The New York Rangers have forced Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series, thanks to a 5-3 win in Game 5 followed by another 5-3 win in Game 6 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Who wins this Sunday? Check out our preview below of this Penguins vs. Rangers 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs game.
Without their leader, Sidney Crosby, the Penguins failed to close out the series in Game 6 at home. Nevertheless, they continue to succeed against Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who allowed all of Pittsburgh’s goals in the contest. Crosby is said to be dealing with a concussion from a brutal hit from Jacob Trouba in Game 5 but hasn’t been ruled out of Game 7. Crosby also reportedly skated on his own prior to the morning prior to Game 6, so he seems to be moving in the right direction towards availability on Sunday night. The future Hall of Famer is tied with Jake Guentzel for the most points in the playoffs among Pens players with nine. Speaking of Guentzel, he leads the team in the series with seven goals already. Through six games in the series, the Penguins lead New York in terms of CF%, FF%, and xGF%.
The Over is 8-2 in the Penguins’ last 10 games overall.
The Rangers have at least a homecourt advantage going for them in Game 7. They are 3-1 in their last four games at Madison Square Garden, which includes their 5-3 win over Pittsburgh back in Game 5. In Game 6, took advantage of their opportunities on the man advantage, going 2/3 on the power play. At the same time, their special teams shut down Pittsburgh’s power-play attack, snuffing all three of the Penguins’ PP chances. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider each had a power-play goal, as they finished the game with a combined total of four goals and a pair of assists. The Rangers are still losing the possession battle in the series, so they hope to at least see their blue line step up in keeping Pittsburgh from taking more shots on goal than them in Game 7. Shesterkin has been not himself in the playoffs thus far, but he’s been a whole lot steadier in the past two games.
