NHL teams
Katie Strang, ESPN.com 9y

W2W4: Penguins at Rangers, Game 5

NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers have a 3-1 stranglehold on their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they have a chance to close it out Friday night with a win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, the Penguins try to keep their playoff hopes alive and send the series back to Pittsburgh.

Still not satisfied: Granted, the Rangers have a two-game lead in the series, but the team is wary of growing complacent. Despite a 2-1 overtime win in Game 4 on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, the Rangers did not come away feeling like they delivered their best.

Said center Derick Brassard, “We’re not really playing our best right now, so we can’t be too comfortable.”

Veteran defenseman Dan Girardi said the Rangers are still working on cleaning up certain aspects of their game, including getting in shooting lanes and trying to prevent the Pens from getting too many looks from the point.

But beyond tactics and planning, Girardi said the team’s urgency has to be at peak level to ward off a hungry Penguins team.

“Our desperation has to be more than theirs for us to be successful,” he said after Friday’s morning skate.

Pressure is on: As the Pens trail the Rangers by two games in the series, all eyes will be on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as they try to stave off another unceremonious postseason exit. And while Crosby has tallied two goals and recorded three points in the first four games against their Metropolitan Division rivals, Malkin has yet to register a point in this series.

Pens coach Mike Johnston didn’t seem too concerned, however, noting that Malkin was the first on the ice Friday morning and the last to leave.

“That’s a good indication of the mindset,” Johnston said. “He’s right there to break out.”

Crosby said shouldering such expectations is no surprise, especially at this time of year.

“Playoff time, you always put that extra pressure on yourself,” Crosby said. “I’m sure he does too.”

Not ready yet: Although Rangers coach Alain Vigneault left the door open to the possibility of Kevin Klein returning to the lineup on Thursday, he will not play in Game 5. The veteran defenseman remains out with a broken arm that, according to Vigneault, “is taking longer to heal.” Klein was on the ice with the rest of the Rangers’ extra skaters on Friday morning.

PROJECTED LINES

Rangers

Rick Nash- Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-J.T. Miller

Carl Hagelin-Kevin Hayes-Martin St. Louis

Tanner Glass-Dominic Moore-Jesper Fast

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Dan Boyle

Keith Yandle-Matt Hunwick

Henrik Lundqvist

Penguins

Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Patric Hornqvist

Blake Comeau-Evgeni Malkin-David Perron

Nick Spaling-Brandon Sutter-Steve Downie

Scott Wilson-Maxim Lapierre-Daniel Winnik

Paul Martin-Ben Lovejoy

Rob Scuderi-Ian Cole

Brian Dumoulin-Taylor Chorney

Marc-Andre Fleury

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