Penguins 3 - 4 Rangers
Final
  for this game

Rangers stay hot at home with win over Pens

Nov 30, 2011 - 5:59 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Brad Richards had a goal and two assists and the New York Rangers held on to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3, on Tuesday for their seventh straight home win.

The Rangers are 7-1-1 at Madison Square Garden, their best home start since they went 7-1-1 to begin the 1992-93 season.

Ryan Callahan, John Mitchell and Marian Gaborik also scored for New York and Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves.

The Rangers improved to 10-2-0 since October 31 and moved within three points of Pittsburgh for first place in the Atlantic Division.

"Home games should be an advantage and I think we took advantage so far this year," said Gaborik. "Like I said it's a long year but hopefully we can keep it up. The fans are behind us which is great and we feel very confident playing here."

Sidney Crosby had two more assists for the Penguins, who got goals from James Neal, Evgeni Malkin and Pascal Dupuis. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 30 shots in Pittsburgh's first loss in regulation since Crosby's return last week (3-1-1).

Neal scored the first goal, on a wrister in the slot with 2:04 remaining in the opening period, after being fined $2,500 earlier in the day for a high stick on P.K. Subban during Saturday's overtime win at Montreal.

Crosby, who was named the NHL's top player last week after posting two goals and seven assists in four games, hit Neal with a centering pass from the right boards.

But Callahan, Mitchell, Richards and Gaborik scored four straight goals in the second period to take control of the game for the Rangers.

Gaborik stickhandled through the defense on a power play to find Callahan in front for an easy goal at the 8:01 mark.

Mitchell's goal from the left circle, Richards' wrister from the slot and Gaborik's power play stuff on the right side all came within 4:17 and gave New York a 4-1 lead.

With under seven seconds left in the middle period, Malkin scored on a rebound and Dupuis beat Lundqvist after a turnover 3:39 into the third, but Pittsburgh never scored the equalizer.

"We tried to battle back, but it was a little too late," Crosby said. "They're a good team. It's what we expected."

Game Notes

The Penguins are 1-1 on a four-game road trip that continues at Washington on Thursday and ends Saturday at Carolina...Pittsburgh recalled defensemen Alexandre Picard and Robert Bortuzzo from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.






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