The NY Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, Thursday Mar 04, as Sid the Kid gets a much needed day off. This is the sixth and final meeting between the Atlantic Division foes. The Penguins won the first four matchups, but the Rangers came away winners their last meeting. NHL oddsmakers at BETUS.com have the Penguins as -145 moneyline favs over the Rangers (+125) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to get your Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers NHL Prediction in early at BETUS.com
The Penguins (37-22-3-1) have won five of their last ten games and won two of their last five on the road. They are 18-12-1-0 on the road where they average 2.68 GAG and allow 3.00 GAG. They recently beat Buffalo 3-2 at home. They got goals from Sergei Gonchar, Pascal Dupuis and Ruslan Fedotenko. Goalie Brent Johnson stopped 26 of 28 shots as he subbed in for Marc-Andre Fleury who was part of Team Canada’s gold medal squad. Fleury should be back between the pipes tonight, he’s 5-5 in his last ten starts with a 3.10 GAA. Overall he’s 29-16-4 with a 2.65 GAA and a .908 SVPCT. Sidney Crosby has been given a rest after a long run in the Olympics followed by playing Tuesday night. The Pens obtained winger Alexi Ponikarovsky in a trade with Toronto but will not be able to join his new team until at least Friday because of an immigration holdup. Defenseman Jordan Leopold was acquired from Florida and played against Buffalo, he got significant work on the penalty-killing unit, but only a little on the power play. "I liked the way [Leopold] played," coach Dan Bylsma said. "He fit right in. He looked comfortable and solid." Penguins tough guy Eric Godard is still out with a groin injury. The Pens powerplay is producing, they have scored on the powerplay in three straight games.
The Rangers (29-27-4-3) are winners of five of their last ten and have lost three of their last five at home. They are 14-15-2-2 at home where they average 2.97 GAG and allow 2.79 GAG. They recently won in Ottawa 4-1. They got goals from Ryan Callahan (2), Brandon Dubinsky and Sean Avery. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 24 of 25 shots and is 4-6 in his last ten with a 3.10 GAA. Overall he’s 26-22-6 with a 2.38 GAA and a .920 SVPCT. Henrik Lundqvist played net for Sweden, but saw their gold-medal defense ended by Slovakia in the quarterfinal round. Ryan Callahan is still playing like he did in the Olympics for Team USA . "I think right when I jumped on the ice I was still competing at that speed and that level, and I found it helped me out a lot," said Callahan, who had one assist in six games at the Olympics. "I think that's one of the biggest things I tried to bring back, was not to have that sudden letdown where you don't keep your speed up and your game up, and I think that was one of the reasons I was successful (Tuesday)." Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto (abdomen) may return tonight, but winger Marian Gaborik (leg) is questionable. The Rangers rank 18th in the NHL on the power play with an 18 percent success rate, but have a 22.7 percent success rate at home, fourth-best in the League.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Penguins are 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
- Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
- Home team is 43-20-1 in the last 64 meetings.
- Penguins are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings in New York.
- Rangers are 4-0 in their last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Rangers are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
When: Thursday Mar 04, 2009 7:00 PM ET
Line: BETUS.com
Pick: Rangers +125
Point-Spreads.com Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers NHL Prediction
The Bottom Line: Crosby resting tonight, no win for them. Be sure to get your Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers NHL Prediction in now at BETUS.com and receive up to 145% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
