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Penguins-Rangers: Game 1 preview

Dave Molinari 8 years ago

A look ahead at Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the Penguins and New York Rangers, scheduled for 7:08 tonight at Madison Square Garden:

*** Injured defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and Derrick Pouliot will not be available for Game 1, Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. He added that they’re “moving in the right direction,” but did not say whether he expects either to play in Game 2 Saturday.

*** In addition to Ehrhoff and Pouliot, the Penguins are expected to scratch wingers Craig Adams and Tom Wilson and defenseman Scott Harrington.

*** Rangers left winger Rick Nash, a 42-goal man during the regular season, did not practice Wednesday because of the flu, but will play tonight. “I felt pretty strong out there [during the game-day skate],” he said. “I just caught some 24-hour bug, or some sort of flu. I couldn’t keep anything down. You never know how long those things are going to last.”

*** New York will be outside defenseman Kevni Klein, a solid two-way contributor who hasn’t played since breaking his left arm March 11. He worked out on the ice at Madison Square Garden before the Rangers’ game-day skate.

*** Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, on Penguins center Maxim Lapierre, who he coached in junior and Vancouver: “Great kid, great competitor. Wants to win. Will do anything for his teammates and coaches to win.”

*** The Penguins have lost 30 of 57 Games 1 in franchise history, but have an all-time playoff record of 9-3 at Madison Square Garden. They won two of the three games at the Garden during a second-round series in 2014.

*** Penguins C Evgeni Malkin has nine career playoff game-winning goals, five shy of Jaromir Jagr’s team record. Mario Lemieux had 11.

*** New York has won eight of the past nine series in which it had home-ice advantage, a streak dating to 1994 and has won at least one home game in each of its past 15 series.

*** Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, on trying to neutralize Penguins center Sidney Crosby: “It’s never a one- or two-man job on the ice with him or Malkin. It’s five guys. You have to be tight on him and you have to make sure he doesn’t get too much room, because then he can use everyone on the ice. He’s one of the best in the world at seeing the ice, and using his linemates and defensemen on the rush. You have to take time and space away. He makes some great passes when you don’t think he has a play, or he doesn’t have a pass. He can find a hole, find a lane. That’s the think you always have to be aware of when you’re on against him.”

*** The Penguins’ roster includes 11 players who appeared in two or fewer games against the Rangers this season.

*** This is the sixth time the Penguins and Rangers will meet in the playoffs, but the first time in the opening round since 1989, when the Penguins swept New York.

*** Craig Adams has averaged one goal in every 11 playoff games but averages one goal every 25.3 regular-season games.

*** While the Penguins stumbled down the stretch drive, New York went 23-6-3 in its final 32 to capture the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team.

*** Twelve Rangers recorded two or more points during the season series against the Penguins, which New York won, 3-0-1. LW Rick Nash led the way with four goals, three assists.

*** New York C Derick Brassard has at least one point in eight consecutive regular-season games against the Penguins, and nine of 10 since joining the Rangers from Columbus.

*** Nash, on the Penguins: “They still have the two best players in the world, I think. I think we’re going to have our hands full playing them.”

*** The Rangers were 17-1-1 during the regular season when winning the special-teams battle.

*** D Rob Scuderi and LW Chris Kunitz lead the Penguins with 112 games of playoff experience.

*** New York did not allow a power-play goal in 12 of its final 16 regular-season games.

*** Rangers C Chris Kreider was the only NHL player to record at least 20 goals, 40 points, a plus-20 plus-minus rating and 80 penalty minutes this season.