Game 16 Preview: Penguins Vs. Rangers
NEW YORK (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to extend their winning streak to five games when they take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden tonight.
Pittsburgh has been idle since a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Jeff Zatkoff stopped 19 shots in the contest to record his first NHL win and shutout.
Deryk Engelland, Chris Kunitz and Jussi Jokinen scored for the Penguins as they completed a home-and-home sweep of the Blue Jackets.
The Penguins continue to enjoy a healthy lead in the Metropolitan Division. Entering tonight's game, they lead the Washington Capitals by six points.
The Rangers (6-8-0) are currently fifth in the Metropolitan Division and are 10 points behind the Penguins.
New York had an interesting start to season by playing their first nine games on the road, but have only gone 2-2-0 at MSG.
On Monday, the Rangers saw their three-game winning streak be snapped at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.
Brad Richards (five goals, five assists) and Derek Stepan (three goals, seven assists) lead the team with 10 points each.
Richards' five goals lead a team which has had some difficulty lighting the lamp this season. In 14 games, the Rangers have only scored a total of 26 goals. Only the Philadelphia Flyers (22) have scored fewer in the Eastern Conference.
Henrik Lundqvist continues to be the workhorse in net for the Rangers. In 11 appearances this season, Lundqvist has a 4-6-0 record with a 2.56 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Against the Penguins, Lundqvist is 23-18-6 with a 2.42 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
For Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby continues to lead the team and the league with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists).
Kunitz and Crosby are tied for the team lead in goals with eight each.
In goal, Marc-Andre Fleury was spectacular in his last outing. Fleury stopped 37 shots in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Friday. He now holds a 10-2-0 record with a 1.83 GAA and a .929 save percentage for the year.
Against the Rangers, Fleury is 24-13-7 with a 2.65 GAA and a ,912 save percentage.
Last year, the Penguins went 4-1 against the Rangers during the shortened season.
The puck is set to drop at 7:30 p.m. and you can watch the game on NBC Sports Network.
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