Rangers-Penguins Preview
The New York Rangers are winning without their captain and most established scorer, mainly because their most important player has been in top form.
Henrik Lundqvist's recent accomplishments still pale in comparison to those of Sidney Crosby, who'll attempt to extend his career-best goal streak to eight games and help the Pittsburgh Penguins stop the Rangers' surge Wednesday night.
Both clubs have endured ups and downs since last facing off in the 2015 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, when Lundqvist yielded one goal in all four wins as the Rangers took the series in five. The standout goaltender has been just as good of late, allowing five goals as New York (30-18-5) has won three straight for its longest streak since a nine-game run Oct. 25-Nov. 15.
Lundqvist carried a shutout into the final minutes and recorded 27 saves in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over New Jersey as the Rangers overcame the absences of Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash. McDonagh is out indefinitely with a concussion sustained from a punch from Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds on Saturday, while Nash is expected to miss a seventh straight game with a leg bruise.
"We are all rallying around everyone here, trying to put a few wins together," defenseman Dan Girardi said. "It feels good.''
Lundqvist's next challenge figures to be the toughest, as Pittsburgh (27-18-7) has scored a league-high 29 goals since Jan. 20 while winning six of seven to climb back into playoff position.
The Penguins have won two straight minus Evgeni Malkin, out again Wednesday with a lower-body injury. Crosby has more than made up for that loss during a six-game tear in which he's amassed 10 goals and six assists.
Crosby broke his previous career high of six straight with a goal by scoring twice and notching two assists as the Penguins halted Anaheim's six-game win streak with Tuesday's 6-2 rout. The star center's 18 goals and 31 points in 19 games since Dec. 26 are the most in the NHL.
''His game is at another level right now,'' coach Mike Sullivan said. ''He's a big reason we continue to gain traction in the standings.''
Among the others contributing during Pittsburgh's scoring binge are Kris Letang, who has eight goals and 24 points over a 15-game stretch, and Chris Kunitz with seven points in four games since returning from a lower-body injury.
The Penguins haven't generated much offense lately against Lundqvist, who posted a 1.60 goals-against average in nine 2014-15 matchups including the playoffs. New York went 3-0-1 against Pittsburgh during the 2014-15 regular season.
J.T. Miller has helped offset Nash's loss by recording eight goals in eight games, including the game-winner in the third period against New Jersey.
''Guys are playing really well and scoring big goals at the right time, and as a group, I feel like we are doing a lot of good things," said Lundqvist, who has won eight of his last 11 starts with a 1.88 GAA.
The Rangers have made up for abysmal special-teams play with a plus-30 goal differential at even strength, second to Washington for the league's best mark. They're near the bottom in penalty killing and have received little production from a power play that's 2 for 49 over the last 17 games and 0 for 14 in the past four.
Pittsburgh's power play has converted 33.3 percent of its chances during a six-game home winning streak and is third in the NHL at 25.3 percent since Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston on Dec. 12.