In order for the New York Rangers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years, the club is going to have to do something its never done before: beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. The Rangers hope to strike first in this fifth postseason meeting between the franchises, as they visit Pittsburgh for Fridays Game 1 battle at CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins are 4-0 all-time in postseason series against the Blueshirts and boast a 16-4 record over those four playoff encounters. The only time New York was able to post more than one win in a series against the Pens was in the 1992 Division Finals, when Pittsburgh downed the Rangers in six games en route to its second straight Stanley Cup title. The most recent playoff encounter was in the 2008 conference semifinals when Pittsburgh ousted the Rangers in five games. New York, which made the conference finals in 2012, is in the second round for the third straight season after beating Philadelphia in seven games in the opening round. Home-ice advantage came in handy for the Blueshirts, as they claimed a 2-1 win at Madison Square Garden in the final test against the Flyers, improving to 6-0 all-time in Game 7s on home ice. In this round, however, the Rangers will have to prove they can win on the road against the Metropolitan Division champion Penguins. "Were battle-tested and ready for the next series," said Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault. "Philly was a real tough opponent, and you have to give them credit, it was a great series, but we know if you look on paper Pittsburgh is probably one of the best teams in the league. They were (13) points ahead of us in the regular season, so were going to have our hands full." The Pens and Rangers split four meetings during the 2013-14 campaign, with both teams recording 2-1-1 records. New York had lost five straight in Pittsburgh before ending that road slide with a 4-3 shootout win on Feb. 7. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in the Steel City, while New York gets to host the third meeting on Monday. Fatigue could be an issue for the Rangers at the start of this series, as New York will have played five games in a span of seven days through Game 3 of this set. The Pens, on the other hand, had three full days of rest heading into Game 1. Pittsburgh is in the second round after beating Columbus in six games during the conference quarterfinals. The Pens are after a second straight trip to the East finals after getting swept by Boston in the penultimate playoff round last spring. A big topic of conversation in the middle of the first round was Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkins lack of goal-scoring. But, after Malkin turned in a hat trick to help Pittsburgh clinch the series in Game 6, that likely puts an end to the discussion for now. Malkin ended with seven points on three goals and four assists. Crosby failed to score a goal in six games, but with six assists to his credit its difficult to say he was unproductive. Still, Crosby, the odds-on favorite to win this seasons Hart Trophy, hasnt recorded a goal in his last 11 playoff games and if he goes long without scoring one in this series it could become an issue once again. Crosby and Chris Kunitz led Pittsburgh with six points apiece during the season series with New York, with the captain notching a goal and five assists and Kunitz delivering three goals and three helpers. Malkin only played in two of the four meetings and had a goal and an assist. When things go wrong for Pittsburgh, nobody gets criticized more than No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Last spring, Fleury was replaced by Tomas Vokoun as the clubs starting goaltender after Game 4 of the opening round against the New York Islanders and did not start another game in the playoffs. Fleury struggled at times during the conference quarterfinals against Columbus, but not enough for head coach Dan Bylsma to make the switch to current backup Jeff Zatkoff. For the most part, Fleury was solid against the Blue Jackets in Round 1. He ended the series with a .908 save percentage and 2.81 goals against average. The 29-year-old is 49-36 with a .903 save percentage and .273 GAA throughout his playoff career. The biggest advantage New York has over the Penguins could be in net, where Rangers backstop Henrik Lundqvist is as steady as they come. The 32-year-old Swede posted a .919 save percentage and 2.11 GAA in the seven games against Philadelphia Lundqvist is a big reason the Rangers are so difficult to beat in a long series. With its win over Philly, the Blueshirts became the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 in the first round in three consecutive postseasons. In five career Game 7s, Lundqvist is 4-1 with a 1.00 GAA, a .963 save percentage and has allowed two goals or fewer in all five games. The Rangers threw a balanced scoring attack at Philadelphia, with eight players tied for the team lead with two goals apiece and 17 skaters in all registered at least one point. Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, both members of Tampa Bays 2004 Stanley Cup-winning team, led the way with six points on two goals and four assists, while fellow forwards Carl Hagelin, Benoit Pouliot and Mats Zuccarello each had two goals and two assists. Even physical forward Daniel Carcillo joined the fun, as the ex-Flyer scored two goals against his former team, including the first marker in Wednesdays 2-1 Game 7 victory. If there is one guy who needs to get going for New York its the clubs top offensive weapon Rick Nash. The big, talented winger led the team with 26 goals during the regular season, but he failed to score against the Flyers while notching four assists. Over 23 career playoff games, Nash only has managed two goals while recording 10 assists. Zuccarello posted two goals and four assists to lead the Rangers in scoring against the Pens during the season series. Both Fleury and Lundqvist started all four games in net. Pittsburghs No. 1 netminder had a 3.12 GAA in the season series, while Lundqvist was slightly better with a 2.88 GAA. Fake China Jerseys . Meeks has agreed to a $19.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday night. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because free agents cant sign contracts until the leagues moratorium ends July 10, also said Cartier Martin had agreed to a one-year contract with the rebuilding franchise. 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China Jerseys Stitched .com) - Kam Chancellor bobbed his head in celebration as he crossed the goal line on his game-clinching 90-yard interception return.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- David Beckham brought his international star power to the halls of the Florida Capitol on Tuesday, trying to rally support from the governor and legislators for the Major League Soccer franchise he plans to bring to Miami later this decade. Beckham was mobbed by legislators and legislative aides during his visit as they took to social media to document his visit. Even Gov. Rick Scott took a "selfie" of himself with Beckham. Beckham made no secret that he wants to tap into state subsidies like most of the states other professional teams have done. The Florida Legislature is advancing a bill this year that would create a process that lets pro sports teams compete for a share of state tax dollars in the future. "No ones promised me anything," Beckham said about his brief visit. "But they promised me that they support having the team in Miami and are excited about that. Its good that they havent promised me anything, because then I know its going to be fair and the decision will be down to what they think is best for the state." The 38-year-old former England captain said he had never previously visited Tallahassee which has a much more Old South feel than cosmopolitan Miami. "Its going to sound silly and people are probably going to laugh at me but I love the moss on the trees," Beckham. "Ive only seen it in scary movies. Ive never seen it close up." Beckhams visit to the Capitol came a day after his architects and advisers recommended the Port of Miami as the stadium site for his team. The plan annnounced Monday would have an open-air stadium with views of the bay and the downtown skyline.dddddddddddd. The capacity could be as low as 21,000 or as high as 35,000. He was escorted around the Capitol by high-powered lobbyist Brian Ballard, who has been a major fundraiser for Republicans. Under the proposed bill, pro teams could qualify for as much as $2 million a year depending on how much the team invests in the project. A similar bill was considered last year, but it was never considered by the Florida House because initially it included help for the Miami Dolphins. Scott said on Tuesday he can support a sports incentives bill as long as it has safeguards to ensure a return on investment, including a provision to pay back the state if the pro team doesnt generate as much money as anticipated. "Its exciting he wants to invest in Florida," said Scott about his meeting with Beckham. A spokesman for House Speaker Will Weatherford called the meeting "informational" and said the speaker stressed his support for a bill that would create a process to guide future professional team subsidies. Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando and in line to become the next Senate president, said he and Beckham primarily discussed Orlandos Major League Soccer franchise that is expected to start playing next year. Beckham said hes confident that Florida can support two franchises especially since the league is "stable" now. The league previously had two teams in the state. "I think at the end of the day we want a rivalry," Beckham said. ' ' '