Rangers open playoffs against experienced Penguins

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerard Gallant isn’t fearful about his workforce’s lack of playoff expertise, not even going up in opposition to a Pittsburgh Penguins workforce that’s within the postseason for the sixteenth straight 12 months.

Gallant has led the New York Rangers to a second-place end within the Metropolitan Division in his first season, their first playoff look in 5 years apart from the qualifying spherical in 2020. They completed with 52 wins — 25 greater than they’d the earlier 12 months within the shortened season.

Now they’ve home-ice benefit in opposition to Pittsburgh for this best-of-seven first-round sequence that begins Tuesday night time.

“I like our workforce, I like the place we acquired a very good mixture of younger guys that took a step this 12 months for us large time,” Gallant mentioned. “I feel we will make a run. I don’t know if we’re going to, however I feel we’ve good pretty much as good an opportunity as anyone else.”

The Penguins have the longest present streak of playoff appearances in North American sports activities, however haven’t received a sequence the final three years. They reached the second spherical in 2018 after profitable the Stanley Cup the earlier two years.

Pittsburgh stumbled down the stretch this season, going 7-9-2 over the ultimate 18 video games. Coach Mike Sullivan is assured his workforce’s expertise will assist them.

“There isn’t a extra achieved core group of gamers within the recreation than this core group that’s right here proper now,” Sullivan mentioned. “These guys are battle-tested, they’ve been by quite a bit. They’ve had lots of success however they’ve additionally had their disappointments and I feel the expertise you achieve by these can solely enable you within the challenges that you’ve transferring ahead.”

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang lead the core of eight Penguins which can be nonetheless round from the workforce that received its final Cup 5 years in the past.

“Playoff is a special animal, the depth is means greater,” Letang mentioned. “To take care of the ups and downs, both with video games, or a shift or a interval, you might have to have the ability to keep calm and deal with what you need to do and be sure to don’t get carried away with the group or penalties or energy performs … managing feelings, stuff like that, controlling the sport.”

The Rangers have simply two gamers — forwards Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider — left from the workforce that reached the second spherical in 2017. A few dozen gamers stay from the workforce that was swept 0-3 within the qualifying spherical by Carolina two years in the past.

Artemi Panarin, who was in his first season in New York that 12 months, downplayed any sense of motivation from that disappointment.

“I don’t hear something within the locker room in regards to the bubble,” he mentioned, earlier than smiling and including, “Perhaps I don’t communicate English nicely sufficient.”

GOALIES

Igor Shesterkin is a Vezina Trophy candidate for the Rangers after going 36-13-4 with six shutouts. His 2.07 goals-against common and a .935 save proportion have been one of the best within the league. He was 3-1 with a 1.01 GAA and .960 save-percentage in 4 begins in opposition to the Penguins.

The Penguins are anticipated to be with out Tristan Jarry (34-18-6, 2.42 GAA, .919 save proportion) firstly of the sequence whereas he offers with a lower-body damage sustained greater than two weeks in the past. Casey DeSmith (11-6-5, 2.79, .914) will get the nod in his place.

SEASON SERIES

The Rangers received three of 4 conferences in the course of the season, together with all three in a 15-day stretch late within the season. They outscored the Penguins 14-3 within the wins

“Now it’s 0-0, everybody begins at zero,“ Zibanejad mentioned. ”I don’t assume it makes an enormous distinction.”

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Rangers have been fourth on the facility play and seventh in penalty killing. Kreider led the league with 26 power-play objectives, and Zibanejad had 15.

The Penguins have been nineteenth on the facility play and third on the kill. Malkin and Bryan Rust led the workforce with 9 energy play objectives, and Crosby had eight.

SCORING BALANCE

Kreider had an MVP-caliber season with 52 objectives and 25 assists, and Panarin (96 factors), Zibanejad (81) and Adam Fox (74) gave the Rangers 4 gamers with a minimum of 70 factors for simply the fourth time in franchise historical past. The final time got here throughout their final Cup-winning season in 1993-94.

Crosby (31 objectives, 53 assists) and Guentzel (40, 44) led the Penguins in scoring. Rust (24) and Malkin (20 objectives, 22 assists in 41 video games) have been additionally 20-goal scorers, and Letang led the best way with 58 assists.

INJURIES

Panarin (higher physique damage) and ahead Andrew Copp (decrease physique) sat out the final two video games for the Rangers after their playoff seeding was set. Each returned to follow on Sunday, whereas defenseman Ryan Lindgren was the one absence for what Gallant mentioned was upkeep.

Along with Jarry, the Penguins may even be with out ahead Jason Zucker initially of the sequence as a result of an undisclosed damage sustained final week.

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Comply with Vin Cherwoo at http://www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP

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Extra AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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