Lundqvist returns, wins

Rangers goalie has 29 saves, ties series with Penguins at 1-1.

PITTSBURGH — Henrik Lundqvist’s right eye is just fine, thanks.

So too are the New York Rangers with their franchise goaltender back to looking like the foundation for New York’s near annual deep postseason run.

Three days removed from a freakish run-in between his face and teammate Marc Staal’s stick, Lundqvist looked like his ever steady self while making 29 saves and the Rangers took advantage of some sloppy defensive play by Pittsburgh in a 4-2 victory on Saturday that evened their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at one game.

Lundqvist sat out the final two periods of a Game 1 setback after Staal’s stick made its way through the goaltender’s cage, scraping Lundqvist’s right eye.

He saw a specialist on Thursday, practiced on Friday and spent three periods on Saturday doing what he always seems to do this time of year.

“When you know there’s nothing wrong with the eye, you know you can just go out there and just push yourself and whatever is feeling uncomfortable, you don’t really think about it when the game starts,” Lundqvist said. “You just want to be out there and you’re very determined.”

Lundqvist kept the surging Penguins — boosted by the return of star center Evgeni Malkin — at bay for most of the first 30 minutes then saw his team pounce when Pittsburgh went through the kind of lull it largely avoided while ending the regular season with a 14-2 burst.

Keith Yandle and Derick Brassard scored 18 seconds apart in the second period to give the Rangers the lead, and Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider piled on later as New York improved to 6-2 since the start of the 2014 playoffs in the game immediately following a loss.

J.T. Miller added three assists as the Rangers handed Pittsburgh just its third loss since March 6. Game 3 is Tuesday in New York.

Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel scored his first two playoff goals, both on the power play, in three years. Backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff made 24 stops while making a second consecutive start in place of injured Marc-Andre Fleury, but was undone by some shaky play in front of him.

Capitals 4, Flyers 1: Washington’s Braden Holtby made 41 saves, Philadelphia’s Steve Mason gave up a goal from 101 feet away, and Alex Ovechkin scored as Washington grabbed a 2-0 series lead.

Ovechkin’s 37th Stanley Cup playoff goal was as predictable as Jason Chimera’s goal from beyond the red line was unexpected. Mason whiffed at the puck on what turned out to be the game-winner.

Game 3 is Monday night in Philadelphia.