OT tally lifts Rangers over Wings
NEW YORK – Kevin Klein scored at 1:59 of overtime on a 2-on-1 with Kevin Hayes, lifting the New York Rangers to a 1-0 victory Sunday night and thwarting a tremendous performance by Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard.
Howard, who had lost his No. 1 job to Petr Mrazek, stopped 28 shots in regulation, including a penalty shot by Jesper Fast with 5:25 left.
Henrik Lundqvist had 22 saves and has beaten the Reds Wings five times in a row.
It appeared that the Rangers had broken through with a 1-0 lead with 14:07 left in regulation, but the apparent goal was overruled on a coaches’ challenge and review.
Howard, who had misplayed the puck behind the net, reached out with his stick from the crease as Oscar Lindberg was coming past the right side, and tripped him. The puck slid out to Hayes, who fired from the goal line to the left of Howard and scored. But a review determined that Lindberg’s skate made contact with Howard’s mask and prevented him from getting back in position.
The Wings had not been shut out all season.
With 9:50 left, Dan Girardi went off for elbowing to give the Red Wings their fourth power play, but the Rangers’ penalty-killers came through again, allowing no shots. (Newsday/TNS)
Lightning 4, Hurricanes 2
Steven Stamkos scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 5:43 remaining to send Tampa Bay over Carolina.
Stamkos’ team-leading 25th goal of the season, which gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead, came four seconds before a high-sticking penalty on the Hurricane’s Jordan Staal expired.
Wild 6, Blackhawks 1
It’s safe to say that few of the 50,000-plus fans in attendance Sunday had as much fun as Minnesota wingers Jason Pominville and Erik Haula.
Pominville and Haula each had a goal and two assist as the Wild won their fourth in a row, routing Chicago at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.
Ducks 5, Flames 2
Ryan Kesler had three points to lead Anaheim past Calgary.
Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Maroon and Kevin Bieksa contributed goals, while goalie John Gibson stopped 22 shots as the Ducks notched their fifth consecutive victory and 12th in 14 games.
Canucks 5, Avalanche 1
Adam Cracknell scored his second goal in as many games and Vancouver beat Colorado.
It was the fourth-line center’s fifth goal of the season after he went 28 games without scoring.
Penguins 4, Sabres 3
Kris Letang set up three Pittsburgh goals in a road win over Buffalo.
The Penguins improved to 9-3-1 in their past 13, and moved three points ahead of ninth-place New Jersey in the Eastern Conference.