PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Penguins held off a furious third-period rally by the New York Rangers for a 6-5 victory on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh built a 3-0 lead on first-period goals by Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari before Mantha scored again in the second. Alexis Lafrenière put the Rangers on the board late in the period. The teams combined for seven goals in a wild third period. After Vincent Trocheck scored for New York, Pittsburgh responded with two goals in 20 seconds from Rickard Rakell and Acciari to lead 5-1. Vladislav Gavrikov, Lafrenière and Will Cuylle then scored for the Rangers to pull within one, but Ben Kindel’s goal with 8:32 left proved the winner. Acciari, with two goals, was the top star for Pittsburgh. Lafrenière led the Rangers with two goals and an assist. Pittsburgh improved to 28-25, while New York fell to 22-34 before an announced crowd of 18,370.

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, the Pittsburgh Penguins outlasted the New York Rangers 6-5 on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena, surviving a furious third-period rally by the visitors. A crowd of 18,370 watched as the Penguins built a seemingly comfortable 3-0 lead through two periods, only for the Rangers to erupt for four goals in the final frame, turning a potential blowout into a nail-biting finish. The 11 combined goals sailed over the pregame over/under line of 6, and the Penguins’ narrow victory barely covered the spread as 1.5-point favorites, a far cry from National Statistical’s simulator projection of a 4-1 Pittsburgh win. The Penguins, who entered with a 58.5% win probability according to ELO ratings, set the tone early. Anthony Mantha opened the scoring at 2:37 of the first period, deflecting a Rutger McGroarty shot past Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick. The lead doubled just over three minutes later when Noel Acciari, named the game’s top star, finished a crisp passing play from Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar at the 6:05 mark. Pittsburgh carried that momentum into the second period, extending its lead to three when Mantha struck again for his 19th of the season. With just 35 seconds left in the period, Rickard Rakell fed Mantha, who snapped a shot past Quick to make it 3-0. The Rangers, who had been largely stifled by Stuart Skinner and the Penguins’ structure, finally broke through on the power play with 3:32 left in the second. Alexis Lafrenière converted a setup from J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, giving the Rangers a crucial spark heading into the intermission. That spark ignited a bonfire in the third period. The Rangers’ comeback began in earnest at 7:12 when Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck beat Skinner, assisted by defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. The floodgates then opened. Gavrikov himself blasted a slap shot home at 14:45, cutting the deficit to 3-2 and sending a wave of unease through the arena. The Penguins responded with a rapid-fire pair of goals to seemingly restore order. Rakell answered just 20 seconds after Gavrikov’s goal, finishing a play from Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson. Then, a mere 20 seconds after that, Acciari netted his second of the afternoon, pouncing on a loose puck after a Lizotte shot hit the post, making it 5-2 Pittsburgh. Undeterred, the Rangers mounted a second, even more dramatic surge. Lafrenière scored his second of the game at 15:07, set up by Trocheck and Matthew Robertson. Just over two minutes later, at 17:49, Will Cuylle buried a feed from Trocheck and Lafrenière, suddenly pulling New York within a single goal at 5-4 and completing a three-point afternoon for both Lafrenière and Trocheck. Pittsburgh provided what proved to be the critical insurance goal at 18:32. Ben Kindel took a pass from Dewar and fired a wrist shot past Quick to make it 6-4. The Rangers pulled Quick for an extra attacker and Cuylle scored again with 2:11 remaining, setting up a frantic final sequence, but the Penguins held on through the final seconds to secure the victory. The win improved Pittsburgh’s record to 28-25, solidifying its position in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The Rangers, meanwhile, fell to 22-34 with the loss, their third in the last four games. Skinner made 28 saves for the win, while Quick stopped 37 shots in the losing effort. Acciari led the Penguins with his two-goal performance, while Lizotte contributed two assists. Mantha also finished with two goals. For the Rangers, Trocheck had a goal and two assists, Lafrenière tallied two goals and an assist, and Gavrikov added a goal and an assist from the blue line. The Penguins will look to continue their strong homestand when they host the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The Rangers return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes next Thursday. The two teams will meet again in just under a month, on Feb. 28 in New York.

Preview: Rangers at Penguins PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Two teams trending in opposite directions will meet Saturday when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins (27-25-0) enter on a hot streak, having won five of their last six games, including a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. In that game, Anthony Mantha continued his torrid pace with a goal and two assists. The veteran winger has been a driving force for Pittsburgh, recording 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) over his last nine contests. Conversely, the Rangers (22-33-0) are mired in a prolonged slump, losing eight of their last 10 games. They are coming off a 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday, their second straight defeat to their rivals. Forward Sam Carrick, a player to watch for New York, brings a physical edge and has two goals in his last 10 games, including a tally against San Jose on Jan. 23. The season series is split 1-1, with each team winning convincingly on the road in October. The Rangers routed the Penguins 6-1 in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, while the Penguins shut out New York 3-0 at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 7. Pittsburgh’s recent success has been built on offensive outbursts, scoring four or more goals in four of their last five wins. Beyond Mantha, the Penguins have received secondary scoring from players like Connor Dewar, who had two goals against Chicago. The Rangers have struggled defensively, allowing four or more goals in six of their last 10 outings. Their road record compounds the challenge against a Penguins team that is 15-10-0 at home this season. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Pittsburgh 4, N.Y. Rangers 1. Following this matchup, the Penguins host Ottawa on Monday. The Rangers do not play again until hosting Carolina on Feb. 5. The teams will meet for a third time this season on Feb. 28 in New York.