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Penguins try to reclaim Eastern Conference lead

Mar 30, 2008 - 10:24 AM NY Rangers (40-26-11) at Pittsburgh (45-26-7) 12:30 pm EDT

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have been going back and forth in the battle for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Canadiens for the better part of the last month.

They will be looking to jump back on top when they host the New York Rangers on Sunday.

The Penguins expect to have Marian Hossa, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin all on the ice in the same game for just the second time since Hossa was acquired at the February 26 trade deadline.

The three played together for the first time in Thursday's 3-1 win over the New York Islanders, but Hossa was forced to leave early in the third period with an upper body injury. He is, however, expected to play on Sunday.

Jarkko Ruutu collected a career-high three points in the victory, while Malkin scored his team-leading 45th goal of the season in the first period against the Islanders.

That win, coupled with the Canadiens' 4-2 loss at Toronto on Saturday, leaves Pittsburgh just one point shy of Montreal (44-25-10) in the East. The Penguins also own a four-point lead over the New Jersey Devils (43-28-7) in the Atlantic Division.

The Rangers recorded a 3-2 win over the Devils on Thursday, but a 3-2-2 stretch over their past seven games has left them even in points with the Philadelphia Flyers (40-28-11) for sixth place in the East, just one point in front of the eighth-place Boston Bruins (40-28-10) three ahead of the Washington Capitals (40-31-8), who are ninth in the conference.

The Rangers do have a game in hand on and two on both Philadelphia and Washington.

This season, the Rangers have had some success against the Penguins, going 4-2-0 thus far. Pittsburgh dropped the most recent meeting between the teams, 5-2, on March 18.