Rangers get quick jump on Devils
Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves, Chris Kreider scored two power-play goals and the Rangers stunned the Devils, 5-1, Tuesday night at Newark in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Lindgren, and Filip Chytil also scored for the Rangers. Adam Fox had four assists and Artemi Panarin had two in this seventh renewal of this river rivalry in the postseason, the first since 2012.
The Devils, who set franchise records with 112 points and 52 wins in the regular season and beat New York three times in four games, never got their rush game going. When they did threaten, they either missed the net or Shesterkin denied them.
Their only goal came on a penalty shot by Jack Hughes with 2:46 left.
Lightning rout Maple Leafs
Brayden Point scored twice and the Lightning routed the Maple Leafs, 7-3, at Toronto in the opening game of the first-round playoff series.
Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry each had a goal and two assists, and Anthony Cirelli and Ross Colton finished with a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also scored for the Lightning, who scored four goals on the power play. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves in his 100th playoff start.
Ryan O’Reilly, William Nylander, and Calle Jarnkrok scored for Toronto. Mitch Marner had three assists and Auston Matthews added a pair. Ilya Samsonov allowed six goals on 29 shots before being replaced by Joseph Woll at the start the third period.
Jets’ Barron needs 75 stitches
Jets forward Morgan Barron took a skate to his face, requiring more than 75 stitches, but he returned to the ice less than a period later.
Barron was injured in the first period during a big scramble in front of the Golden Knights' net in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series at Las Vegas. As players collapsed around the front of the net in pursuit of a loose puck, Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit’s skate cut Barron.
Barron immediately went to the locker room, but returned in the second wearing a full cage.
Pavelski status in jeopardy
Joe Pavelski left the Stars’ loss in their playoff opener after taking a massive hit from Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba, who wasn’t assessed a major penalty for that after a lengthy replay review by officials Monday night at Dallas.
Dumba did get a two-minute minor for roughing in the Wild’s 3-2 victory in double overtime.
Pavelski appeared wobbly as he was helped off the ice. Coach Peter DeBoer said he wasn’t confident about Pavelski being available for Game 2 Wednesday night.