STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

FLEURY MAKES LATE START, PENGUINS RUSH PAST BLUE JACKETS

PITTSBURGH • Marc - Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots in a surprise start in place of injured Matt Murray and the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their Stanley Cup title defence with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.

Murray was scheduled to get the nod in the playoff opener but was a late scratch after suffering a lower- body i njury during warm- ups. Fleury withstood an early push by Columbus, and the Penguins responded by pulling away from the untested Blue Jackets.

Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Nick Bonino and Bryan Rust also scored, and Evgeni Malkin assisted on Rust and Kessel’s goals in his first game back after missing the final three weeks of the regular season because of an upper- body injury.

Matt Calvert scored for Columbus in the third period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.

MARCHAND NOTCHES WINNER AS BRUINS NIP SENATORS

O T TAWA • Brad Marchand scored the winner late in the third period as the Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Wednesday night to win Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final series.

Frank Vatrano, playing his first NHL playoff game, also scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask was solid, making 26 saves. Bobby Ryan scored the lone goal for the Senators as Craig Anderson stopped 23 shots.

LUNDQVIST SHINES AS RANGERS BLANK CANADIENS

MONTREAL • Tanner Glass scored in the first period and Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves as the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2- 0 in the opening game of their NHL playoff series.

Michael Grabner added an empty- net goal with 1: 10 left to play. Shots were 31- 31 in a fast-paced game.