Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Penguins aim to keep rolling, visit Rangers

Tue 18th, March 2008

(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will aim for their fourth straight victory tonight, when they visit the New York Rangers for an Atlantic Division battle at Madison Square Garden.

The Penguins are locked in a fight for both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference leads. Pittsburgh has 89 points and is one behind New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Devils, who are also leading the East, are idle tonight.

Montreal also has 89 points and is playing tonight against visiting St. Louis.

The Penguins won their third straight game on Sunday and second in a row without captain Sidney Crosby, who reinjured his right ankle in a two-goal performance against Washington on March 9. Crosby originally suffered the injury in a game against Tampa on January 18 and missed 21 games with the high ankle sprain. He was back for just three games before aggravating the injury and isn't expected back until later this week.

Crosby has 67 points (22 goals, 45 assists) in just 49 games this season. He won the NHL's scoring title and was named league MVP after notching 120 points in 2006-07.

Pittsburgh's latest triumph came with an easy 7-1 blowout of the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Sykora and Evgeni Malkin each tallied two goals and two assists, as the Penguins rolled to the win at Mellon Arena.

Hal Gill added a goal and assist, while Tyler Kennedy tallied and Marian Hossa scored in his home debut for red-hot Penguins.

Hossa was acquired by Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, but was injured in his first outing with the Penguins as he suffered a sprained right knee. He returned Sunday after a six-game absence and finished with a goal and an assist.

The Pens have scored 18 goals over their last three games and have posted back-to-back seven-goal games. Pittsburgh pounded Buffalo, 7-1, on Wednesday.

The Rangers failed to improve their playoff standing over the weekend, as they were handed a pair of regulation losses in the Sunshine State. New York was dealt a 3-2 setback by the Florida Panthers on Friday and Tampa Bay notched a 3-0 victory over the Blueshirts the following night. Prior to this weekend, the Rangers had earned at least one point in the previous 13 games, going 10-0-3 in that stretch.

New York is tied with Boston for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings with 83 points apiece. The Rangers have a chance to put some space between themselves and the Bruins tonight, as Boston is idle.

The Rangers were puzzled by Tampa goaltender Mike Smith in Saturday's loss, as the backstop made 20 saves to post his third shutout of the season. Alexandre Picard, Michel Ouellet and Martin St. Louis each scored a goal for the Lightning.

Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves for the Rangers.

The Rangers are 3-2 against Pittsburgh this season, but the Penguins have taken five of the last nine encounters between the clubs. The Pens have lost three straight, four of five and seven of nine at Madison Square Garden.

Pittsburgh is 20-14-2 as the visiting team this year, while the Rangers are 22-13-1 at the Garden.

Where the players come to play and STAY.

Sports Information you need to win BIG.

Sports Contests – Think you know the game?

Poker Promotion

Find NC State basketball tickets at TickCo and watch the college basketball season wrap up with Final Four tickets!

Contact Us | Help | Site Map| Sport Links

Sportsbook Directory | Casinos Directory | Poker Room Directory | Racebook Directory | Partners Directory