"These two points don't count for any more than their other 52.

The Penguins don't get extra credit in the standings for beating a quality opponent, even if they do it on the road.

But that doesn't mean their 4-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Thursday night should be confused with most of the 24 that preceded it.

Not when it was their first in three meetings with the Rangers and ended a streak of six consecutive losses to the teams -- New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey -- that were ahead of them in the Atlantic Division standings when the night began."