Kreider helps Rangers edge Pens
PITTSBURGH — Chris Kreider’s long slap shot bounced over Louis Domingue and into the net with 1:28 left and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Friday night to push their thrilling first-round series to a deciding Game 7.
Kreider’s second of the game and fourth of the playoffs sent the series back to New York. Andrew Copp added an empty netter for good measure in the waning seconds. Game 7 is Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Mika Zibanejad had two goals and two assists and Adam Fox had four assists. Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots to win at PPG Paints Arena for the first time this series after getting chased by Pittsburgh in Games 3 and 4.
Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter scored for Pittsburgh. Domingue, who has become a local folk hero while filling in for injured Tristan Jarry and Casey Desmith, made 33 saves but couldn’t get a handle on Kreider’s shot, which seemed to hit him high then popped up into the air and behind him before rolling into the net.
Pittsburgh played without captain Sidney Crosby, who sat out while dealing with an upper-body injury. His status going forward is uncertain.
For most of the early going in Game 6, it seemed the Penguins would find a way to advance without him.
Panthers 4, Capitals 3, OT
WASHINGTON — On the wrong side of a comeback effort this time, the Florida Panthers rebounded in overtime and made sure they wouldn’t need to go home to finish their firstround series.
Carter Verhaeghe scored the OT winner to send the Panthers to the second round by beating the Washington Capitals in Game 6. It’s the franchise’s first playoff series victory since 1996 when Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers are still eight wins from getting back to the final, but they will have home-ice advantage for their next series against either the crossstate rival Tampa Bay Lightning or the Toronto Maple Leafs.