The Rangers head into a crucial Game 4 on Monday in Pittsburgh, where they’ll look to even the first-round series against the Penguins at 2 games each.
Pittsburgh beat the Rangers on Saturday in a high-scoring 7–4 contest, which saw the team pull their star goalie, Igor Shesterkin, after he allowed 4 goals in the first period, and played Alexandar Georgiev for the remainder of the contest.
The Blue Shirts managed to erase their 4–1 deficit to tie the game at 4 by the end of the second period, but Pittsburgh regained the momentum to find the back of the net 3 times in the final period to take a 2–1 series lead.
Now, the Rangers will look to avoid a 3–1 deficit on Pittsburgh’s ice, with the puck dropping on Monday at 7 p.m..
NEW YORK RANGERS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
How to Watch:
Date: Monday, May 9.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
TV: ESPN
Tale of the Tape:
| Rangers | Stat | Penguins |
| 52–24–6 | Record | 46–25–11 |
| 250 | Goals | 269 |
| 2,392 | Shots on goal | 2,849 |
| 204 | Goals against | 222 |
| Igor Shesterkin | Starting goalie | Louis Domingue |
| 92.8% | Starting goalie save % | 95.2% |
| 25.23% | Power Play % | 20.16% |
Can’t miss offer from DraftKings:
Rangers leaders:
- LW Artemi Panarin: 92 points, 22 goals, 74 assists
- C Mika Zibanejad: 81 points, 29 goals, 52 assists
- LW Chris Kreider: 77 points, 52 goals, 25 assists
Penguins leaders:
- C Sidney Crosby: 84 points, 31 goals, 53 assists
- C Jake Guentzel: 84 points, 40 goals, 44 assists
- D Kris Letang: 68 points, 10 goals, 58 assists
Odds, Lines, and More:
Rangers Moneyline: -115
Spread: Rangers -1.5
The Pick:
Take the Rangers to the bank.
With their backs against the wall, not wanting to fall into a 3–1 deficit, the Rangers will surely bring everything they’ve got to the matchup. That sense of urgency from the high-powered Blue Shirts offense, combined wit the fact that they’ll be facing off against 3rd string goalie Louis Domingue once more (after Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith both went down with injury), gives the Rangers a slight advantage in the game.
The betting odds favor the team from Madison Square Garden, as their -115 money line means that $0.75 for every dollar wagered, but those who place that bet should feel confident that they the top-heavy roster of prolific scorers can overmatch the Penguins’ defense.
