GREENBURGH, N.Y. — They may have a roster of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, but these Pittsburgh Penguins are different.
Renowned for their skill, the Penguins are used to being the hunted and not the hunters. They won the Metropolitan Division the last two years and had finished first or second in their division (previously the Atlantic) every season since 2006-7.
But this season, Mike Johnston’s first as coach, the Penguins finished 18th in the N.H.L. in goals, scoring 2.7 per game. They narrowly reached the postseason, finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Division and are considered a heavy underdog as their series with the Rangers begins Thursday at Madison Square Garden.