Up-and-down Penguins no match for Rangers
PITTSBURGH — Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 shots and the New York Rangers regained control of their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 2-1 win in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider scored for New York, which dominated for two periods then held on late to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Patric Hornqvist scored his third career playoff goal for the Penguins, but Pittsburgh couldn’t overcome another slow start. Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves, but the Penguins couldn’t back up their strong play in Game 2.
The Rangers led the NHL in road wins during the regular season and shut down Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to reclaim home-ice advantage.
Pittsburgh’s performance on Saturday night seemed like a reminder of more promising springs. Crosby scored twice to end a lengthy drought. And the Penguins looked more like the powerhouse that has dominated the regular season in recent years, not the erratic, injury-riddled enigma it has been for most of the past five months.
The Penguins believed it was a revival, not a last hurrah. It didn’t look that way, however, as the Rangers spent 60 minutes showing why they were so effective away from Madison Square Garden this season.
New York choked off passing lanes, clamped down on Crosby and Malkin and never let Pittsburgh get anything resembling an offensive flow.
The Rangers overwhelmed the Penguins in the opening minutes and Hagelin gave New York a 1-0 lead at 8:43 following a brilliant lead pass from Keith Yandle that split the defence and let Hagelin break in alone on Fleury.
Kreider doubled New York’s lead 11:07 into the second period when a Marc Staal shot from the point deflected off the end boards and right to Kreider on the doorstep of the net.
Hornqvist prevented Lundqvist from earning his 10th playoff shutout by pounding a rebound into the New York net with 6:48 remaining but the Penguins — who never won a game while trailing after two periods all season — couldn’t make it all the way back.