Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (3-1) @ New York Rangers (1-3)
When: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
How to watch: ESPN Across America (also available on AT&T Sportsnet in local regional viewing area).
Opponent’s track: It was a very difficult few days in Pittsburgh for the Rangers. They arrived at Burgh feeling refreshed and confident after their Game 2 win… Days later they leave a bit stunned after conceding 14 goals in aggregate in two defeats and seeing their season pushed to the brink this evening.
The path of pens in front of you: Game 6, if necessary, will return to the ‘Burgh on Friday evening from 7:00 p.m.
Hidden stat: The Penguins are 9-7 in games where they can clinch a series under head coach Mike Sullivan (h/t Pens PR).
SBN Peer Blog: blue shirts prank
Game 4 Lines
FORWARDERS
Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Frank Vatrano
Artemi Panarin – Ryan Strome – Andrew Copp
Alexis Lafrenière – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko
Johnny Brodzinski – Kevin Rooney – Ryan Reaves
DEFENDERS
Justin Braun/Adam Fox
K’André Miller / Jacob Oven
Patrik Nemeth / Braden Schneider
Guardians: Igor Shesterkin (Alexandar Georgiev)
Grooves : Dryden Hunt, Julien Gauthier, Lauri Pajuniemi, Greg McKegg, Tim Gettinger, Nils Lundqvist, Zac Jones, Jarred Tinordi, Libor Hajek, Matthew Robertson, Keith Kinkaid, Ryan Lindgren (game time decision), Barclay Goodrow (week)
IR: Samy Blais
— There was no Ryan Lindgren in training yesterday for Rangers, nor any change of lines. It seems like it will be do or die for them within the same parameters they have generally worked with and a matter of execution changes, not personnel.
— As if there was any doubt (I didn’t think there should have been) but Rangers were asked about a Game 5 starting keeper just after Game 4 ended, and the answer was instantly in favor of Igor Shesterkin.
A difficult practice
After being deeply disgusted by his team in Game 4, NYR coach Gerard Gallant put his team through what looks like tough playoff practice – including a skate bag.
What was GG’s goal for today’s practice:
“I want to get back to our work ethic. Get back to our top-down game. We had a great regular season. Second-best in the league in goals-against-average, and get back to that. We can’t give up 7 goals and hope to win.”#NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) May 10, 2022
And now for the pens..
Projected lines
Attackers
Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen – Evgeni Malkin – Kasperi Kapanen
Jason Zucker-Jeff Carter-Brock McGinn
Brian Boyle – Teddy Blueger – Evan Rodrigues
Defense
Mike Matheson/Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson / John Marin
Mark Friedman/Chad Ruhwedel
Guardians: Louis Domingue (Alex D’Orio)
Grooves : Drew O’Connor, Tristan Jarry (foot), Nathan Beaulieu, Rickard Rakell (daily), Casey DeSmith (out for the season), Brian Dumoulin (daily)
—Rakell skated in a normal jersey yesterday in practice, but coach Mike Sullivan clarified that he was still not cleared to make contact and was just wearing the regular jersey since practice was not due. anyway not include a lot of contact. Rakell’s status officially remains unchanged and he is not expected to play tonight.
—Tristan Jarry was back on the ice before team practice and took a few controlled shots from goaltending coach Andy Chiodo while practicing getting up and down in his position. Visually, it looks like Jarry is slowly ramping up and adding elements to his game, but at this point a comeback doesn’t seem imminent in the truest sense of the word (like, like, today). Tomorrow will mark four weeks after his injury.
“Stay hungry and stay in the moment”
The words of a coach currently on his way to success just ring all the more poetic and inspiring, don’t they?
Coach Sullivan: “We understand the challenge ahead…We have to stay hungry and stay in the moment. That’s the most important thing. I think it starts with a mindset and an attitude before the puck does not fall.” pic.twitter.com/0ie0LekDsa
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 10, 2022
The Gotham Guy
With all those points in the final week, Sidney Crosby pounced on Montreal legends Henri “The Pocket Rocket” Richard and Jean Beliveau to become the new playoff points leader against the New York Rangers. From the Pens PR team:
Sidney Crosby is the most productive player against the Rangers in the playoffs in NHL history after his three-point outing (1G-2A) in Game 4. His 22 playoff assists and 30 points are the most against New York in NHL history:
GP Player PTS
Sidney Crosby 26 30
Jean Beliveau 18 28
Henri-Richard 30 26
Bob Bourne 28 25
Yevgeny Malkin 25 24Crosby has multiple points in six straight playoff games (3G-10A) against the Rangers, and points in seven straight playoff games (4G-10A) against them since the 2016 playoffs.
According to NHLPR, the Rangers are the third different franchise Crosby has either tied or lead in playoff points (also: OTT and PHI). Wayne Gretzky is the only other player to lead all players in playoff scoring against three separate franchises (ARI/WIN, CGY and VAN).
Crosby has had a bunch of ranking moments lately, breaking the 200-point plateau in the playoffs and being the fourth fastest player by games played to get there. With one more assist, Crosby’s next achievement will be to pass Nicklas Lidstrom (129) in playoff assists and be fifth all-time in that category overall. Crosby is also one point away from tying Jaromir Jagr (201) for fifth all-time overall in the playoffs, which is nothing short of remarkable.
Once Crosby passes Jagr, he’ll be just behind four players known to rack up the points for the high-octane Oilers dynasty of the 1980s (Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson) in total points in playoffs in the NHL. Not bad for a Cole Harbor kid!