“We haven’t played our best hockey there (at Madison Square Garden), we know that,” Jordan Staal said. “The way we’re rolling right now, hopefully we’ll be ready for it.”

Sidney Crosby didn’t score but again occupied the Rangers’ attention at both ends of the ice, sometimes in a distracting way. Crosby drew the penalty that led to Malkin’s deflected game-winning goal during Pittsburgh’s 5-4 victory in Game 1 on Friday, causing some of the Rangers to accuse him of diving to set up the power play.

When Crosby went down again in the first period to draw another penalty, Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr — the former Penguins star — could be seen yelling at Crosby, “Stand up!”

Asked what he said to Crosby, Jagr said, “Just play hockey, that’s all.”

New York was 0-for-6 on the power play and is 1-for-9 in the series.

“We need a little more traffic (in front against Fleury),” coach Tom Renney said. “I’m not going to suggest it was really easy for him, but it certainly could have been tougher. The big thing for us is to create some momentum of our own at MSG and really take this series back.”

Fleury bounced back from his worst game of these playoffs to play his best.

“As a goalie, it never feels good to give up four goals, so I wanted to come back and play a good game,” he said.

Martin Straka shoveled the puck between Fleury’s pads during New York’s next-to-last power play, but referee Dan O’Halloran — who felt the puck had been covered — blew his whistle before it crossed the goal line.

“I thought it was an accurate call,” Renney said. “I don’t know if it was a quick whistle or not.”

Notes: The Penguins are 8-2 in home playoff games against the

Rangers. New York lost its previous three playoff series against Pittsburgh. ... Pittsburgh has at least one power-play goal in all six playoff games. ... The Penguins have won Game 2 in their last eight playoff series.

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