PITTSBURGH — The NHL schedule makers got this one right, for sure. Saving all these Rangers-Penguins for the stretch run of the season is producing some really fun, high-stakes, late-season hockey games.
The teams are locked into a battle for second place in the Metropolitan Division, with home ice advantage in the likely first-round playoff matchup between the teams the prize for the winner, and the Rangers’ 3-2 victory at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday allowed the Blueshirts to leapfrog the Penguins and take a one-point lead in the race for second.
Chris Kreider’s 45th goal, a power-play tally scored on the rebound of a shot off the backboards by Adam Fox, had given the Rangers a 3-1 lead at 1:06 of the third period, but Sidney Crosby scored a power-play goal of his own at 10:37 of the period to pull Pittsburgh within 3-2.
