Preview, key stats for Penguins-Rangers, Bruins-Flyers - ESPN

Now that the 2026 Olympic men's hockey tournament is complete, those international superstars have returned to their NHL teams in time for the Stanley Cup playoff races to heat up.

On Saturday, many of those hockey heroes will be on the ice for an exclusive doubleheader on ABC and in the ESPN app.

In the first matchup, the Pittsburgh Penguins — including Sweden's Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell, but without the injured Sidney Crosby — face off against the New York Rangers, including USA forwards Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, along with USA coach Mike Sullivan (and Swedish teammate Mika Zibanejad).

In the second game, the Boston Bruins — including the USA's Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, along with Czechia's David Pastrnak among others — take on the Philadelphia Flyers, who will have Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland), Dan Vladar (Czechia) and Travis Sanheim (Canada).

To help get you ready for these two games, here's a guide on the key players to watch for each team, including in-depth statistical insights from ESPN Research, along with broadcast information.

Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET
Madison Square Garden

Record: 30-15-12, 72 points
Power Ranking: 7
Leading scorer: Sidney Crosby (27 goals, 32 assists)

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Notes from ESPN Research

At the start of the regular season, DraftKings Sportsbook offered +600 odds on the Penguins to make the playoffs (14% implied probability). Entering Friday, those odds were -310 (75% implied probability).

Crosby has played in 369 of the Penguins' past 378 games after beginning the 2021-22 season recovering from wrist surgery in September 2021. Only 29 players in the NHL played in