<p><strong>New York Rangers: </strong>2nd Metropolitan Division, 110 points</p>



<p><strong>Pittsburgh Penguins: </strong>3<sup>rd</sup> Metropolitan Division, 103 Points<br></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schedule-et"><strong>Schedule (ET)</strong><br></h2>



<p><strong>Tuesday, May 3, 7 p.m.:</strong> Pittsburgh at NY Rangers (ESPN, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)<br><strong>Thursday, May 5, 7 p.m.:</strong> Pittsburgh at NY Rangers (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)<br><strong>Saturday, May 7, 7 p.m.:</strong> NY Rangers at Pittsburgh (TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)<br><strong>Monday, May 9, 7 p.m.:</strong> NY Rangers at Pittsburgh (ESPN, Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports)<br><strong>&nbsp;*Wednesday, May 11, TBD:</strong> Pittsburgh at NY Rangers (TBD)<br><strong>*Friday, May 13 TBD:</strong> NY Rangers at Pittsburgh (TBD)<br><strong>*Sunday, May 15, TBD:</strong> Pittsburgh at NY Rangers (TBD)<br></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-skinny"><strong>The Skinny</strong><br></h2>



<p>Every season, we wonder whether it’s the swan song for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ era of contention, but this year the question feels more valid than ever. As the Pens enter their 16<sup>th</sup> consecutive playoffs, future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin and longtime star blueliner Kris Letang are set to become unrestricted free agents. It could <em>actually</em> be the final ride for this group, depending on how the roster takes shape next season, and even captain Sidney Crosby spoke publicly this week about knowing the team’s run of success can’t last forever. The Pens have also bombed out in the playoffs’ opening round in three straight seasons. They face a New York Rangers team loaded with superstar talents at every position, from Artemi Panarin and 50-goal man Chris Kreider up front to 2021 Norris Trophy winning blueliner Adam Fox on defense to probable Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin in net. General manager Chris Drury tried to make his team harder to play against with his offseason acquisitions (Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Reaves, etc.) and trade-deadline acquisitions (Andrew Copp, Justin Braun, etc.). Now we find out if the game plan worked.<br></p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="280"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-head-to-head"><strong>Head to Head</strong><br><br></h2>



<p><strong>NY Rangers: </strong>3-1-0<br><br><strong>Pittsburgh: </strong>1-3-0</p>



<p>The series wasn’t too competitive. The Rangers won the final three meetings by an 11-3 margin. The Pens just couldn’t solve Shesterkin, who started all four games against them this season and posted a downright silly .960 save percentage.<br></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-top-five-scorers"><strong>Top Five Scorers</strong></h2>



<p><br></p>



<p><strong>NY Rangers<br><br></strong>Artemi Panarin: 96 points<br><br>Mika Zibanejad: 81 points</p>



<p>Chris Kreider: 77 points<br><br>Adam Fox: 74 points<br><br>Ryan Strome: 54 points</p>



<p><strong>Pittsburgh</strong></p>



<p>Jake Guentzel: 84 points<br><br>Sidney Crosby: 84 points (69 GP)</p>



<p>Kris Letang: 68 points<br><br>Bryan Rust: 58 points (60 GP)</p>



<p>Jeff Carter: 45 points<br></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-x-factor"><strong>X-Factor</strong><br></h2>



<p>Since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins’ past five years have played out like <em>Groundhog Day: </em>grind through an injury-plagued regular season to miraculously reach the playoffs, earning coach Mike Sullivan deserved praise, only to get steamrolled by much bigger and heavier teams in the playoffs. The Pens’ speed-based game won them Cups, but the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues ushered in a pivot to brawnier champions. General manager Ron Hextall and, before him, Jim Rutherford have repeatedly declined to bulk up Pittsburgh’s roster. With the game called differently in the playoffs, the Pens sometimes become pushovers. They are the third-smallest team in the NHL, whereas the Rangers are the sixth-biggest team and rank fifth in the league in hits per 60 minutes.<br><br>If the Blueshirts lean on the Pens with heavy shifts from Reaves, or massive open-ice hits from Jacob Trouba, who answers the bell on Pittsurgh’s side? Five Rangers ranked in the top 100 in hits this season. Zach-Aston Reese was the Penguins’ most physical forward, and they traded him to the Anaheim Ducks. If the Rangers set out to batter the Pens early, this series might be quick.<br></p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="280"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-offense"><strong>Offense</strong></h2>



<p><strong><br></strong>Neither team hurts for skill. If we’re talking prime-year star power, the Rangers have the edge. Kreider’s 52 goals this season were third-most in the NHL and two off equalling the Rangers’ franchise record. He and Mika Zibanejad are so tough to stop because they combine size and strength with their speed and skill. Panarin drives his own line with Ryan Strome, and Copp proved a great fit with them. Fox remains on the short list of the best pure all-around defensemen in the sport, and his offensive ability is particularly sublime. Not surprisingly, the Rangers boast the league’s No. 4 power play. How could you not with all that talent out there? This group is top heavy, however, largely because top-two draft picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko haven’t become the consistently great top-six forwards they were expected to be at this point of their careers. Despite all their star power, the Blueshirts only rank 16<sup>th</sup> in goals this season. They’re extremely reliant on the power play, which is concerning when the Penguins took the second-fewest penalties per 60 minutes in the NHL this year. The Rangers sit 28<sup>th</sup> in the NHL in expected goals per 60 at 5-on-5. Only two teams generated fewer shots on goal per 60.<br><br>The Penguins’ generational superstars Crosby and Malkin aren’t at their peaks anymore, but they were plenty effective when healthy this season. Crosby’s 1.22 points per game, at 34 years old, was his second-best mark in his past eight seasons. The Pens, who deploy Crosby, Malkin and Jeff Carter on separate lines, are a deeper club up front and a better 5-on-5 offensive threat than New York, cracking the top 10 in scoring chances and high-danger chances per 60. The Pens have tons of speed on the wings from the likes of Bryan Rust and Kasperi Kapanen, and Rickard Rakell’s addition at the trade deadline augmented the group’s overall skill level.<br></p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="319"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defense"><strong>Defense</strong></h2>



<p><br><strong><br></strong>The Rangers bring the heaviness, but their defensive play grades out as slightly below average, albeit it improved a bit down the stretch. One reason why Shesterkin has gotten Hart Trophy love, not just Vezina love, is that he’s bailed out a team that allows too many chances. Of the 16 playoff entrants, only one allows more 5-on-5 scoring chances than the Rangers. They’ve helped Shesterkin out on when down a man, though, ranking seventh in the league in penalty killing at 82.3 percent.</p>



<p>The Pens have had to play disciplined, structured hockey to survive all their injuries this season. They have a top-three penalty kill in the league and grade out near the league’s elite at suppressing 5-on-5 scoring chances. One of their biggest surprises this season: defenseman Michael Matheson, who had been maligned in analytics circles but tightened up his shutdown game in a second-pair role this season.<br></p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="150"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goaltending"><strong>Goaltending</strong></h2>



<p><strong><br></strong>Everything was supposed to culminate in this moment for Tristan Jarry. He melted down in Round 1 against the New York Islanders last season. Hextall gave him a vote of confidence and stuck with him as the 2021-22 starter. For much of this season, Jarry was one of the league’s better netminders, making Hextall look like a genius. But he was outplayed by Casey DeSmith down the stretch and is now out for at least the start of the series if not longer with a lower-body injury. DeSmith, who posted a .927 save percentage in 16 games after the all-star break, has the unenviable task of trying to match the best goalie on the planet at the moment.</p>



<p>Yep, that’s Shesterkin. He’s the fastest, most athletic stopper in the game right now and blends those raw skills with excellent technique and anticipation. Finishing with a .935 save percentage during the league’s biggest offensive explosion in 26 years makes his year Dominik Hasek-esque. Shesterkin did it with a difficult workload and led the NHL in high-danger save percentage to boot. More than any single player, let alone goalie, in the 2022 playoffs, he has the ability to singlehandedly swing a series.<br></p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="200"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-injuries"><strong>Injuries</strong></h2>



<p><strong><br><br></strong>On top of losing Jarry, the Penguins will likely be without top-nine forward Jason Zucker to start the series. It’s not yet clear how long his lower-body injury will keep him out. Panarin and Copp sat in the final week to heal minor maladies but are expected to suit up for the Rangers in Game 1. Trade-deadline acquisition Tyler Motte isn’t so lucky. He remains out indefinitely with a major upper-body injury.<strong><br><br></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intangibles"><strong>Intangibles</strong></h2>



<p>If we look at the list of pure winners in NHL history, Crosby has to rank near the top. He’s one of the greatest clutch players ever, one of three people to win the Conn Smythe Trophy in consecutive years. If he senses this season is his last shot at a long playoff run, can he will his team past the Rangers? The Pens have plenty of Cup rings from their 2016 and 2017 roster holdovers. The Rangers added a two-time champ in Goodrow but have far fewer players who have battled through long playoff runs. They are the second-youngest team in the playoffs by average age. The Pens are the third-oldest. It’s youth vs. experience.<br></p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="188"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consensus-series-prediction"><strong>CONSENSUS SERIES PREDICTION</strong><br></h2>



<p>We’ve seen this movie several years in a row now. The Pens look strong on paper but get bullied in the postseason by stronger, meaner opponents. Not only do the Rangers fit that description, but they have superior star power and the best goalie on Earth. They will overcome their 5-on-5 scoring woes to outshine the Pens. Not a single DFO staffer picked Pittsburgh, believe it or not. <strong>Rangers in 6.</strong></p>



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