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Rangers continue playoff drive vs. Penguins

Mar 10, 2007 - 3:02 PM NY Rangers (33-27-7) at Pittsburgh (36-21-10) 1:00 pm EST

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The New York Rangers are finding ways to win close games in their quest to reach the postseason.

Coming off consecutive victories against the New York Islanders, the Rangers seek their fourth straight triumph Saturday when they battle the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time in 10 days.

Pittsburgh handed the Rangers their fourth loss in five games with a 4-3 shootout victory March 1.

League-leading scorer Sidney Crosby netted the shootout clincher, which began a personal three-game shootout scoring streak.

Since then, New York has won three consecutive one-goal games, including a pair of shootouts, to move to into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Rangers have allowed only 17 tallies in their last nine games and Henrik Lundqvist has been in goal in eight of those contests. In his last 11 outings, he has yielded 18 goals.

Coming off a home-and-home sweep of the Islanders, the Rangers are looking for their third four-game winning streak of the season, one shy of their season high.

Pittsburgh has won three of its five games in March and is eight points behind the first-place New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division race.

Thirteen of the Penguins's last 14 games have been decided by one goal, with two in overtime and six in shootouts.

Crosby recorded his league-best 72nd assist for the Penguins in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to New Jersey and is one point shy of 100 for the second straight season. However, he has just one goal in 10 games.