Seven-game win streaks aren't a very common thing in the NHL today - too many variables, too much to potentially go wrong - or right - or weird - on a nightly basis.
But those pesky Pittsburgh Penguins (10-2-1) have reeled off seven straight victories nonetheless, and will enter tonight's game against the New York Rangers (6-6-2) - a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Semifinals - looking to make it an even eight.
The Rangers won that playoff matchup last year en route to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, but the two teams are seemingly headed in opposite directions thus far this season.
The Penguins are scoring at a torrid pace - they currently have 21 points in 13 games, for a points-per-game average of 1.615. All-Star Sidney Crosby leads the league with 17 assists and 24 points, 15 of which have come during the team's recent winning streak.
Crosby's linemate, Patric Hornqvist, is on pace to shatter his career-highs in goals, points and assists.
The Rangers, meanwhile, enter the game on a down note. Their last game, a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, may have been their worst of the season, prompting a number of dissatisfied and negative comments from coaches and players, as HNGN reported yesterday.
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been his usual stellar self, but playing without injured Captain Ryan McDonagh seems to have drained the team of their grit and energy, meaning Lundqvist has faced a plethora of shots and chances. His 2.79 GAA and .905 SP, while not bad, are not reflective of his actual play.
They've lost two in a row, and four of their last five, including two shootouts.
Lundqvist and big forward Rick Nash have been two of the lone bright spots for the Blueshirts. Nash leads the team with 14 points, and a league-high tying 11 goals, according to Blue Shirts United.
Pittsburgh, however, has four players with more points than Nash. They boast the top-ranked power play and third-ranked penalty kill in the league, and their goal differential is a staggering +27.
Tonight will be the first of four games the teams will play this season.
