BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
04-29-2008, 09:34 PM
Crosby set up Marian Hossa’s goal 62 seconds into the game and dished the puck to Malkin for the go-ahead goal with 2:07 left in the second. Malkin also assisted on Georges Laraque’s first-period goal as the Penguins won for the first time in five trips to the Garden this season.
Ryan Malone added an insurance goal early in the third period.
Marc-Andre Fleury outplayed Vezina finalist Henrik Lundqvist, making 36 saves as the Penguins improved to 7-0 in this year’s playoffs despite being outshot 39-17. Pittsburgh is one win away from beating the Rangers for the fourth time in as many meetings in the playoffs.
The Penguins quieted the sellout crowd by scoring just over a minute into the game. Crosby triggered a 3-on-2 rush by picking off Michal Rozsival’s pass at the Pittsburgh blue line. He passed to Pascal Dupuis, who carried into the Rangers’ zone and fed Crosby, whose deflection was stopped by Lundqvist. But the rebound came to Hossa, who was alone in the left circle and quickly rammed it past Lundqvist 62 seconds into the game. It was Hossa’s first goal of the series; he was scoreless on seven shots in Game 2.
The Rangers dominated the next few minutes, with Fleury making excellent stops on Jaromir Jagr and Marc Staal. He also got a break when Martin Straka missed from the slot with the net wide open after Jagr carried around the net and drew Fleury out of position.
Lundqvist kept the deficit at one with just over seven minutes left in the period when he slid from right to left to stop Hossa, who was left wide-open in the slot to take a pass from Dupuis. That save became even bigger when the Rangers finally got a puck past Fleury at 14:32. With the Rangers crashing the crease, Straka put a rebound off Fleury and over the goal line during a scramble that saw Jagr shoved into the net. The goal was allowed after a video review.
But Pittsburgh quickly went back in front thanks to a mixed line and a fortunate bounce. Petr Sykora’s passout from behind the net deflected off Malkin’s skate and right to fourth-liner Laraque, who was alone and zipped a high 10-foot wrist shot just under the crossbar at 16:17.
The Penguins, who had scored at least one power-play goal in each of their first six playoff games, extended their streak after Ryan Callahan drew a double minor for high-sticking Hal Gill at 16:49. Malkin, who had never scored at the Garden, teed up a straightaway slap shot from about 55 feet that went past three players and inside the post past Lundqvist’s left leg at 17:41. That gave the Penguins two goals in 84 seconds and a 3-1 lead after the first period despite being outshot 15-9.
The Rangers had an early chance to get back in the game when penalties to Sykora at 2:52 and Dupuis at 4:11 gave them a two-man advantage for 41 seconds. Fleury’s best save came when he denied Jagr on a solo dash down the left side. Before Dupuis’ penalty could expire, Brooks Orpik was called for high-sticking Callahan, giving the Rangers another two-man edge, this one for 35 seconds. They didn’t score on that one, either, nor on the rest of Orpik’s penalty — leaving them still down 3-1 midway through the period despite outshooting Pittsburgh 9-1 in the period and 24-10 for the game.
But Scott Gomez and Callahan combined to give the Rangers and the crowd some life at 12:07. After a dump-in, Gomez bumped defenseman Rob Scuderi off the puck before feeding Callahan for a quick wrist shot from just off the left post.
Gomez got his second assist on Jagr’s tying goal at 13:11, leaving a drop pass for Jagr behind the net. The Rangers’ captain circled the net, came out to Fleury’s left, curled and whipped a wrist shot inside the post for his 75th career playoff goal.
Gomez nearly had the tying goal with 4:46 left in the period when he ripped a slap shot from the right circle past Fleury but off the near post. The Rangers had all the momentum and were outshooting the Penguins 14-3 in the period, but a needless boarding penalty against New York’s Ryan Hollweg for boarding at 15:56not only quieted the crowd but led to the go-ahead goal. The Penguins’ power-play unit controlled the puck in New York’s zone for well over a minute, exhausting the penalty-killers, before Malkin’s blast from the right circle beat Lundqvist through a screen at 17:53.
That left the Rangers trailing 4-3 after two periods despite outshooting Pittsburgh 29-14.
Malkin won a faceoff that led to Malone’s goal at 2:30 of the third period, further silencing the crowd. Malone was alone in the slot when he deflected Kris Letang’s slapper from the right point past Lundqvist.
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Ryan Malone added an insurance goal early in the third period.
Marc-Andre Fleury outplayed Vezina finalist Henrik Lundqvist, making 36 saves as the Penguins improved to 7-0 in this year’s playoffs despite being outshot 39-17. Pittsburgh is one win away from beating the Rangers for the fourth time in as many meetings in the playoffs.
The Penguins quieted the sellout crowd by scoring just over a minute into the game. Crosby triggered a 3-on-2 rush by picking off Michal Rozsival’s pass at the Pittsburgh blue line. He passed to Pascal Dupuis, who carried into the Rangers’ zone and fed Crosby, whose deflection was stopped by Lundqvist. But the rebound came to Hossa, who was alone in the left circle and quickly rammed it past Lundqvist 62 seconds into the game. It was Hossa’s first goal of the series; he was scoreless on seven shots in Game 2.
The Rangers dominated the next few minutes, with Fleury making excellent stops on Jaromir Jagr and Marc Staal. He also got a break when Martin Straka missed from the slot with the net wide open after Jagr carried around the net and drew Fleury out of position.
Lundqvist kept the deficit at one with just over seven minutes left in the period when he slid from right to left to stop Hossa, who was left wide-open in the slot to take a pass from Dupuis. That save became even bigger when the Rangers finally got a puck past Fleury at 14:32. With the Rangers crashing the crease, Straka put a rebound off Fleury and over the goal line during a scramble that saw Jagr shoved into the net. The goal was allowed after a video review.
But Pittsburgh quickly went back in front thanks to a mixed line and a fortunate bounce. Petr Sykora’s passout from behind the net deflected off Malkin’s skate and right to fourth-liner Laraque, who was alone and zipped a high 10-foot wrist shot just under the crossbar at 16:17.
The Penguins, who had scored at least one power-play goal in each of their first six playoff games, extended their streak after Ryan Callahan drew a double minor for high-sticking Hal Gill at 16:49. Malkin, who had never scored at the Garden, teed up a straightaway slap shot from about 55 feet that went past three players and inside the post past Lundqvist’s left leg at 17:41. That gave the Penguins two goals in 84 seconds and a 3-1 lead after the first period despite being outshot 15-9.
The Rangers had an early chance to get back in the game when penalties to Sykora at 2:52 and Dupuis at 4:11 gave them a two-man advantage for 41 seconds. Fleury’s best save came when he denied Jagr on a solo dash down the left side. Before Dupuis’ penalty could expire, Brooks Orpik was called for high-sticking Callahan, giving the Rangers another two-man edge, this one for 35 seconds. They didn’t score on that one, either, nor on the rest of Orpik’s penalty — leaving them still down 3-1 midway through the period despite outshooting Pittsburgh 9-1 in the period and 24-10 for the game.
But Scott Gomez and Callahan combined to give the Rangers and the crowd some life at 12:07. After a dump-in, Gomez bumped defenseman Rob Scuderi off the puck before feeding Callahan for a quick wrist shot from just off the left post.
Gomez got his second assist on Jagr’s tying goal at 13:11, leaving a drop pass for Jagr behind the net. The Rangers’ captain circled the net, came out to Fleury’s left, curled and whipped a wrist shot inside the post for his 75th career playoff goal.
Gomez nearly had the tying goal with 4:46 left in the period when he ripped a slap shot from the right circle past Fleury but off the near post. The Rangers had all the momentum and were outshooting the Penguins 14-3 in the period, but a needless boarding penalty against New York’s Ryan Hollweg for boarding at 15:56not only quieted the crowd but led to the go-ahead goal. The Penguins’ power-play unit controlled the puck in New York’s zone for well over a minute, exhausting the penalty-killers, before Malkin’s blast from the right circle beat Lundqvist through a screen at 17:53.
That left the Rangers trailing 4-3 after two periods despite outshooting Pittsburgh 29-14.
Malkin won a faceoff that led to Malone’s goal at 2:30 of the third period, further silencing the crowd. Malone was alone in the slot when he deflected Kris Letang’s slapper from the right point past Lundqvist.
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=362052