Even though the Penguins aren’t exactly roaring into the playoffs with a ton of positive momentum this spring — especially with the recent injury to Tristan Jarry — many an analytic model still likes their chances against the Rangers.
Moneypuck.com has Pittsburgh with a 64.4% chance to make the second round. On DraftKings it’s more of a dead heat, with each team holding the same, nominal betting odds of -110 at the moment.
In one of the better written pieces of the year, Dom Luszczszyn of The Athletic (along with Shayna Goldman) put out the typical magnum opus for the series preview.