Penguins vs. Rangers: How New York Can Capitalize on End of Pittsburgh's Streak

They may have shared headlines before the start of the NHL season as Stanley Cup favorites, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers have had two completely different seasons so far.

The Penguins lead the Eastern Conference with 56 points, having completed the first perfect month in NHL history with 15 wins in the month of March. One came against the Rangers, their Atlantic Division rivals, who are two points out of a playoff spot coming into Wednesday's matchup, the first of a home-and-home series between the two teams.

The Rangers may not be favored to win this game, or even a lock to make this year's playoffs, but against Pittsburgh, which just lost the first game of its past 16, they might be able to pull out a surprise victory.

For one, Pittsburgh is missing its leader. Sidney Crosby remains on the sidelines for the Penguins after breaking his jaw on Saturday. That means that the high-flying Pittsburgh offense may need to be more reliant on new acquisitions like Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow, players who are still adjusting to their new home.

Meanwhile, goaltending may present a more serious problem for the Penguins. Tomas Vokoun was pulled early in the second period during Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, forcing typical starter Marc-Andre Fleury to come in and clean up the mess.

That leaves Penguins coach Dan Bylsma with two options: start Fleury, who would be playing the majority of back-to-back games, or start Vokoun again just 24 hours after watching him give up four goals on 13 shots.

Either way, that catch-22 makes the Rangers' game plan evident. They need to fire away, either to wear out the tired goalie or test the one whose confidence may be shaken.

There's a chance that a new acquisition can help New York do just that. The Rangers have attempted to bolster their offense by trading for physical left wing Ryane Clowe, formerly of the San Jose Sharks. Clowe has struggled this season, posting only 11 points (all assists) in 28 games and watching his ice time fall from 17:52 per game last year to 16:28.

The hope is that not only will Clowe be available on Wednesday, but he will also break out thanks to the change of scenery, perhaps even scoring his first goal of the season in his New York debut.

Most importantly, if the Rangers simply play with desperation, they may be able to catch the Penguins off-guard. It's all but guaranteed that Pittsburgh will make the playoffs this year, and it's obvious that they're favored even more heavily now come playoff time after making aggressive trades over the past few weeks.

But teams that play best in clutch situations can blow it against lesser opponents. Of Pittsburgh's nine losses this season, the last seven have come against teams that rank seventh or worse in the Eastern Conference. The highest-ranked seed in the standings that they've lost to is the third-place Winnipeg Jets—and with 38 points, they'd actually be eighth in the conference if division leaders weren't guaranteed the first three seeds.

If the Rangers keep nothing else in mind, it should be that the Penguins are not invincible. They have a bad habit of playing down to lesser opponents. And with Pittsburgh's momentum halted against Buffalo on Tuesday, New York has a prime opportunity to capitalize on home ice and keep up in the playoff hunt.

For more from Christopher Leone, follow @christopherlion on Twitter.