The Rangers lived and died due to a goal play earlier in the season.
They were crushed by him again on Saturday night.
Sidney Crosby handed the dagger in overtime to raise the Penguins beyond the Rangers, 5-4, at the Garden.
After recovering from three separate deficits of a goal, Rangers came out of a second wild period with a one-goal advantage, only to let it escape in the middle of the third period. They still managed to save a point, but they may be missing the missed opportunity after losing another goal advantage.
The Rangers were defeated by the Penguins in two games in Pittsburgh last week, including a loss on penalties. This happened during a four-game trip that ended Thursday night with the winner of Alexis Lafreniere’s game against the Sabers.
The previous five games played on Saturday were decided by a goal, and this was no different.
Alexandar Georgiev, in his fourth start to the season, made 33 saves. He came with two big ones in the middle of the third period, but failed to get a third, as Jake Guentzel doubled in a second rebound attempt to tie the game 4-4 with 10:40 remaining in regulation.
After having to kill a penalty with only 12 seconds of play, the Rangers came out agitated and generating many chances of goal, including in their own power play. Still, they left empty with the advantage of the man and soon after, found themselves in a hole at the beginning.
The Penguins attacked first in a strange-man race against the Rangers’ Brendan Smith-Tony DeAngelo. Pierre-Olivier Joseph fired a shot into the net, where Jason Zucker deflected Georgiev’s puck to the 1-0 lead at 7:39.
But the Rangers’ fourth row came just six minutes later to equalize. Brendan Lemieux lost a pass to Phillip Di Giuseppe and then hit the net, putting himself in position to deflect the rebound after a shot from Di Giuseppe and make it 1-1 at 13:52.
Still, the Penguins went into the first half with an advantage. Joseph created again with a kick from the end, which Brandon Tanev deflected when the puck went through Georgiev’s legs to put the Penguins 2-1, with 39.4 seconds to go.
To start a second chaotic period, the Rangers left another game of being able to go to waste before drawing the game with a lack of players. Kevin Rooney and K’Andre Miller broke free for a 2-to-0 and played a game of give and go, ending with Rooney’s first goal as a Ranger to draw 2-2 at 7:20.
The Penguins had a quick response, but the Rangers responded with an even faster response. Forty-three seconds after Kasperi Kapanen scored in a breakout to give the Penguins his lead back, Chris Kreider balanced again by clearing a rebound from a Jacob Trouba kick to make it 3-3 at 10:25.
In the fourth game of strength of the night – courtesy of John Marino of the Penguins trying to make a move without his helmet – the Rangers finally converted. Artemi Panarin passed Casey DeSmith at 16:01, after Pavel Buchnevich’s pass, putting Rangers ahead 4-3.