In Pittsburgh Sunday, the visiting New York Rangers were looking to build on the win in Columbus and get another streak going in the competitive Metropolitan Division.
They got the quick start they were looking for when Rick Nash picked up a loose puck just outside the defensive zone and raced in on the left wing to beat Thomas Greiss with a wicked writer for a 1-0 lead just 26 seconds into the game.
Rick Nash picked up 27th and 28th goals on the season in win over Pens – file p0hoto by Lewis Bleiman
That goal set the stage for a convincing 5-2 win for the Blueshirts.
“I’m real pleased with how we played this afternoon,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “I felt we played a real solid game at both ends of the rink. We didn’t give them much 5-on-5 in the first two periods. They had a little bit more in the third there, but that’s why we have our goaltender.”
The Rangers are within two points of second place Pittsburgh with a game-in-hand.
“I think every team you play in your division is a different scenario,” Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. “With the Islanders, we had a chance the other night to even the series basically against them and with 14 minutes left in the game, they tie the game. We had a chance that night to even the series.
“Tonight, we had another chance to even the series against the Rangers … Is there any one thing you can pinpoint? No, I don’t think there is.”
Nash added a second later in the game and Derek Stepan added two goals of his own to pace the offense.
“They have so much skill, so much talent, and I think we just try to play our style of hockey,” Nash said. “We have success against them and then we play a team like Tampa and can’t have any success, so it’s funny how a game works … I think guys were on their A-game. We stuck to the game plan and coming off a hard-fought game two days ago, this was a big win.”
Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves for the win including several highlight reel glove saves in the third period.
“I think it’s fun when you play against the best players,” Lundqvist said. “They have so many good players on the other side that you have the respect for them, but at the same time, you definitely want to beat them. It’s a challenge every time to come here and play them. A lot of the time, it’s a fast game.
“We respect their skill. It looks like we try to play a smart game and make good decisions with the puck … It’s fun. Every time we come in here, we try to beat them.”
Martin St. Louis and Kris Kreider added two assists each in the win.
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