Bruins vs Red Wings

NEW YORK -- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Derrick Pouliot and forward Beau Bennett again have been ruled out against the New York Rangers for Game 5 of the their Eastern Conference First Round series at Madison Square Garden on Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-1.

Pouliot, who sustained an undisclosed injury in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on April 7, will miss his sixth straight game. Bennett, who sustained an upper-body injury in a 4-3 victory in Game 2 of the series, will miss his third straight game. Each participated in the morning skate at Madison Square Garden, and Pouliot even took a few shifts on the second power-play unit.

"There is no change in the lineup," Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. "The injured players on our roster aren't available, so it's that type of situation right now with our team. I'm quite comfortable looking at the last game (a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 4) that we just need to repeat that type of game."

NEW YORK -- New York Rangers left wing Tanner Glass has an idea of what to expect from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports, ROOT, MSG).

Glass was on the other side last season, when the Rangers rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second round to beat the Penguins in seven games.

"Once we gave them Game 5 they got some momentum, got going a bit," Glass said. "We maybe weren't as hungry, didn't have that killer instinct, and allowed them to get back in the series."

The script is flipped now with the Rangers holding a 3-1 lead on the Penguins in the best-of-7 series. New York hasn't won a playoff series in five games since 2008. Five of its past six series wins have come in seven games.

NEW YORK -- New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein, who has been out of the lineup while recovering from a broken left arm sustained last month, skated prior to practice Thursday and remains questionable for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Klein, defenseman Keith Yandle and forward Mats Zuccarello took maintenance days Thursday. He said he expects Yandle and Zuccarello to be in the lineup Friday; Klein he wasn't as sure about.

"Klein was still a little sore from practice [Wednesday] so we'll see how he reacts and responds at the morning skate [Friday]," Vigneault said.

PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby is familiar with Evgeni Malkin's position.

A year ago, Crosby was criticized throughout the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs for his lack of production, partially resulting in the Pittsburgh Penguins' Eastern Conference Second Round series loss after leading the New York Rangers 3-1. After being held scoreless for a third consecutive game in Pittsburgh's 2-1 Game 7 loss, it was announced Crosby had been playing with a wrist injury.

Jump ahead to the Penguins' best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round series against the Rangers, which it trails 3-1, and it is Malkin who has struggled to score while battling an undisclosed injury.

Game 5 will be played at Madison Square Garden on Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

PITTSBURGH -- Rookie center Kevin Hayes was considered an X-factor for the New York Rangers entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs because of his ability to create offense with his size and skill in a third-line role.

For three games, Hayes looked overwhelmed. He didn't on Wednesday in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring the winner 3:14 into overtime in Game 4 to give New York a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

The Rangers can eliminate the Penguins in Game 5 Friday at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports, ROOT, MSG).

"This was his best game of this series," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "We need him to play the way he's played for us throughout the year. Obviously this is playoff hockey and a bigger stage and he's learning how to deal with it with the help of his teammates. Tonight he scored a big goal and I'm hoping that helps his confidence."

PITTSBURGH -- The New York Rangers will try to do something Wednesday that they haven't been all that good at in recent years -- take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series.

The Rangers lead the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the Eastern Conference First Round heading into Game 4 on Wednesday at Consol Energy Center (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

New York has had the opportunity to go up 3-1 in five playoff series going back to the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals; it has lost Game 4 four times. The one time the Rangers won Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead was last year in the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens.

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy thinks there are three things the his team must do to avoid another slow start against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

"We need to be mentally focused, we need to come out and win battles, and we need to play smart," Lovejoy said. "Last game we didn't do those things. We were turning pucks over, which led to them being able to utilize their quick-strike offense. We weren't winning battles.

"We came out maybe with our brains turned off."

Pittsburgh, which trails the best-of-7 series 2-1, will attempt to move that switch to the on position in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Consol Energy Center (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports 2, MSG, ROOT).

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins came into the Eastern Conference First Round knowing the New York Rangers are arguably the fastest team in the NHL and thrive on making quick passes out of the neutral zone to spring their forwards into odd-man rush situations.

The problem through three games is the Penguins have helped the Rangers do that with the occasional ill-timed and slow line change.

New York has scored two of its seven goals in the best-of-7 series on breakaways that are a result of those types of line changes, including left wing Carl Hagelin's goal that gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in Game 3 on Monday. They won the game 2-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Center Derek Stepan gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in Game 2 after right wing J.T. Miller hit him with a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone as the Penguins were changing.

PITTSBURGH -- The New York Rangers reward for taking a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday was a day off Tuesday. The Rangers canceled their full team practice and instead had only a handful of players skate at Consol Energy Center.

Defenseman Kevin Klein, who hasn't played since sustaining a broken arm on March 11, was among them. Klein also was on the ice for the morning skate Monday; it was his first time practicing with the team since he got hurt.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault had no update on Klein's condition, but he didn't rule out his return for Game 4 of the best-of-7 series on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN360, TVA Sports 2, ROOT, MSG).

PITTSBURGH -- As part of Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Johnston's line juggling throughout Game 3 on Monday, he went back to a combination that worked well during the regular season with the hopes of igniting center Evgeni Malkin's stagnant offensive game.

There were signs that it could have worked if they had more time.

Johnston put Blake Comeau with Malkin and David Perron to start the third period, and that line was on the ice for nine of Pittsburgh's 30 shot attempts, including three shots on goal. More than the shot production, they played in the offensive zone on almost every shift in the third, and Malkin looked quicker than he has all series.