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by finishing fourth.

Team Scope:

Rangers: The Rangers overcame a mid-March swoon that saw them drop three of five games before reeling off five victories in their next six to set themselves up for an opportunity to clinch the division and conference titles on Tuesday night against the Flyers.

Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov, and Ryan Callahan scored first-period goals to stake the Rangers to a 4-0 lead. All-Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did the rest, making 37 saves in the 5-3 victory.

"I love this; what a season," Richards said. "This is a great time of year. Yes, it's going to be a grind, it always is, but we have a good team here, and we have the right pieces in place. It's up to us."

Penguins: The Penguins looked invincible as they rolled to a 13-0-1 record between Feb. 21 and March 22, but that all changed following an 8-4 loss to the Senators on March 23 that kicked off a 2-4-0 run that saw the Penguins play some very uncharacteristically sloppy hockey. They were able to get back on track Tuesday night in Boston as they withstood a Bruins' barrage that tied the game at 2-2, before rolling to a 5-3 victory on the strength of two goals from Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins' power play, which has gone 5-for-12 in their last three games, was a difference maker against the Bruins, as the Penguins picked up two tallies with the extra-man.

"A lot of the times that's the difference in hockey games when you're able to score on the power play with the way that we do such a great job killing penalties," Crosby said. "That's a big boost if we can score on the power play."

Who's Hot: Gaborik has scored points in six consecutive games, scoring six goals and adding four assists. He's reached the 40-goal mark for the second time in three seasons with New York. … Penguins' forward Pascal Dupuis is riding a 15-game points streak in which he has nine goals and 11 assists. The streak is the longest by any player this season.

Injury Report: The Penguins' Ben Lovejoy is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery, Joe Vitale (upper body), Matt Niskanen (undisclosed), and Steve Sullivan (undisclosed) are all questionable. … For the Rangers, Michael Sauer is on injured reserve with a concussion, while defenseman Steve Eminger (sprained right ankle), and forward Mats Zuccarello (left wrist surgery) are out indefinitely.

Stat Pack: Crosby has 34-points (seven goals, 27 assists) in just 20 games this season. His 1.7 points per game is the highest single-season total of his career. ... The Rangers are 21-3-3 when leading after the first period this season. This is also the latest that the Rangers have held the top spot in the Eastern Conference since their Stanley Cup-winning season of 1994.

Puck Drop: James Neal, who scored just one goal last season upon joining the Penguins in February 2011, notched his 40th of the season in Boston.

"It feels good," Neal told the team's website. "It's been great being able to play with [Evgeni Malkin] and [Chris Kunitz]. It's been a lot of fun."​

 

[mattola]

Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins

 

[awaz]

go rangers.

aaand here we go again!?

 

[evolver115]

go rangers.

aaand here we go again!?

Nah...

Pens win tonight, and the 4th seed is locked up, which makes Saturday's game irrelevant. Pens can bench Fleury, Malkin and Sid, and start gearing up for next week.

 

[awaz]

Nah...

Pens win tonight, and the 4th seed is locked up, which makes Saturday's game irrelevant. Pens can bench Fleury, Malkin and Sid, and start gearing up for next week.

ya i'm actually kinda curious what that game will be like if things are all wrapped up

 

[mattola]

ya i'm actually kinda curious what that game will be like if things are all wrapped up

 

[evolver115]

ya i'm actually kinda curious what that game will be like if things are all wrapped up

I'm pretty sure you will see Bylsma skate Jeffrey, Park and Tangradi in place of the talent. Sid and Geno still might play, but I don't know how much ice time they'll see. Johnson will most likely be in the cage, as well.

What could make things really interesting is if philly drops their last two, and NJ wins their last two, you guys are in the #6 spot, and the Armageddon that everyone has been ramping up for will be delayed...

 

[awaz]

I'm pretty sure you will see Bylsma skate Jeffrey, Park and Tangradi in place of the talent. Sid and Geno still might play, but I don't know how much ice time they'll see. Johnson will most likely be in the cage, as well.

What could make things really interesting is if philly drops their last two, and NJ wins their last two, you guys are in the #6 spot, and the Armageddon that everyone has been ramping up for will be delayed...

haha ya.. i would be a little disappointed.. i'm ready for a bloodbath

though, i think it's more important for the flyers to win tonight to help the caps get in.. someone's gotta beat the damn rangers haha

 

[awaz]

i think it'd still be a lot of hitting.. prolly not a lot of talent playing in that one, but i bet there would still be a ton of hitting

 

[loki604]

ya i'm actually kinda curious what that game will be like if things are all wrapped up

I hope Bylsma has Lav's cell phone number so he can ask him who he's allowed to dress.

 

[awaz]

I hope Bylsma has Lav's cell phone number so he can ask him who he's allowed to dress.

as long as he brings his husband with him behind the bench he should be fine.

 

[jerseyjigroe]

Go Rang.....ahh, nope can't do it!

Let's hope they win tonight and leave it at that.

 

[Darkstone42]

In terms of making the overall most interesting playoffs, the Devils stealing the 5th seed from the Flyers would be a good thing, in my opinion.

That gives a semifinal possibility of Rangers vs. Flyers (awesome) and Bruins vs. Penguins (also awesome), and no matter what happens in those two series, an amazing Eastern Conference Finals. Not to mention that in the first round you'd have two division rivalry matchups with Bruins/Senators and Penguins/Devils, as well as an intriguing Rangers/Capitals series, so you're not losing much by losing the Penguins/Flyers series in the first round.

So I'm rooting for the Flyers to drop because I hate them and because I want the best possible playoff situation.

In the meanwhile, the Penguins should go ahead and wrap up 4th tonight.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

In terms of making the overall most interesting playoffs, the Devils stealing the 5th seed from the Flyers would be a good thing, in my opinion.

That gives a semifinal possibility of Rangers vs. Flyers (awesome) and Bruins vs. Penguins (also awesome), and no matter what happens in those two series, an amazing Eastern Conference Finals.

So I'm rooting for the Flyers to drop because I hate them and because I want the best possible playoff situation.

In the meanwhile, the Penguins should go ahead and wrap up 4th tonight.

I hate that scenario. I like the Devils in the 6 seed and potential 2nd round matchups of:

Rangers vs Devils (awesome) and Penguins/Flyers vs Bruins (also awesome).

 

[Darkstone42]

I hate that scenario. I like the Devils in the 6 seed and potential 2nd round matchups of:

Rangers vs Devils (awesome) and Penguins/Flyers vs Bruins (also awesome).

I just really want a Pens/Flyers ECF. Like a lot. Combine the hate with an ECF atmosphere, and we might have the wildest, most awesome playoff series in a long time.

No matter what Jeff says about the Flyers/Bruins series last year.

And if the Devils beat the Pens in the first round, you'd still have a chance at a pretty good Devils/Bruins series in the second, and then you could have that awesome Devils/Rangers series as an ECF.

 

[Darkstone42]

I also want the hate to be put off as long as possible, because once this semester ends, I'm going to try to watch as many playoff games as I can, so the later the hate, the more of it I get to see.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I just really want a Pens/Flyers ECF. Like a lot. Combine the hate with an ECF atmosphere, and we might have the wildest, most awesome playoff series in a long time.

No matter what Jeff says about the Flyers/Bruins series last year.

Well then we'll have to agree to disagree.

Ottawa upsets Boston, Rangers vs Ottawa 2nd round, Devils vs PA leading to an ECF of Devils vs Rangers (these 2 teams also had brawls and coaches feuding with one another if you will remember). :smile:

 

[Darkstone42]

Well then we'll have to agree to disagree.

Ottawa upsets Boston, Rangers vs Ottawa 2nd round, Devils vs PA leading to an ECF of Devils vs Rangers (these 2 teams also had brawls and coaches feuding with one another if you will remember). :smile:

My scenario can also allow for a Devils/Rangers ECF, so I get one more super hateful ECF than you, which makes my scenario superior.

And my Devils/Rangers ECF doesn't require the unlikely Ottawa over Boston upset.

 

[Darkstone42]

Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins
Go Penguins

Wow.

I like the way you think.


But I'm shooting blanks on rep.


/And I'm not even married yet...

 

[KennyBanyeah]

GO ............


Aww who gives a shit, can we just start the playoffs already!!!!