Penguins Game Day: Scouting Rangers @ Penguins

When: November 15 2010 | Where: Consol Energy Center

The Penguins catch the New York Rangers on their second of back-to-back games Monday in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh enters the week on the strength of two nice wins over Tampa Bay and Atlanta, while the Rangers are coming off an 8-2 drubbing of the Edmonton Oilers. The teams are tied for second place in the Atlantic with 19 points. Monday’s game will be the first match this season between the division rivals.

Despite near-identical records, neither team has met its expectations for the early season. New York is playing exceptionally well, given injuries to stars and preseason estimations. Pittsburgh is ambling along at one game above .500, though they’ve played well in two games since the Boston massacre.

Rangers

9-7-1 (19 pts.)

2nd Atlantic, 4th East

4-5-1 Home, 5-2-0 Road

5-5-0 Last 10

9-8-1 (19 pts.)

3rd Atlantic, 6th East

3-5-0 Home, 6-3-1 Road

4-5-1 Last 10

The Penguins manhandled the Rangers last season, gaining points in all six games while going 5-0-1 overall. The Penguins outscored the Rangers 13-5 in a home and home in late November, and won their opening-night title defense 3-2 against the Rangers as well.

In six games last year, Pittsburgh outscored New York 27-16. According to the Penguins team website, Pittsburgh is now 16-5-7 against the Rangers in the last four regular seasons.

Pittsburgh has to like their chances of improving the 3-5-0 home record in the CONSOL Energy Center. New York hasn’t won a regulation game in Pittsburgh since January 2006. Since then, the Penguins are 12-0-3 in 15 games at home against the Rangers.

Pittsburgh has improved its play in its last two games and the numbers are beginning to reflect that. The team is top-ten in the NHL in goals for and penalty kill.

The offense has stayed mostly steady this year. The Penguins have scored fewer than one goal only once this year, a 1-0 overtime decision in St. Louis. The team is 8th overall in goals per game (3.1), and has improved to 13th in goals against (2.7 per) after two solid performances over the weekend.

Special teams have remained about the same. The penalty kill has continued to improve all season, now ranking 4th in the NHL at 87.5 percent success. The power play has warmed up lately, scoring at a 20 percent clip over its last five games and at least once in four of the last five. In spite of that, the rank has continued to drop, 23rd in the NHL at 14.0 percent success.

The Rangers run neck and neck with the Penguins in most of those categories. New York is 7th in goals (3.1 per game) and 14th defensively (2.8 per). Their power play has fared slightly better at 18th overall (15.4 percent), but New York is 22nd on the penalty kill (79.4 percent).

Pittsburgh is averaging over 31 shots a game to New York’s 29, though the Pens are allowing four fewer shots against per game (27 to 31). Both teams average 17 PIM per game. Pittsburgh has three shorthanded goals to New York’s two, though the Rangers haven’t allowed a shorthanded goal against this season (Pittsburgh has two against).