Four days after another challenging performance, the New York Rangers will aim to bounce back with the help of some extra rest and practice when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. The Penguins enter the matchup riding a season-high four-game winning streak.
The Rangers have struggled recently, going 1-6-0 in their last seven games while being outscored 26-11 in those losses, including a troubling 9-2 deficit in first periods. Their lone win during this stretch came Saturday when Kaapo Kakko scored with 24 seconds remaining in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. However, they failed to carry that momentum into Monday’s game, falling 5-1 to the New Jersey Devils.
Against New Jersey, the Rangers allowed two early goals within the first 7:10 and trailed by four before Chris Kreider scored a power-play goal in the second period. Despite firing 39 shots on goal, they had 27 attempts blocked and committed errors that gave the Devils ample scoring opportunities.
To address their struggles, the Rangers held a 60-minute practice focusing on various drills, including strategies to reduce neutral zone turnovers.
“A couple of days of practice and guys working together, you’d like to think it can have a positive impact on the next game,” said Rangers coach Peter Laviolette.
The team also made adjustments to their lines. The top line of Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Reilly Smith was reunited, while Filip Chytil skated alongside Will Cuylle and Kakko. Artemi Panarin, who took a maintenance day, skated individually and is expected to return on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière.
These changes come as Laviolette reaffirms his confidence in the team, which won the President’s Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference finals last season.
“I believe the answers are in that room,” Laviolette said Tuesday. “There are things we need to do better to be successful, but it’s up to us to work our way out of this situation.”
Meanwhile, the Penguins have turned their season around after a rough 3-7-1 start. Since then, they’ve gone 8-5-3, including a current winning streak where they’ve scored 18 goals. Three of their four recent wins were decided by a single goal, including Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers.
Bryan Rust scored 1:31 into overtime to secure the win after Pittsburgh surrendered a 4-1 lead in the third period. Evgeni Malkin contributed a goal and assisted on Rust’s game-winner, while Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte also added key assists, despite the Penguins being outshot 41-16.
“The mindset of the group has been key,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. “Even when we gave up goals in the third period, the players stayed composed. There was great communication on the bench, and no one got rattled.”
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