For the first time since 2017, there will be playoff hockey at Madison Square Garden. The New York Rangers capped of a strong 52 win, 110 point regular season on Friday, and now they’re in the process of resting up ahead of an opening round playoff matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While these two teams were neck and neck in the standings with 85 points apiece on the day of the trade deadline, three head-to-head meetings in the following weeks were all won by the Blueshirts. That allowed them to pull away from Pittsburgh and end up with home ice advantage in this series.