Pittsburgh (0-0-0) at NY Rangers (0-0-0)
- When: Oct 7 2025, 8:00 PM
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
- TV: ESPN
Pittsburgh vs NY Rangers NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: NY Rangers -214
Spread: NY Rangers -1.5 (+112)
Total: 6.0
The Broadway Blueshirts Are Back (With New Drama!)
If the New York Rangers were a TV show, last season was their “season finale meltdown.” They went from Presidents’ Trophy winners and Stanley Cup hopefuls to “Netflix-worthy dysfunction.” Now, they’re rebooting the franchise under new head coach Mike Sullivan, yes, that Mike Sullivan and he’ll be staring across the ice at his old team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Rangers’ offseason looked like a clearance sale. Nine players from last year’s opener? Gone. Chris Kreider? Traded to Anaheim, presumably for some extra cap space and Disney FastPasses. But the big move was bringing in J.T. Miller from Vancouver, a man who plays every shift like someone insulted his mother. He’s now the new captain and emotional spark plug for a locker room that clearly needed a defibrillator.
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are still here and hopefully didn’t forget how to score during last year’s offensive disappearing act. Panarin went from 120 points to 89, while Zibanejad dropped to 62. Both were last seen trying to remember how to pass the puck to someone not named the penalty-kill unit. But with Miller on Zibanejad’s wing, expect more energy, more chaos, and maybe a few more goals that don’t bounce off a skate.
Pittsburgh Penguins Outlook: The Crosby & Malkin Forever Tour
The Penguins, meanwhile, are still rolling out the core trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, who collectively have been in the league longer than TikTok, Instagram, and half of their teammates combined.
Crosby remains elite, 91 points last season because time simply doesn’t apply to him. Malkin, on the other hand, looked like he was playing with a piano strapped to his back, managing just 50 points. Still, don’t count him out. Like bad Wi-Fi, he always finds a way to reconnect when you least expect it.
Enter new head coach Dan Muse, who’s been handed the unenviable job of making this ancient-but-still-dangerous roster look fresh again. He’s mixing veterans like Anthony Mantha and Mathew Dumba with young hopefuls like Ville Koivunen, who might line up next to Crosby if he promises not to blink during shifts.
The real wildcard is goalie Tristan Jarry, who had a .893 save percentage last season. That’s not ideal, considering your average beer-league goalie might flirt with .900 on a good night. If Jarry doesn’t bounce back, the Penguins’ playoff hopes could vanish faster than a two-goal lead in the third period.
NHL Betting Outlook & Prediction
The Rangers are the favorites for a reason, they’re deeper, meaner, and motivated to erase last year’s embarrassment. Sullivan’s debut behind the bench will add some fire, and Madison Square Garden should be buzzing like it’s 1994 again.
The Penguins will scrap and score enough to keep it interesting, but New York’s retooled top six and Bobrovsky-level goaltending advantage should be the difference. Expect fireworks, chirps, and at least one fight sparked by J.T. Miller’s mouth.
(Because let’s be honest — Crosby and Malkin can only do so much when their goalie’s having an existential crisis.)
Score Prediction: Rangers 4, Penguins 2
Pick: NY Rangers -1.5 (+112)
Total: Under 6.5 Alt Lines (-135)
- NHL Odds source: MyBookie Sportsbook
