THERE WILL BE A GAME 7 FOR N.Y. RANGERS
Chris Kreider doesn’t believe in dwelling on the past. There is only the next play for the New York Rangers’ star forward.
It’s why Kreider threw linemate Mika Zibanejad’s iPad to the ground out of frustration after Zibanejad stewed over a breakaway during the second period against Pittsburgh’s Louie Domingue on Friday night that ended up with Zibanejad hitting the post.
Rangers 5, Penguins 3
Kreider told Zibanejad to stop second-guessing himself. It was a good move. It didn’t go in. It happens. Just keep playing.
So Zibanejad did. Kreider, too. And thanks to their relentlessness the resilient Rangers are heading back home for a Game 7.
The two longtime teammates scored two goals apiece — including Kreider’s blast from the point that hit Domingue high then sailed over the goaltender’s head and rolled into the net with 1:28 remaining to lift the visiting Rangers to a 5-3 win over the Sidney Crosby-less Penguins to push their thrilling firstround playoff series to the limit.
“Regardless of the situation, I’m proud of the way this team competes,” Kreider said. “Whether we’re down, whether we’re up, we’re trying to get to our game, trying to play the same way.”
As they have done repeatedly throughout this topsy-turvy series the Rangers rallied from a multiple-goal deficit and will host Game 7 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden with some serious momentum.
“We battled back after (falling behind) and that showed some character in our group,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said.
A group looking to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. New York will get a chance thanks to the play of Kreider and Zibanejad, four assists from Adam Fox and 31 saves by Igor Shesterkin.
Pittsburgh’s best player was forced to watch his team let a chance to advance slip away from afar. The Penguins played without Crosby, who is dealing with an upper-body injury that forced the captain to miss his first playoff game in five years.
Panthers 4, Capitals 3: Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner to send visiting Florida to the second round by beating Washington 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.
Verhaeghe’s goal was his sixth of the series. The Capitals lost in the first round for the fourth consecutive season since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Stars 4, Flames 2: Miro Heiskanen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and host Dallas beat Calgary to force a Game 7 in their first-round Western Conference series.
The Stars blew an early two-goal lead before going ahead to stay. The series goes back to Calgary for the deciding game Sunday night.
Thursday’s late result
Blues 5, Wild 1: Jordan Binnington made 25 saves and host St. Louis beat Minnesota in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak and Vladimir Tarasenko scored in a dominant second period. St. Louis will face Colorado in the second round.
Notable
Bruce Boudreau will return as coach of the Vancouver Canucks next season after helping to turn the struggling NHL club around as a midyear replacement.