Penguins Host Rangers As Sullivan Returns For Emotional Clash

There’s an undeniable buzz in the air at PPG Paints Arena as the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare to host the New York Rangers for Game 53 of their campaign. On a day when the Penguins honor their 2016 Stanley Cup championship team, the stakes are high—not just for nostalgia, but for the current playoff race and the intriguing return of Mike Sullivan, now coaching the Rangers after nearly a decade behind the Penguins’ bench.

The Penguins, riding a five-game winning streak and holding second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-14-11 record, are feeling the momentum. Their recent 12-2-2 run since the holiday break has propelled them from playoff uncertainty to a firm postseason trajectory. According to Moneypuck.com, their odds of making the playoffs now stand at a robust 84.2% as of January 31, 2026. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that was, not so long ago, in the thick of a crowded playoff fight.

Thursday night’s 6-2 demolition of the Chicago Blackhawks was a showcase of Pittsburgh’s offensive depth. Connor Dewar lit the lamp twice, while Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, Anthony Mantha, and Ryan Shea each chipped in a goal. Mantha, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari each tallied two assists, and Arturs Silovs stopped 18 of 20 shots. It was a complete team effort, and the energy in the locker room is palpable. As Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo noted, the chemistry among the coaching staff and players has never been better, with veterans like Evgeni Malkin taking younger teammates out for meals and fostering a tight-knit environment.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. The Penguins will be without key veterans for this high-profile matchup. Defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined for approximately four weeks with a fractured foot, while Bryan Rust serves the second of his three-game suspension. Evgeni Malkin’s status, after missing Friday’s practice due to injury evaluation, remains a game-time decision. If he can’t go, Kevin Hayes will likely slot into the second line, and Connor Clifton will draw in on defense. The Penguins are hoping the upcoming Olympic break will provide much-needed rest for their aging core—after all, as one player joked to the Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh, they’re “closer to 40.”

Despite these absences, the Penguins’ lineup remains formidable. Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, and Justin Brazeau form the top line, with Tommy Novak, Hayes, and Chinakhov likely anchoring the second. The third and fourth lines, featuring Rutger McGroarty, Ben Kindel, Mantha, Dewar, Lizotte, and Acciari, provide depth and grit. On defense, Parker Wotherspoon pairs with Erik Karlsson—who enters Saturday just one assist shy of 700 for his career—while Brett Kulak, Clifton, Ilya Solovyov, and Shea round out the blue line. Stuart Skinner is the expected starter in goal, and he’s been stellar since the break, posting a 7-1 record, a .934 save percentage, and a stingy 1.63 goals-against average.

Skinner’s track record against the Rangers is nothing to sneeze at either. In six career games (all with Edmonton), he’s 4-1-1 with a .930 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average. The Penguins’ special teams have also been a major asset: their power play ranks third in the league at 27.2%, and their penalty kill is fourth at 83.8%. Over the past eight games, they’ve killed off 26 of their last 27 penalties—a remarkable 96.3% success rate. And let’s not forget Anthony Mantha, who’s been on fire during the win streak, tying his season-high with three points (one goal, two assists) against Chicago and notching his third multi-point performance in the last five outings.

Yet, history isn’t on Pittsburgh’s side in this matchup. The Penguins have lost five straight home games to the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. Will today be the day they break that streak? The Rangers, meanwhile, are limping through a difficult season. Sitting at 22-27-6 and eighth in the Metro Division, they’ve lost 10 of their last 12 games and have endured some humiliating defeats, including a 10-2 thrashing by the Boston Bruins and back-to-back losses to the New York Islanders. Their recent 2-9-1 record has them teetering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and fans are bracing for a rebuild after GM Chris Drury’s letter asking for patience.

Mike Sullivan’s first year in Manhattan has been anything but smooth. The Rangers’ lineup is depleted, with superstar winger Artemi Panarin scratched indefinitely pending a trade—a move ESPN’s Emily Kaplan says makes it “likely” Panarin has played his final game for New York. The team is also without starting goalie Igor Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox, though Fox has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey and is eligible to return from long-term injured reserve today. In Panarin’s absence, Mika Zibanejad has emerged as the Rangers’ top threat, scoring in two straight games, though the team was outscored 8-3 in those contests.

Between the pipes, veteran Jonathan Quick gets the nod for New York. Quick is coming off a 19-save effort in a 2-1 loss to the Islanders, bringing his season totals to a 4-12-2 record, a 3.10 goals-against average, and an .885 save percentage across 18 appearances. The Rangers have alternated Quick and Spencer Martin in net since Shesterkin went down, but Quick hasn’t recorded a regulation win since November 7. The Penguins, meanwhile, are tied for seventh in the league with 3.35 goals per game—no small challenge for the Rangers’ beleaguered defense.

The season series between these two teams has been a tale of two games: Pittsburgh shut out New York 3-0 on opening night at Madison Square Garden, only to be routed 6-1 at home four days later. The Rangers’ struggles against the Islanders have been historic as well—they went 0-4-0 in the season series, never holding a lead, a first in franchise history according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

For the Penguins, Egor Chinakhov is quietly on a four-game point streak, the third longest of his career, while the team as a whole has scored first in 31 of 52 games this season—a testament to their quick starts and aggressive play. As the puck drops just after 3:30 p.m. for a national TV audience, all eyes will be on whether the Penguins can extend their hot streak, overcome injuries, and finally snap their home losing skid against the Rangers.

With the Olympic break looming and both teams facing uncertainty—be it injuries, trades, or playoff hopes—today’s clash promises intensity, emotion, and perhaps a little bit of history in the making. One thing’s for sure: the hockey world will be watching closely as the action unfolds in Pittsburgh.