Rookie sparks Rangers 3-1 win

Rangers rookie Chris Kreider scored the goahead goal and then set up Brad Richards’ insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Capitals in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday.

Kreider, who earlier this month helped Boston College win the NCAA championship, scored the second goal of his NHL career — and these playoffs — and he did it at the perfect time to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead 7:00 into the third.

Richards made it a twogoal lead off a feed from Kreider, and gave a twofisted punch into the glass behind goalie Braden Holtby to celebrate his third goal of the playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist earned the win, and needed to make only 17 saves to do it. The Rangers mus- tered just 14 shots on Holtby, but scored on two in a row to put the game away.

Kings 3, Blues 1: Matt Greene scored a shorthanded goal late in the second period for the lead and Jonathan Quick was strong in net with 28 saves in the opener of a Western Conference semifinal series.

Slava Voynov scored for his first point of the postseason and Dustin Penner added an empty-netter for the visiting Kings.

David Perron opened the scoring in the first period for the Blues. Brian Elliott made 26 saves for St. Louis.

Coyotes 4, Predators 3 (OT): Ray Whitney scored 14:04 into overtime and the host Coyotes survived another late goal in regulation to open the Western Conference semifinals with a victory over the Predators.