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Get your game notes: Rangers at Penguins

PenguinsRangers

Tonight on NBCSN, it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Rangers starting at 7 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

• The Penguins entered this series having won all four previous playoff series vs. the Rangers (1989, 1992, 1996, 2008). Tonight, the Pens (who have won 19 of 24 playoff games vs. NYR) could become only the second team in Stanley Cup playoffs history with at least five series wins vs. one team without a series loss. Only Edmonton, which won all six series vs. Winnipeg from 1983-90, has done that. The Oilers won 22 of 26 vs. the Jets during that span. (Elias Sports Bureau)

• In Game 4, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury saw his shutout streak end at 145:30 on a second-period goal by Carl Hagelin. His 13 saves and 15 shots faced were both tied for the second-fewest in any complete-game win in his 10-year NHL career, regular season or playoffs. (He stopped 12 of 14 shots vs. New Jersey on Mar. 17, 2012.) He improved to 7-2 vs. the Rangers in his postseason career, with a 1.75 GAA, .934 save% and three shutouts.

• Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will be making his 78th consecutive postseason start, and face a daunting task in coming back from a three-games-to-one deficit in this series. Game 5 will mark the 15th time that Lundqvist mans the net with his team facing playoff elimination. Although his overall numbers in elimination games (7-7, 2.05 GAA, .930 save percentage) have been solid, five of the seven losses have come on the road.

• Although the Rangers scored twice in Game 4, their power play came up empty again. New York is now 0-for-15 with the man advantage in the series and 0-for-36 since Benoit Pouliot scored in the first period of Game 2 in their first-round series vs. Philadelphia. After going 18.2% during the regular season (15th in the NHL), they are 3/44 (6.8%, worst in the playoffs) this postseason while registering 55 shots on goal. The Rangers have five players among the top eight in power-play ice time this postseason, led by Brad Richards.

• The Penguins have played 10 games this postseason without a regulation loss. All three losses – in Games 2 and 4 vs. Columbus and Game 1 vs. the Rangers – came in overtime. Since the Expansion Era (1968-present), only two teams have advanced past two postseason rounds without a regulation loss in a best-of-seven series: the 1969 Blues (8 wins, 0 losses) and 1972 Bruins (8 wins, 1 OT loss). (Elias Sports Bureau)

• Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen, who is tied for the playoffs lead in goals (six) and game-winning goals (three) extended his points streak to a career postseason high eight games (5-3–8) with his goal in Game 4. Only three other players in Stanley Cup playoffs history have recorded a point streak of eight or more games with exactly one point in each contest: Bryan Trottier and John Tonelli (both eight games) of the 1981 N.Y. Islanders and Eric Staal (nine) of the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes. Both of those teams won the Cup that season. (Elias Sports Bureau)