The Pittsburgh Penguins had to play a game without their captain and superstar Sidney Crosby. The Penguins also remained without their other superstar forward, Evgeni Malkin, having to battle undermanned against a New York Rangers team that had just added star forward J.

This was a game the New York Rangers had to win. They were playing the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Metropolitan Division rival below them in the standings that was without its two best forwards, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin,