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With Atlantic title in sight, Penguins take on Rangers

Mon 31st, March 2008

(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try for their first division title in nine seasons tonight, as they conclude a home-and-home set with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The Penguins currently lead the Atlantic Division by six points over the Devils with three games left to play. New Jersey still has four games remaining and is idle tonight, so a win by Pittsburgh in any of its last three tests or a regulation loss by the Devils in any of their final games will clinch the division for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh, which also leads the Eastern Conference by one point over Montreal, hasn't claimed a division crown since winning the Northeast Division in 1997-98. The Penguins finished second in the Atlantic last season.

The Penguins won the front end of this home-and-home set on Sunday afternoon, downing the Rangers, 3-1. Evgeni Malkin scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period to give him 104 points (46 goals, 58 assists) on the season, which is good for second most in the league.

Playing in his second game since missing 28 of Pittsburgh's previous 31 contests due to a high ankle sprain, Sidney Crosby posted a pair of assists. Marian Hossa and Maxime Talbot also scored for the Penguins, who have won three straight and five of their last six.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26-of-27 shots to win his seventh straight start. He hasn't allowed more than two goals in any of those wins and is 2-1-1 with a 2.25 goals-against average in four starts versus the Rangers this year.

The Penguins are 21-16-2 on the road and will host the Flyers on Wednesday before wrapping the season up with a road test in Philadelphia on Sunday.

New York has now lost three of its last four games and is tied with Philadelphia and Boston for the final three playoff spots in the East. The Rangers hold the current tie break, as they have played one fewer game than both the Flyers and Bruins. All three teams have 40 wins so far on the season.

New York is just a point back of Ottawa for fifth place in the conference and two points back of fourth-seeded New Jersey as well.

Brandon Dubinsky accounted for the Rangers lone goal against Pittsburgh, while Jaromir Jagr and Christian Backman had the assists. Jagr, who played with the Penguins from 1990-91 through the 2000-01 season, has 16 goals and 18 assists in 35 games against his former team.

Henrik Lundqvist made 17 saves in defeat. He has been in net for all seven of New York's games against the Penguins this season, going 4-3-0 with a 2.00 GAA and one shutout.

The Rangers have won seven of their last nine at home and are 24-13-2 in the Big Apple this year. New York will play a road test against the Islanders on Thursday before hosting the club on Friday.

While New York wrapped this season with a 1-3-0 mark in Pittsburgh, it is 3-0-0 at home against the Penguins this year. The Rangers have won four in a row and eight of the last 10 as the host against the Pens and seven of the last 12 overall in the series.

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