NHL Picks: Penguins keep rolling in possible playoff preview vs. Rangers – CBSSports.com
The Rangers and Penguins have much to play for Sunday. (USATSI)
Welcome to NHL Picks where CBSSports.com hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz make their predictions for all of the day’s games.
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
The playoff picture in the Metropolitan Division remains in flux with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders separated by just one point for third place, but Pittsburgh could prove difficult for the Isles to chase. In fact, with the way the Penguins have been playing lately, there’s still a chance they could overtake the New York Rangers for second place and earn home ice in the first round.
That’s part of what will make Sunday night’s game between the Pens and Rangers so important. The Penguins have won seven of their last eight games and trail the Rangers by four points with a game in hand. The Rangers, meanwhile, have been able to stay a few steps ahead thanks to a recent offensive outburst that has carried them to three consecutive wins.
If the Penguins can manage to prevent the Rangers from getting any points in their final showdown of the regular season, they put themselves in a slightly better position to catch their divisional rivals. They’d also win the season series, having taken two of the three games so far this season including a 5-3 win at Madison Square Garden just two weeks ago.
Both teams are coming off of rousing victories in their last game, too. The Pens rolled over the Detroit Red Wings 7-2 on the road, while the Rangers skated past the Montreal Canadiens with a 5-2 win. Even if both may be a little weary on the second half of the back-to-back, this should be a fantastic game with a lot on the line for both teams. It could also be the appetizer before a first-round playoff series between the two clubs.
With the Islanders’ recent woes, it could be tough for them to get back into the top-three in the division, while the Washington Capitals have already clinched the top spot. Second place is the top prize remaining in the regular season and both of these clubs have a shot at it.
The Rangers remain in the driver’s seat to get home ice in the first round. In the recent offensive outburst, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard have been leading the way with six points each over their last five games. Henrik Lundqvist, who will start Sunday, has also played quite well of late with strong performances against the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers last week. He’s had some time to rest and should be sharp for the big game Sunday.
The Penguins, meanwhile, have been getting all-world performances from Sidney Crosby, who has 18 points through 13 games in the month of March and has ascended to third overall in the league with 77 points in 73 games this year. Phil Kessel, who posted a career-best five points against Detroit Saturday, has 12 points over his last 13 games, while others like Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin have been stepping up in a big way in Evgeni Malkin‘s absence. Both have 10 points in their last 13. Meanwhile, Kris Letang has quietly had an incredible season and ranks third among all defensemen with 57 points in 64 games.
These two teams have their scoring attacks clicking, which should make for an entertaining affair Sunday. The Penguins have had to deal with multiple key injuries already this year and look to be fairly depleted for Sunday’s game. However, this is a team that is pretty familiar with playing shorthanded. A lot of players have stepped up to fill the gaps.
Most of the info heading into this game, however, appears to favor the Rangers. They’re healthier, playing Lundqvist on a few days’ rest, they’re playing at home and they’ve been heating up. This seems like it should be an easy pick, but this Penguins team has been defying expectations on the regular lately. With the way Crosby and the rest of the offense has been firing over the last few weeks, look for the Penguins to make this playoff race a little more interesting with a win at MSG. Pick: Penguins 4, Rangers 3
The rest of Sunday’s picks
Devils 3, Hurricanes 1
Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2
