Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (29-15-12, 70 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ New Jersey Devils (28-28-2, 58 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC
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Pens’ Path Ahead: Things are about to get busy for the Pens, who are back home for a 1 p.m. ET matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow and then go on to play five games over the next nine days.
Opponent Track: The Rangers are still looking for their first win since the Olympic break after blowing a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Season Series: The Pens and Rangers split this series early in October (the Penguins won 3-0 in New York before losing 6-1 at home five days later) before the Pens just barely held off the Rangers from a comeback in a 6-5 win at home on Jan. 31.
Hidden Stat: The Rangers are tied for the fewest home points (17) and fewest home wins (six) of any team in the NHL after going 6-15-5 at Madison Square Garden so far this season. (The Pens rank sixth for road wins after compiling a 16-7-5 record in away games).
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Getting to know the Rangers
Projected lines
FORWARDS
J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad – Gabriel Perreault
Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafrenière
Conor Sheary – Noah Laba – Brendan Brisson
Tye Karate – Sam Carrick – Taylor Raddysh
DEFENSEMEN
Vladislav Gavrikov / Adam Fox
Braden Schneider / Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson / Vinent Iorio
Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Squick
Potential scratches: Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski, Scott Morrow
Injured Reserve: Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe
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The Rangers sent Brennan Othmann back to the AHL yesterday after claiming Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Kartye was a regular healthy scratch in Seattle, but he’ll see if he can get back to the form that saw him post 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 77 games of his 2023-24 rookie campaign with the Kraken. He could be making his Rangers debut today against the Pens.
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Kartye could be poised to get more opportunities given the number of trade rumors surrounding the selling Rangers. Players including Braden Schneider, Vladislav Gavrikov and Vincent Trocheck have been popping up in the rumor mill lately.
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Both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, who had each been sidelined since early January, returned to the Rangers’ lineup Thursday. So was Sheary, who had missed 15 games with a lower-body injury.
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Despite his team’s overall struggles this season, Shesterkin ranks top-10 in both save percentage (.912) and goals against average (2.47) among goalies who have made at least 20 appearances this season.
Season stats
via hockeydb
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The Rangers are without their leading producer this season after trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month.
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Even with 34-year-old Panarin playing on the West Coast, the Rangers are being led by their veterans. Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, all 32, lead the Rangers in points without Panarin.
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Alexis Lafrenière ranks fourth on the active roster with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 58 games. His 0.52 career points-per-game rate is the fourth-lowest among former No. 1 picks with at least 400 NHL games played, per ESPN.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
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Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard (?) / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
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Sam Girard, who missed Friday’s practice while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, is traveling to New York with the team.
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Stuart Skinner has a career 5-1-1 record against the Rangers, although he was in net as the Pens narrowly avoided blowing a late lead against the Blueshirts back on Jan. 31.
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The Penguins are 13-3-3 since acquiring Egor Chinakhov in December, a 19-game stretch over which Chinakhov has recorded 13 points (nine goals, four assists).
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Kris Letang is heading into today’s game just two points shy of 800. He could be the 21st defenseman and fourth active blueliner after Brent Burns, teammate Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman to reach the milestone.
