Rangers look to get even as they conclude two game set with Penguins

The Rangers dropped a 4-3 decision to the Penguins in a shootout on Friday. Face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET as the team tries to get even and avenge the loss.

(TV: MSG 2, Radio: ESPN 1050 AM)

Rangers: 1-2-1 (3 pts)
Penguins: 3-2-0 (6 pts)

Note: Rangers will have a morning skate at 11:30 a.m. at PPG Paints Arena. Coach David Quinn and some select players will speak around 12:30 today.

Rangers versus Penguins: Youth being served early in the season

The Rangers scored three goals against the Penguins on Friday and all of them were notched by someone 22 years or younger.

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Adam Fox (22) opened the scoring on the PP. That was followed by Filip Chytil (21) with some filthy mitts that gave the Blueshirts a lead. Kaapo Kakko (19) capped the scoring with his second of the season which earned K’Andre Miller (21) his first NHL point.

rangers vs penguins
Kakko scores a beauty (Photo by Justin K. Aller/NHLI via Getty Images)

No lineup changes are expected as Igor Shesterkin seems likely to get the nod in goal again. He played very well and was the victim of bad puck luck and a double deflection. The 25 year-old netminder stopped 25 of 28 shots, but should read 26 of 28 because the Penguins second goal was put in by his own defenseman Ryan Lindgren.

Pre Game Notes:

  • All-Time: 130-113-23-15 (72-54-9-7 at home; 58-59-14-8 on the road)
  • 2020-21: The Rangers are playing Pittsburgh in the second of eight games between the two teams, including the second of four meetings between the two teams at Pittsburgh. The Rangers have posted a 0-0-1 record.
  • The Blueshirts have recorded 30 or more shots on goal in each of the last three games (116 shots on goal over the span), including 50 shots on goal on Jan. 19 vs. New Jersey. New York ranks third in the NHL in shots on goal per game thus far in 2020-21 (35.0). The Rangers have also held their opponent to 28 shots on goal or fewer in each of the last three games and have allowed an average of 28.0 shots on goal per game thus far this season, which is tied for the seventh-fewest shots on goal against per game in the NHL.
  • Artemi Panarin – 14 GP, 9-8-17 – Panarin has tallied a point in 11 of 14 career games against the Penguins, and he has posted six multi-point games, including three multi-goal games.
  • Chris Kreider – 24 GP, 4-9-13 – Kreider established a single-game career-high with four points (one goal, three assists) on Mar. 14, 2018 against Pittsburgh at MSG. He has tallied 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his last 17 games against the Penguins.
  • Mika Zibanejad – 19 GP, 5-7-12 – Zibanejad has registered 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in his last 16 games against Pittsburgh, including nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last 11 contests and eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last nine games against the Penguins.
  • Phillip Di Giuseppe – 11 GP, 1-3-4 – Di Giuseppe tied a single-game career-high with two assists on Jan. 22, 2021 at Pittsburgh.
  • Kaapo Kakko – 2 GP, 3-0-3 – Kakko has tallied a goal/point in each of his two career games against Pittsburgh. He registered two goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime, in his first career game against the Penguins on Nov. 12, 2019 at MSG.
  • K’Andre Miller – 1 GP, 0-1-1 – Miller notched his first career NHL assist/point on Jan. 22, 2021 at Pittsburgh

*Pre Game Notes courtesy of the NYR

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Anthony Scultore is the founder of Forever Blueshirts and has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL... More about Anthony Scultore

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