Penguins at Rangers
The New York Rangers aim for their first victory of the month when they host the Metropolitan Division-leading Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. After sweeping a home-and-home series with Philadelphia to conclude November, New York has begun December with losses to Tampa Bay and Detroit. Defenseman Kevin Klein and Rick Nash gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead after one period in the Motor City on Saturday, but Darren Helm capped the Red Wings' comeback at 7:40 of the third, giving New York its fifth loss in six road contests.
Pittsburgh bounced back from Thursday's shutout loss to Vancouver to edge Ottawa 3-2 two days later and finish at 2-1-0 on its three-game homestand. Evgeni Malkin tied the matinee matchup late in the second period with his second goal of the contest and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff tallied with 1:50 remaining in the third to lift the Penguins to their sixth win in eight games. The division rivals split their first two meetings this season, with each emerging victorious at home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (18-6-2): Sidney Crosby's hold on the scoring lead slipped away as Dallas' Tyler Seguin moved one point ahead with 35. Pittsburgh's captain, who still tops the NHL with 25 assists, has notched only one point in his last four games and is mired in a six-game goal-scoring drought. Malkin's two-goal performance Saturday was his second of the season, with his second tally being his league-leading eighth on the power play.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (11-10-4): New York could be without Chris Kreider on Monday as the 23-year-old left wing departed Sunday's practice following a collision with Carl Hagelin. Kreider, who may have suffered an upper-body injury according to Newsday, has gone 11 games without a goal. Nash is riding a seven-game point streak during which he has collected five tallies and three assists.
OVERTIME
1. The Penguins are 15-0-2 when scoring at least three goals.
2. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist has allowed four or more goals six times in 19 contests this campaign.
3. Malkin has been kept off the scoresheet in only five of his 26 games this season, including Pittsburgh's first meeting with New York on Nov. 11.