Lindberg stars as Rangers tie series
Crosby skates, but status still uncertain for Game 5
While New York stars Rick Nash and Chris Kreider receive playoff-level attention from Ottawa, Oscar Lindberg and Tanner Glass are providing an unexpected lift for the Rangers.
Lindberg scored two goals, Glass had two assists, and the Rangers beat the visiting Senators 4-1 on Thursday night to tie their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.
“I think our line has been doing a really good job, getting pucks back from the forecheck,” Lindberg said. “We had two good chances today and we were able to bear down.”
Kreider and Nick Holden also scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist had 22 saves.
Kyle Turris scored for Ottawa, and Craig Anderson made 17 saves before being replaced by Mike Condon for the third period.
Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson also left the game after the second period with an injury. Karlsson played during the first round with two microfractures in one of his feet from blocking a shot late in the regular season.
Coach Guy Boucher said he expects both Anderson and Karlsson to play in Game 5 on Saturday at Ottawa.
“We felt it was better for him to keep him off the ice in the (third) period,” Boucher said of Karlsson.
Lindberg also scored the Rangers’ final goal in their Game 3 win, with Glass picking up an assist. Glass, a forward who was scratched in the first two games of the series, has brought an edge to the team.
“Look at these assists,” Glass said. “They are not exactly playmaking assists. They are just kind of the gritty, grinding game I bring. Sometimes it ends up in the back of the net.”
The game got physical in the third period as the teams combined for 78 penalty minutes, with the majority of that coming in the final minute.
Lundqvist earned his 61st playoff win to tie Tom Barrasso for 13th on the NHL’s career list.
Captain Sidney Crosby is skating again, but coach Mike Sullivan provided no update on when his star will be ready to return from a concussion.
Crosby sat out Pittsburgh’s 3-2 victory in Game 4 of its Eastern Conference semifinal against Washington on Wednesday night. He was diagnosed with his second concussion of the season after taking a cross-check in the head from Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen.
Sullivan said Crosby “is in the process of rehabbing” but declined to answer when asked if there’s achance the two-time MVP will play in Washington on Saturday. The Penguins are 5-4 in the playoffs with Crosby out of the lineup during his career.
Golden Knights: The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have signed freeagent Russian forward VadimShipachyov to a twoyear, $9 million contract. Shipachyov, 30, had26goals and 50 assists in 50 games this season for SKA St. Petersburg to finish third in the Kontinental Hockey League scoring race.