NHL Game of the Week: Penguins vs Rangers

The New York Rangers play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York at 8 p.m. This game is the regular-season opener for both teams.

The biggest storyline of this game is the coaching matchup between these two metropolitan teams. Former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan makes his debut behind the Rangers' bench against his old team, which is now coached by former Rangers assistant Dan Muse.

Sullivan led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. He is the winningest coach in Penguins history with 409 regular-season wins, and is also the only coach to lead the Penguins to multiple championships.

Even though these two teams are normally powerhouses in the playoffs and the regular season, both teams are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season. These teams are not only relying on their new head coaches to get them to the postseason, but they are also relying on their star power.

The Rangers rely heavily on goaltender Igor Shesterkin, while the Penguins are still led by veteran captain Sidney Crosby, entering his 21st NHL season. Crosby is making history as just the fourth player in NHL history to spend their entire career with one team spanning a minimum of 21 seasons.

The Penguins have several new players on their roster this season, including veteran additions like Anthony Mantha and newcomers like Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke, making their NHL debuts. The Rangers are very similar to the Penguins, with new players starting this season, with veterans like Taylor Raddysh and Conor Sheary signing before the season, and Noah Laba making his NHL debut.

The Penguins will be without several players due to injury, including Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty, Tanner Howe, Bill Zonnon, and Joel Blomqvist. However, the Rangers' Artemi Panarin and J.T. Miller are confirmed to be good to go despite recent injury concerns during the preseason.

Last season, the Rangers won three out of four matchups against the Penguins, including a 6-0 victory in their 2024-25 season opener with goals from Alexis Lafrenière, Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick.

The Rangers and Penguins have a long-standing rivalry, particularly heightened since the 2013 realignment placed them in the same Metropolitan Division. This ensures they play each other at least four times during the regular season and often meet in the playoffs, with the last meeting between the two teams being in 2022, where the Rangers won Game 7 in overtime with a goal from Panarin.

Sullivan's deep familiarity with the Penguins, particularly their core players and organizational tendencies, could have a significant impact on tonight's game as he makes his debut as head coach of the Rangers.

He is familiar with the Penguins' style of play and how they might react to different situations. This could allow him to anticipate tactical adjustments made by Penguins coach Muse, who previously worked under Sullivan.

Muse is also familiar with the Rangers’ style of play, especially their penalty kill, which could allow him to understand defensive plays from New York and give Pittsburgh opportunities to score on the power play. You can watch the game on ESPN or stream it live on the ESPN app or Fubo.

Massimo Buonagurio is a second-year student majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email mkb6750@psu.edu.