State Your Case: Rangers or Penguins for Stanley Cup Playoff berth

The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty riding on the line when they play at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

The Rangers (27-25-4) are four points out of an Eastern Conference wild card spot after Saturday's 8-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Penguins (23-26-9) are seven points back. The Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators currently hold those positions with 62 points each.

Three points separating two teams looking to get to the postseason. New York has qualified for the playoffs four of the past five seasons; Pittsburgh hasn't qualified for it the past two seasons.

So which one is more likely to make the playoffs? That’s the question facing senior draft writer Mike Morreale and staff writer Tracey Myers in this version of State Your Case.

Myers: The East is just a big jumble of teams trying to get to the playoffs, isn’t it? I mean, this is probably going down to the wire on the wild-card front but I think the Rangers have a better chance of getting in than the Penguins. I like their goaltending. Even if Igor Shesterkin’s numbers haven’t been exceptional (18-20-2, 2.98 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and three shutouts in 40 starts), he still leads New York to the postseason. Forward Artemi Panarin was finding his scoring touch shortly before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off and I think he takes off once they regroup. I just like the Rangers’ makeup going into the stretch here. As crazy as things got a few weeks ago with their trades, things seemed to have calmed at the right time.

Morreale: Tracey makes some very valid points, particularly when it comes to the biggest X-factor in Shesterkin, but am I the only one finding it hard to believe the Penguins will not make the playoffs for a third straight season? Before 2022-23, Pittsburgh had not missed the postseason since Sidney Crosby’s rookie season (2005-06). If you'll recall, the Penguins climbed back into playoff contention last season with a 10-game point streak (7-0-3) from March 24-April 11, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their earlier struggles. Crosby and his mates know a playoff berth is certainly there for the taking at this stage, and after a 3-2 win at the Rangers in the third of this four-game series on Feb. 7, the Penguins know what's at stake after what they went through last season. So do their fans, who will be ramped up for this Metropolitan Division showdown. The time is now for Pittsburgh to make its move.

Myers: Oh, believe me I will be surprised when the Penguins don’t make the playoffs for the third straight season. But it’s heading in that direction, and I just don’t foresee them reversing it in time. I didn’t foresee the Rangers having the see-saw season they’ve had, but I like how they were trending heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break, winning three of their past four. I like their penalty kill (tied for fifth in the NHL at 81.9 percent). I like their production (2.96 goals per game, 14th in the League). I just think they’re the steadier ship as we enter the turbulent waters of playoff positioning.

Morreale: Prior to an 8-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday, the Penguins had exhibited quite the pulse in four games since Feb. 1, ranking third in the NHL in goals-against average (1.75) and second in shots allowed per game (22.5), while going 6 for 6 on the penalty kill in that span. Crosby continues to drive the engine this season, leading the club with 59 points (18 goals, 41 assists) in 56 games. In 87 career matches against the Rangers, Crosby has 108 points (40 goals, 68 assists), so I expect him to play a prominent role in this one. Center Richard Rakell has played a major part in the Pittsburgh's resurgence with a team-leading 25 goals in 57 games. Additionally, the Penguins are expected to have forwards Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust healthy for the stretch run, and that will further fuel the club offensively and emotionally. Malkin has 70 points (31 goals, 39 assists) in 76 career games against the Rangers. I expect the star players, including defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, to shine bright for Pittsburgh down the stretch on the way to qualifying for the playoffs.