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A chilly Friday night in the NHL features a Metropolitan Division showdown between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers. Welcome to NHL predictions here on Last Word on Hockey! Each day, we examine upcoming games, to provide predictions in head to head matchups. In today’s prediction article, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Madison Square Garden to face Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions for all the games here on Last Word on Hockey!
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet+; Hulu
With the NHL season well underway, both teams in this matchup are looking to gain valuable points in the wildcard race. The Penguins have an 11-12-4 record, with wins in four straight. Meanwhile, the Rangers are 13-10-1. While the Penguins are on the upswing, the Rangers are going the opposite direction relative to their expectations.
Pittsburgh has had an up-and-down start to the season. Captain Sidney Crosby continues to lead the team with 26 points in 27 games. Evgeni Malkin trails behind him with 24 in 27 games. The Penguins have also been receiving much-needed depth scoring. Recent trade acquisition Phillip Tomasino is on a three-game point streak, with three points in four games. Additionally, Blake Lizotte has been a significant boost to the team since recovering from injury to start the season. He has five points in his last four while playing significant defensive minutes for the club.
The goaltending of the Penguins has been a controversial talking point. Both starting goaltender Tristan Jarry and backup Alex Nedeljkovic struggled early in the season. This was a significant factor contributing to the teams division worst record. However, both Jarry and Nedeljkovic have begun to turn their play around. Jarry has won three straight, with a .911 save percentage across these games. Meanwhile, Nedeljkovic pitched a .938 save percentage against the Calgary Flames. As the Penguins play back-to-back games against the Rangers and then the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow, both goaltenders will be factors over this weekend.


The Rangers have had a tough start to the season. Superstar forward Artemi Panarin however, has continued to produce at an incredible pace. He has 29 points in 24 games to start the season. The Rangers issues stem from a lack of depth scoring. Centre Mika Zibanejad for example, has just 18 points in 24 games. Alex Lafreniere has just 17 points, and Vincent Trocheck only 12. These players are expected to contribute far more to the Rangers offence than what they’ve done thus far. Defensively, Ryan Lindgren has come under fire for his inadequate defensive play. Captain Jacob Trouba is also constantly in the news cycle as it is well known the Rangers are looking to trade him. These issues have all compounded into the Rangers underperforming in comparison to their roster.
In years past, Shesterkin was able to cover up enough of the faults the Rangers roster had. This year, Shesterkin has struggled to perform to his own usual standards as well. The superstar goaltender has lost five straight games, with a losing record of 8-9-1 this season. His current .908 save percentage is also the worst he’s had in his career. In a pivotal game against the Penguins, Shesterkin is a key factor in how either team will fare. As the Rangers are struggling as a team, coming together in front of Shesterkin to defeat a frequent playoff rival could help spark the team.
The Penguins are playing too confident, and the Rangers too unorganized. Although the Rangers are the better team, their performance does not stack up to what they are capable of. Expect the Penguins to strike fast and play hard to continue their own playoff push.
Prediction: Penguins win 5-2.
The Penguins and Rangers meeting up is hardly ever a low-scoring affair. FanDuel’s Total Goals Game Prop at +140 for an Over 7 is a fair bet to make.
Main photo by: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Rohit is a Business Communications graduate from Brock University. He’s been watching and following the NHL since 2012. Although he is from Toronto, his favourite team has always been the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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