Rangers at Penguins
The New York Rangers have followed a familiar script in taking two of the first three contests in their Eastern Conference first-round series versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. By scoring first and building a lead before weathering the storm, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers look to repeat the feat and push the Penguins to the brink of elimination when the Metropolitan Division rivals reconvene at Consol Energy Center for Game 4 on Wednesday.
"We’re not looking at beating them in five or six or whatever. Just looking to play another solid game (Wednesday)," said New York's Derick Brassard, who scored 28 seconds into the his team's series-opening 2-1 win on Thursday. Carl Hagelin also drew first blood 8:43 into the first period on Monday as the Rangers skated to a 2-1 victory in Game 3. "I thought we overpassed the puck early in the game, no question," Pittsburgh coach Mike Johnston said of Monday's slow start as the team was held without a shot for the first 15:10 of the contest. "... You can't look, you can't wait, it's gotta be right to the net."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MSG (New York), ROOT (Pittsburgh), SN360, TVA2
ABOUT THE RANGERS: New York is receiving offensive production from its defensemen, as Dan Girardi notched a pair of secondary assists in Game 3, Keith Yandle set up Hagelin's breakaway goal and Marc Staal's shot-pass was later converted by Chris Kreider at the left post. Speaking of blue-liners, Kevin Klein was an active participant in the team's optional skate on Tuesday, but coach Alain Vigneault did not update his condition. "I can tell you as soon as he tells me he's ready to go, he's going to play," Vigneault said of Klein, who has been sidelined since sustaining a broken arm after blocking a shot from Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin on March 11.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Evgeni Malkin let the cat out of the bag by saying that he's been playing injured during the series. "(He) has been progressing every single game," Johnston said of the former Hart Trophy winner, who failed to record a shot on Monday and has been held off the scoresheet in eight straight contests. "He still has to direct more pucks to the net; he's a three-or-four-shot a game guy and he needs to do that but I think he's on the verge of breaking through."
OVERTIME
1. New York, which posted a 28-11-2 mark on the road this season, won three of four in Pittsburgh during last year's second-round series.
2. The Rangers are 2-for-14 on the power play in the series while the Penguins have converted on just 2-of-7 opportunities with the man advantage.
3. Pittsburgh RW Beau Bennett returned to practice on Tuesday after missing Game 3 with an upper-body injury.