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The New York Rangers look to extend their win streak to four games Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The two teams met in mid-November, with New York rallying from 2-0 down to defeat the Penguins 5-2 behind Antti Raanta on November 21. Two days later, Pittsburgh chased Henrik Lundqvist, who has won three in a row and should be between the pipes tonight, in blasting the Rangers 6-1. After today's game, the Rangers won’t play the Penguins again until March 31.
Both teams come in missing key players. New York, already without Mike Zibanejad (fibula) and Pavel Buchnevich (back), found out Monday that Rick Nash will be sidelined with a strained groin suffered Sunday against the Devils. The burden will be on Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello and others to fill that breach. Pittsburgh will be down two key defensemen, Kris Letang (lower body) and Trevor Daley (upper body), as well as Tom Kuhnhackl, who also is week-to-week with a lower body injury. Justin Schultz and Ian Cole have both raised their games recently to help Pittsburgh make up for the blueline absences.
New York enters the game 23-10-1 (47 points), just one behind the league-leading Chicago Blackhawks (22-8-4). But Pittsburgh (7-0-2 in their last nine, but off back-to-back overtime losses to LA and Toronto) is just two points behind the Rangers with two games in hand while Columbus, winners of eight straight, sits at 44 points with five games in hand. Add in Washington and a red hot Philadelphia team and you have five teams that right now, all could win the division.
Like many games, special teams could decide this one, as each team excel while on the man-advantage. The Rangers come in with the ninth-best power play at 21 percent, while Pittsburgh is ranked 10th at 20.7 percent, though for New York, much of that success came earlier in the year. The big difference is short handed, which may be the real key tonight. The Rangers' penalty kill is the fourth-best in the NHL at 86.8 percent efficiency, killing off 18 straight before New Jersey scored once Sunday, while Pittsburgh is 23rd at 78.6 percent
The line combinations will once again be in a state of flux with Nash joining Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich in the press box. Maybe AV goes: Vesey-Hayes-Miller, Kreider-Stepan-Zucc, Grabner-Lindberg-Fast and Pirri-Hrivik-Puempel. New York opted not to promote anyone before the roster freeze kicked in, so we will see these 12 in some combinations tonight and Friday against Nashville before the three-day NHL holiday break.
The trade rumors likely will start in full force after the New Year. St. Louis still has to decide if they will move Kevin Shattenkirk, knowing he will become a UFA after the season. Arizona must do the same with Michael Stone. Other names will filter out, especially from teams out of contention but the expansion draft and who has to be protected will play a major role in deadline deals.