RED WINGS TOP BLACKHAWKS 2-0
Kings put Sharks on brink with 3-0 win
DETROIT: Jakub Kindl scored on a power play in the second period, Daniel Cleary had an emptynet goal and Jimmy Howard made 27 saves to help the Detroit Red Wings hold on for a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, putting the NHL’s best team during the regular season on the brink of elimination. After losing Game 1, the seventh-seeded Red Wings have surged into control of the second round series by handing Chicago its first three-game losing streak of the year. Game 5 is today night in Chicago. The Blackhawks had a power play with 4:45 left in the game when Kindl was called for hooking, but they couldn’t tie the game.
RANGERS 4, BRUINS 3 OT
Chris Kreider steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the New York Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the critical Game 4 matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals, still trails the series 3-1. The Rangers will need to win again today in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden. The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for his first goal of the playoffs.
KINGS 3, SHARKS 0
The Los Angeles Kings haven’t lost a home game in two months, and the San Jose Sharks gave nothing close to the effort necessary to snap the champions’ streak in Game 5. Add in another flawless performance by Jonathan Quick, and it’s clear why the Kings are going back on the road with a chance to wrap up this all-California series. Quick made 24 saves in his seventh career playoff shutout, and the Kings moved to the brink of their second straight trip to the Western Conference finals with a 3-0 victory Thursday night. Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov scored, and Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal as the Kings won their 13th consecutive home game in emphatic fashion, claiming a 3-2 series lead. Quick won his 27th postseason game, taking sole possession of the franchise record from Kelly Hrudey.
The Conn Smythe Trophy winner shut out the Sharks for the second time in the series, yet Quick scoffed at any suggestion he’s responsible for the Kings’ abrupt reversal of this series’ momentum after the Sharks appeared to take control in San Jose. “We came out with a purpose,” said Quick, who has stopped 313 of 330 shots in the postseason. “We knew what was on the line tonight, and I’m lucky to play with guys who care so much about winning. Top to bottom, I thought everybody played well, but it’s just three wins. We know that doesn’t mean anything.” Game 6 is tomorrow night at the Shark Tank.
Quick has three shutouts in this postseason alone, adding to his club record of seven playoff shutouts, yet nobody thought this latest zero was his best number of the postseason. The Sharks lamented their lackluster effort, particularly from the star players whose dominance had allowed San Jose to even the series with two straight wins and three straight games of largely superior play. “They tested us for the first four games, and I like the way we responded,” Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the Sharks, who have played more than 96 minutes without a goal since they appeared to be seizing the series midway through Game 4.