Rangers turn tables on Penguins, even series
Capitals take 2-0 lead on Flyers • Bizarre goal keys Stars' conquest of Wild • Sharks edge Kings
Early in the second period on Saturday night, when a highlight-reel goal by Phil Kessel followed highlight-reel passes from Trevor Daley and Nick Bonino, the sea of gold in the Consol Energy Center stands roared.
After winning Game 1 decisively, the Pittsburgh Penguins were out in front in Game 2. Their skill was on display. They were the heavy favorites, and the New York Rangers were on their heels.
Then five minutes changed everything.
Keith Yandle and Derick Brassard scored 18 seconds apart, and Mats Zuccarello followed with a dagger less than four minutes later, and the Rangers rallied for a 4-2 victory to even the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
A defense corps that had been so instrumental in the turnaround the Penguins authored this season was left licking its wounds.
With Marc-Andre Fleury still recovering from a concussion, Jeff Zatkoff made his second straight start.
He made the save of the first period, stopping Derek Stepan on a breakaway after he blocked a Letang shot and beat Maatta up the ice about five minutes into the game, but in the end, the magic that led him to a 35-save showing in Game 1 on Wednesday night was missing.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, meanwhile, looked to be on top of his game, showing no ill effects from the errant stick that hit him in the eye and knocked him out of Game 1, another troubling prospect for the Penguins. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/TNS)
Capitals 4, Flyers 1
Braden Holtby made 41 saves, Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists, and Washington topped Philadelphia to take a 2-0 lead in their opening-round series.
Jason Chimera scored a fluke goal from center ice and John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin scored power-play goals.
After putting 19 shots on Holtby in all of Game 1, the Flyers matched that total in the first period on Saturday night, though also with nothing to show for it as Holtby made several point-blank stops.
Jakub Voracek pulled the Flyers to within 2-1 in the second period and Steve Mason had 19 saves, but had a major gaffe when Karl Alzner cleared the puck from deep in the Washington zone and Chimera deflected it near center ice. The puck slid toward Mason and, when he went to play it, Mason missed it and the puck went through his legs for a 100-foot goal.
Several Capitals expressed sympathy for Mason’s error.
“Couldn’t watch the replay of it,” Holtby said. “As a fellow goalie you never want to see that happen. I’m glad it wasn’t a onegoal game in the end.”
Stars 2, Wild 1
Jamie Benn scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period and goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 25 of 26 shots for Dallas, which got a weird goal from Antoine Roussel for its first tally and beat Minnesota to take a 2-0 lead in their series.
Down by two, Minnesota cut it to 2-1 with 7:18 remaining when Marco Scandella beat Lehtonen, but couldn’t get any closer.
Roussel scored his first career playoff goal in the second period off a deflection. Scandella was trying to clear the puck from behind the visiting goal, but the puck first hit the skate of Ales Hemsky and deflected a second time off Roussel’s skate.
The puck flipped over the top of the goal, hitting Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk in the back of his mask before crossing the line. However, play was blown dead and the initial call on the ice was no goal since Dubnyk had caused the goal to wobble on its moorings.
Following a lengthy video review, the original call was overturned and Roussel was credited with the goal since the puck crossed the line and Dubnyk had only wobbled the net instead of dislodging it.
Sharks 2, Kings 1
Logan Couture’s goal in the second period was the difference as San Jose held on to beat host Los Angeles and take a 2-0 lead in the series, with both wins coming on the road.
Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, while Martin Jones, a former King, who earned his first postseason decision in Game 1, stopped 27 of 28 shots.
The Kings tried to rally late, getting a Vinny Lecavalier goal with 5:01 remaining in the third period, but that was it for LA.
Kings forward Marian Gaborik, who had not played since suffering a knee sprain in February, returned and had four shots.
The Sharks, who owned the best road record in the NHL, have yet to lose at Staples Center this season. They claimed both regular-season matches in Los Angeles and have defeated Los Angeles in five of the seven contests this season.
Although the Sharks are in a commanding position, they surely haven’t forgotten their quarterfinal collapse against the Kings two years ago. In that series, the Sharks were up 3-0 before the Kings came charging back to win four straight to prevail in a stunning reversal of fortunes. (Reuters)