April 10, 2016
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
The New York Rangers will open the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, after the crosstown Islanders completed their late-season tank on Sunday.
The Islanders needed just one win in their final two games of the season to clinch third place in the Metropolitan Division, and set-up a first round matchup with Pittsburgh. However, in an effort to avoid the red-hot Penguins, Jack Capuano's team showed no life and tanked it's final two games against the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders, instead, clinched the Eastern Conference's top wild card spot, and will open the playoffs against the Atlantic Division champion Panthers in Sunrise, Florida on Thursday. They'll have a quick turnaround, as game 2 will be played on Friday.
As a Rangers fan, I'm absolutely fine with this. You don't win Stanley Cups by avoiding the good teams. If the Islanders are afraid of Pittsburgh, that's their problem. The Rangers will open the playoffs against the Penguins for the third straight season. New York came back from a 3-1 series deficit to shock the Penguins en-route to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014. Last year, the Rangers disposed of the Penguins in five games where the score was only separated by one goal. The Rangers won all four of their games by 2-1 scores, and ex-Ranger/current Penguin Carl Hagelin had the game/series winning goal in overtime of game 5.
Here is the full schedule for the Rangers' opening round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins:
- Game 1 - Wed 04/13 NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh - 8:00 PM
- Game 2 - Sat 04/16 NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh - 3:00 PM
- Game 3 - Tue 04/19 Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers - 7:00 PM
- Game 4 - Thu 04/21 Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers - TIME TBD
- Game 5 - Sat 04/23 NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh - TIME TBD*
- Game 6 - Mon 04/25 Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers - TIME TBD*
- Game 7 - Wed 04/27 NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh - TIME TBD*
All times are eastern.
*If necessary
