Game Preview: New York Rangers look to get back on track in Pittsburgh

The New York Rangers suffered their second loss of the season against the rival New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.  The Blueshirts have a chance to redeem themselves Friday against another bitter rival, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.  This will be the first of eight meetings between the two teams this year, and the first of a weekend mini-series.  Both teams have new names on the roster, both teams have been met with adversity early in the season.

The key difference between the two franchises is where they are at in terms of championship contention.  While the Rangers may be a few years away from making a promising run at the Stanley Cup, they still have one of the brightest young teams in the league.  The Penguins, however, have enjoyed their success.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have brought three Cups to Pittsburgh in the last 13 years, and the Penguins window for contention is slowly starting to close as their superstars age.  A full rebuild within the next few years is inevitable for the Penguins.  Pittsburgh is a team that the young and hungry Rangers will have to take down this year in order to have any hope at making a postseason run in 2021.

There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s get right into it.