Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers Picks and Prediction, Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Pittsburgh Penguins open up the season against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at 8pmET, with both teams looking to rebound from rough seasons. The Penguins were the second-worst team in the Metropolitan Division and fired their long-time head coach, Mike Sullivan, and replaced him with a younger Dan Muse as a result. The Rangers also missed the playoffs and fired their head coach, and hope the Cup-winning Sullivan leads the turnaround.
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Penguins hope defense and goaltending turn things around
The Penguins missed the playoffs for the third time in a row with their offseason struggles last season, scoring only 2.95 goals per game. Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored 68 goals and 93 assists but the rest of the offense has struggled. The hope is that some of the young skaters provide a spark as the Penguins are adding rookie forward Ville Koivunen to the group, and the hope is Erik Karlsson can turn back the clock and, at 35 years old, still add a spark from the point.
The offense looks to improve, but the defense must rebound if the Penguins have any hopes of making the playoffs after allowing 3.50 goals per game last season. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang will lead the top two pairing,s but the rest of the unit is still a glaring issue, and the hope is that things tighten up with Muse behind the bench. Moreover, Tristan Jarry hopes to bounce back in the net after a forgettable season, as he had a .892 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average on 970 shots with -7.9 goals saved above average.
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New York hopes star power allows them to rebound
The Rangers missed the playoffs last season, but not because of their offense, which averaged 3.11 goals per game. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck scored 83 goals and 127 assists while Adam Fox added 10 goals and 51 assists from the point to open things up. The hope is that the offense is still great without Chris Kreider, as the Rangers traded away the veteran this summer, and he was a key part of their offense.
The offense looks to build on a strong season, but the defense must improve after allowing 3.11 goals per game last season. Adam Fox anchored the top pairing, but the rest of the unit struggled, and the hope is that offseason addition Vladislav Gavrikov provides stability. In addition, goaltender Igor Shesterkin looks to build on another great season as he had a .905 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average on 1751 shots with 8.4 goals saved above average.
Penguins vs Rangers Pick
Penguins +1.5 (-140) / Rangers -1.5 (+120)
- Rangers -1.5 (+120) (4 units)
The Rangers are heavy favorites for opening night, but they look to make a statement and take over this game on their home ice. The Rangers should create plenty of scoring chances with Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and the rest of the forward unit controlling the puck in the offensive zone and creating open shots with centering and cross-ice passes. The Rangers should limit the Penguins' offense, which averaged only 2.95 goals per game, with Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov creating turnovers while goaltender Igor Shesterkin blanking shots on the net. The Rangers should win the game and cover the spread in a dominant win on their home ice.
Over/Under Pick For Penguins vs Rangers
- Over 5.5 (5 Units)
The Penguins and Rangers have questionable defenses, and this game looks to be a high-scoring one from the first period. The Penguins should create plenty of scoring chances against the Rangers, who allowed 3.11 goals per game last season, with Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone while finding open looks on the net. The Rangers, who averaged 3.11 goals per game, should run up the score against the Penguins, who allowed 3.50 goals per game, with Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence while creating open shots with effective puck movement while Adam Fox fires shots on the net from the blue line. The Over should cover in a high-scoring game with both offenses stepping up.
Take the Over on 5.5 goals.
The Penguins and Rangers start out the season with both teams looking to rebound from forgettable seasons.
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