The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2025-26 NHL regular season kicks off tonight against a familiar foe. The Penguins travel to New York to take on the New York Rangers with their former head coach, Mike Sullivan, behind the Rangers’ bench. With new head coach Dan Muse, the Penguins are entering a new era with an aging core that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson, while also welcoming younger players like Ville Koivunen and Harrison Brunicke.
Facing a division rival to open the regular season for the second straight season should set the tone for how these teams will compete against each other in 2025-26.
Projected Lineups
Penguins
Ville Koivunen- Sidney Crosby- Rickard Rakell
Anthony Mantha- Evgeni Malkin- Justin Brazeau
Tommy Novak- Benjamin Kindel- Philip Tomasino
Connor Dewar- Blake Lizotte- Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon- Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea- Kris Letang
Caleb Jones- Harrison Brunicke
Arturs Silovs
Tristan Jarry
Rangers
Artemi Panarin– Vincent Trocheck- Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle- JT Miller- Mika Zibanejad
Conor Sheary- Noah Laba- Taylor Raddysh
Adam Edstrom- Sam Carrick- Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov- Adam Fox
Carson Soucy- William Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen- Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Last Season’s Matchup
- Oct.9, 2024: 6-0 Rangers victory in New York
- Dec. 6, 2024: 4-2 Rangers victory in Pittsburgh
- Feb. 7, 2025: 3-2 Penguins victory in New York
- Feb. 23, 2025: 5-3 Rangers victory in Pittsburgh
Overall, the Penguins struggled against the Rangers, who shut down the Penguins’ top players last season. In four meetings, Crosby tallied only one point, Evgeni Malkin tallied two (in the final game), and Rickard Rakell tallied one goal. Pittsburgh’s point leaders against the Rangers in 2024-25 were Erik Karlsson (three assists), Ryan Shea, Philip Tomasino (two goals apiece), Bryan Rust, and Malkin (two assists apiece).
What to Watch For
Will Muse’s Style Work?
Sullivan was behind the Penguins’ bench from 2015 until last season, so the Penguins’ systems will undergo a shift under Muse. As a first-time NHL head coach, the Penguins’ veterans and the rest of the roster will have to adapt to his new style now that the games count. There should be fewer dump-and-chase situations and more puck possession and making plays through the neutral zone.
Related: 3 Keys to a Penguins Win Over the Rangers
The team’s defensive play will also look different this season. Muse is expected to implement a strategy to improve their defensive game, and it will be worth keeping an eye on throughout the season. Slowing down a Rangers offense that has talented firepower in Panarin and Trocheck will be crucial.
How Quickly Will Penguins Newcomers Settle In?
This offseason, general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas brought in a handful of players to improve the lineup, including free-agent signings and a couple of trades. While some of these additions made an impact in the preseason, they will need to integrate themselves more fully during the regular season.
With a full training camp under their belts, the chemistry and continuity will be there, but execution and results may take some time. Players like Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Ville Koivunen must engage fully early on for the Penguins to have success not just in the season opener but throughout the campaign.
What Do The Penguins Get From Silovs and Jarry?
After up-and-down back-to-back seasons, goaltender Tristan Jarry is entering a critical campaign. He has failed to live up to expectations after signing a five-year contract extension in 2023 and has to find consistency and provide solid play to keep his spot as the team’s starter. He will be tested early and often by the Rangers’ offense. If he can get off to a solid start, it should help him regain some confidence early in the campaign.
One of Dubas’ summer acquisitions, Arturs Silovs, comes to the Penguins after a trade from the Vancouver Canucks. He earned MVP honors for his American Hockey League (AHL) Playoff run with the Abbotsford Canucks last season and has played a handful of NHL games the past few years, although he struggled in his few starts in Vancouver last season.
If he can carry some of the momentum from his Calder Cup (AHL Championship) run into a few starts with the Penguins this season, he could take the reins from Jarry and become the team’s starter. Playing against the Rangers will be a strong test to see exactly where his game is.
As of this writing, the Penguins have not announced who will start in net for their season opener. However, Silovs was the first netminder off the ice at practice this morning, so it seems he will get the net tonight.
Rangers vs Penguins
While the Rangers have more optimism and expectations on them this season than the Penguins, anything can happen on any given night. There will be plenty of emotions and excitement surrounding the matchup as these teams renew their rivalry with a familiar face behind the Rangers’ bench.