Sunday, February 13, 2011

Game #58 - at New York Rangers

Game 58
Penguins (35-18-4, 74 points) at Rangers (29-24-4, 62 points)

Why does it matter?
The Pens get to play another frustrated team in the Rangers, though I think we can count on the fact that they won't respond like the Islanders did.

What has been happening lately?
  • Pens - Friday night was a game to forget as quickly as possible. Time to move on.
  • Rangers - Six straight losses have the Rangers on the skids.
Questions to be answered
  • Will the Pens be able to score enough to win? Three power play goals on Friday could help jump start that effort.
  • How will the team respond after the craziness on Friday night? Can they quickly get back to playing hockey again after all of the extracurricular stuff?
  • Can the Pens keep the Rangers offense quiet? The offense has been the biggest reason for their six game losing streak - they're scoring just enough to lose games.
Keys to the game
  • Be careful on the power play - the Rangers would love to get a short-handed goal to get them going.
  • Stay with Gaborik. He doesn't quite have the blazing speed that Grabner has, but his ability to accelerate quickly is something to be aware of.
  • Establish a physical presence. I don't think this will be a problem, but get onto the forecheck and play clean, physical hockey.

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