Rangers vs. Penguins: 3 things to watch for in Metropolitan Division clash
Metropolitan Division rivals heading in opposite directions clash Friday night at Madison Square Garden, when the New York Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in their first game after trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks a few hours before game time.
The Rangers (13-10-1) have lost six of their past seven games (1-6-0) and are just one point ahead of the Penguins (11-12-4), who’ve won four straight, their longest winning streak of the season. New York does have three games in hand on Pittsburgh, so a regulation victory Friday would create more breathing room for the Rangers than meets the eye at first look.
They’ll be playing without Trouba, who was sent to the Ducks for injured defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Victor Mancini, who was called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League, will take his place.
But that we’re even discussing creating breathing room for the Rangers ahead of the Penguins is a red flag. The Penguins have been a mess nearly all season, missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs two seasons running, own a minus-27 goal differential that’s worst in the NHL and give up the most goals in the League (3.78 per game).
It was just two months ago that the Rangers smoked the Penguins 6-0 on opening night in Pittsburgh. It appeared to be an affirmation of the expected paths for each team this season. Now, here we are, and the Penguins can shockingly jump the Rangers in the standings.
But after three days without a game since a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday, the Rangers should be fresh physically and mentally. And perhaps that will lead to a much needed better start and result.
Related: NHL trade rumors: Rangers ‘are team to watch,’ Insider says
3 things to watch for when Rangers host Penguins
1. A familiar look up front
Trouba’s departure is causing changes on the blue line, but after an extended stretch of line juggling, due in part to injuries sustained by Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider and in part to shake up a stagnant lineup, the Rangers appear to be settling back in with what’s most familiar. Coach Peter Laviolette restored the most common lines during the loss Monday and rolled them out at practice the next two days.
That means Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere will try to recapture their top form, one that made that trio one of the most feared lines in the NHL last season — and had a strong run to begin this season. It also means that Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider will be reunited 5v5 with Reilly Smith riding shotgun on right wing.
Perhaps most importantly, Chytil is back between Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. That line’s been terrific when deployed by Laviolette this season, a threat offensively and a shut-down line defensively.
The Rangers are much deeper than the Penguins in the top nine. Now let’s see if they can build some chemistry with what’s most familiar to them.
2. Home (not-so) Sweet Home
Madison Square Garden hasn’t exactly been a refuge for the Rangers this season. They’re just 6-5-1 on home ice this season, and let’s face it, the building has been morgue-like far too often in the first 12 games. Certainly, a quick goal or two by the home team Friday, would turn the apprehensive mood into a big party because the Rangers Faithful are just itching to explode and rock the joint.
The Rangers are just 2-4-0 in their past six home games dating to Nov. 7, often falling behind early and having the life sucked out of the The Garden. Home-ice advantage? Not so much.
The Penguins are a mediocre 4-6-2 on the road, though they’ve won two of their past three away from PPG Paints Arena. Still, this should be all about the Rangers, dictating how this one’s played, and not about letting the Penguins to steal their home-ice thunder.
3. Sid still the kid
Rangers fans by and large hate him — large swaths of Blueshirts Faithful still call him “Cindy” — but Sidney Crosby remains one of the top players in the NHL. At age 37 and in his 20th NHL season, Crosby leads the Penguins with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 27 games and is again playing more than 20 minutes a night.
After finishing with 93 and 94 points the past two seasons, he inked another team-friendly deal this summer, committing to the Penguins even though the future doesn’t appear so bright in the Steel City. He just keeps rolling along, entering MSG with a five-game point streak (six points; one goal, five assists).
Crosby recently became the 21st player in NHL history to score 600 goals and on Friday he will play in his 1,300th game, the 72nd player ever to do so. Love him or hate him, Crosby is one of the sport’s all-time greats.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Kreider – Zibanejad – Smith
Cuylle – Chytil – Kakko
Edstrom – Carrick – Vesey
Lindgren – Fox
Miller- Schneider
Jones – Mancini
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Penguins: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
When: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: ESPN+
Click here for New York Rangers complete 2024-25 schedule and game results
More About:New York Rangers News
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