The New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet in NHL action from PPG Paints Arena on Sunday.
The New York Rangers will look to bounce back from a 4-3 loss to the Penguins in a shootout last time out. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in scoring with 5 points including 2 goals and 3 assists while Pavel Buchnevich, Phil Di Giuseppe and Adam Fox each have 4 points with Di Giuseppe logging a team-high 4 assists while Buchnevich has 2 goals and 2 assists and Fox has a goals and 3 helpers. Filip Chytil also has 2 goals and an assist for the Rangers this season. Igor Shesterkin has a 2.95 GAA with an 0-1-2 record in 3 starts with 7 goals against on 69 shots against while Alexandar Georgiev has a record of 1-1 with 4 goals against on 43 shots against this season for a 2.40 GAA.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to add to their win over the Rangers last time out. Sidney Crosby leads the Pens in scoring with 5 points coming on 3 goals with a pair of assists while Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel and Teddy Blueger each have 4 points with Rust and Guentzel each logging a goal and 3 assists while Blueger has 2 goals and 2 helpers this season. Mark Jankowski, Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann each have 3 points with Tanev logging 2 goals and an assist while McCann and Jankowski each have a goal and a pair of assists. Casey DeSmith has a 2-0 record with 8 goals allowed on 62 shots against with a 2.76 GAA while Tristan Jarry has a 5.28 GAA in 3 starts.
New York is 1-7 in their last 8 games overall and 1-5 in their last 6 games as an underdog while the under is 6-2 in their last 8 games overall. Pittsburgh is 5-2 in their last 7 Sunday games and 148-69 in their last 217 home games while the over is 5-0 in their last 5 games overall. The over is 17-6-3 in the last 26 meetings between these two teams.
I’m not sure if I can make a case for either side as both have been questionable in terms of goaltending and both offenses have come alive as of late. Instead of trying to back a team here I’m going to side with the over. Nine of the last ten meetings have gone over the number including the last meeting and I think more offensive fireworks are in store here.