from Pat Pickens of the New York Times,

They may have a roster that includes 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 had won their division the last two years and had finished first or second in their division (now the Metropolitan, 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 their division, and are considered a heavy underdog in their series with the Rangers, which begins Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Still, the Rangers are not taking their rivals lightly.

“They’re a very dangerous team on their transition,” defenseman Dan Girardi said. “Coming through the neutral zone on an odd-man rush or with speed, they obviously have Crosby and Malkin, guys who can control the game.”

A healthy Crosby is a primary concern for the Rangers. This season, in which he had to deal with mumps and a variety of linemates, Crosby registered 84 points — third-most in the league — in only 77 games.

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