Rangers Vs. Penguins: Rangers Drop Much Needed Game To Penguins 5-2

The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins were going neck and neck until a potential penalty call, killed all momentum for the Rangers. Martin Biron had a decent outing, but was beat a couple of times tonight.

Just two minutes into the game, the Penguins struck first with the evening's first goal. Matt Cooke was the recipient of the goal, which took a very strange bounce in front, and in behind Martin Biron. It looked as if the puck deflected off of the skate of Stu Bickel, which propelled the puck into the air, resulting in the goal.

However, just about ten minutes later, the Rangers were right back in this one. Brad Richards made a brilliant pass to Carl Hagelin who was waiting wide open, on the back door. This line continued their success tonight, and came away with the only two goals for the Rangers. Again, the Rangers would fall behind once again in the second period, with a goal coming from Evgeni Malkin.

Follow after the jump for more.

made a great pass in front, after picking the puck from

. Malkin made a great move to the backhand, which Biron got a pad on. However, Malkin stayed with the puck, and reached from behind the net to tap it over the goal line.

Just a minute later, Matt Cooke tapped in his second goal of the evening, on a back door pass. Tyler Kennedy made another great pass across the ice, and Marian Gaborik was caught in no man's land, so was Biron. The Rangers found a way to get back into the game with a goal coming from Marian Gaborik.

Carl Hagelin did some great work behind the net, to get the puck out to Gaborik, who dished it off to Brad Richards. Richards made a great pass as Gaborik slipped loose in the slot, and sniped it home. The Rangers were buzzing around the net for the rest of the period, and finally had some life back in them.

In the third period, Marian Gaborik had the chance at a potential breakaway, until he was tripped up at center ice. To everyone's surprise, there was NO call on the play, which would eventually lead to a Penguins goal. If there would have been a call, it would have evened up the man-power, and would have sent to the Rangers to a power play after some time.

However, just a couple minutes after the missed call, Chris Kunitz put the Penguins up 4-2 with a shot from the slot. Sidney Crosby picked up his first point of the game, which a pass from the corner. It didn't end there as Pascal Dupuis gave the Penguins a 5-2 lead with about 13 minutes remaining in the game.

The Rangers came to life again, but were unable to beat Fleury with a various amount of shots. The Rangers would go on the lose, and drop the game 5-2. The Rangers will be in action again on Saturday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche.