New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: 5 Bold Predictions for First-Round

Jan 18, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) battle for the puck during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers will be starting their first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the two will be meeting for the second consecutive year in the playoffs.

Last season in the second-round of the playoffs, the Penguins were the heavy favorite to advance against the Rangers, but the Rangers wouldn’t lay down as the underdogs. The Penguins would take a 3-1 series lead against the Rangers with Game 5 at home, but despite losing three straight games to the Penguins, the Rangers would crush the Penguins by a score of 5-1 in the elimination game.

In Game 6, the Rangers would be victorious to force a Game 7 in Pittsburgh, where they would win the final game by a score of 2-1.

This time around, the Rangers will be the big favorites as the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and will look to avoid a similar letdown the Penguins had last season.

Here are five bold predictions for the first-round match-up between the Rangers and Penguins.

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