(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
BY WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to become the sixth player in NHL history to reach 200 career playoff points and the Pittsburgh Penguins throttled the New York Rangers 7-2 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Jake Guentzel scored for the fourth consecutive game and Jeff Carter, Danton Heinen, Mark Friedman and Mike Matheson also beat Igor Shesterkin as the Penguins chased the Vezina Trophy favorite for the second time in three days to move within one game of advancing in the postseason for the first time since 2018. Shesterkin sat out the third period after giving up six goals on 30 shots.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the best-of-seven first-round series. Chris Kreider, Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome also scored for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves two nights after stopping 79 shots in a triple-overtime loss in Game 1. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins. Louis Domingue, getting the start after replacing the injured Casey DeSmith in the second overtime of Game 1, finished with 34 saves. Game 3 is Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the best-of-seven first-round series. Chris Kreider, Andrew Copp and Ryan Strome also scored for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves two nights after stopping 79 shots in a triple-overtime loss in Game 1. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins. Louis Domingue, getting the start after replacing the injured Casey DeSmith in the second overtime of Game 1, finished with 34 saves. Game 3 is Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

(File Photo of Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87), center Evgeni Malkin (71) and defenseman Kris Letang (58) react after losing to the Montreal Canadiens in an NHL hockey playoff game Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored on a deflection 5:58 into the third overtime, giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their first-round series. Jake Guentzel scored twice and Bryan Rust had a goal and two assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby also had two assists. Casey DeSmith had 48 saves before leaving midway through the second overtime. Louis Domingue came on and had 17 saves. Chris Kreider had a goal and an assist, and Adam Fox and Andrew Copp also scored for the Rangers. Mika Zibanejad had two assists. Igor Shesterkin finished with 79 saves. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in New York.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to outduel Sidney Crosby, and the surging Edmonton Oilers rolled past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. McDavid pushed his season point total to an NHL-best 122 by finishing off his 22nd career four-point game with a pretty shot from a tight angle in the third period. His 44th goal gave the Oilers a three-goal lead. Evander Kane, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Zack Kassian also scored for Edmonton. Crosby had five shots on goal but didn’t record a point as the Penguins lost their second straight.

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
By SCOTT CHARLES Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Parise and Josh Bailey each scored twice, and Kyle Palmieri had the lone goal in the shootout as the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Ilya Sorokin stopped Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in the shootout and finished with a career-high 43 saves for New York. Jake Guentzel had two goals and an assist, Crosby had two assist and Casey DeSmith made 33 saves for the Penguins, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Danton Heinen and Jeff Carter also scored for Pittsburgh.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin has been suspended four games for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki in the face. The NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension after holding a hearing with Malkin about the play. Malkin was initially given only a four-minute double-minor penalty after striking Borowiecki in the mouth with his stick at the end of the second period Sunday. This is Malkin’s second suspension after a one-game ban for high-sticking in 2019. This one costs him $190,000 in salary. He’s eligible to return April 23 vs. Detroit.

(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
By ALLAN KREDA Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Vatrano and Artemi Panarin scored in the second period, Igor Shesterkin stopped 30 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0. Dryden Hunt added an empty-net goal in the final minute and Mika Zibanejad had two assists for New York, which is 6-1-1 in its last eight games — including three victories against Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry had 21 saves for Pittsburgh, which has lost four of five and is 2-5-1 in its last eight.

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By DAN SCIFO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and the Colorado Avalanche clinched a playoff spot with a 6-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguin. The Avalanche became the first NHL team to 50 wins this season. J.T. Compher, Darren Helm, Josh Manson and Artturi Lehkonen also scored for Colorado. Darcy Kuemper stopped 41 shots. Bryan Rust, Evan Rodrigues, Jake Guentzel and Mike Matheson all scored for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for Pittsburgh, which has lost five of its last seven games.