NY Rangers upset Penguins
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Reuters
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 17, 2009 00:00
WASHINGTON - The New York Rangers opened the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 upset win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and the Pittsburgh Penguins came out guns blazing to thrash the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1.
NHL scoring champion Evgeni Malkin and Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby each had a goal and an assist to help power the Penguins to a 1-0 lead in their Eastern conference best-of-seven quarterfinal.
Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL's top goal scorer, rifled 13 shots at Henrik Lundqvist but could not beat the New York netminder as the seventh seeded Rangers hung on to steal a victory on Brandon Dubinsky's third period goal.
Goaltending also featured prominently in the other two opening night match-ups, Martin Brodeur, the NHL leader in career wins, making 18 saves to notch his 96th post-season victory as the New Jersey Devils quieted the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1.
Ray Whitney was the only Hurricane to put a puck behind Brodeur.
In the night's only Western Conference clash, Roberto Luongo won a goaltending duel over Chris Mason making 25 saves as Vancouver Canucks cooled off the NHL's hottest team edging the St. Louis Blues 2-1.
Daniel Sedin in the first period and Sami Salo with a powerplay tally in the second provided the Vancouver goals beating Mason, who was equally outstanding in the St. Louis net facing 31 shots.
In Washington, the Capitals, looking for their first post-season series victory since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1998, stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to level the score early in the third period and ignite the home crowd. But the Capitals could not complete the rally, Dubinsky collecting the winning goal.
"I didn't think we were going to win in four straight," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Just like New York is confident they stole one tonight we're confident we're a good team and we'll play well Saturday."
Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL's top goal scorer, rifled 13 shots at Henrik Lundqvist but could not beat the New York netminder as the seventh seeded Rangers hung on to steal a victory on Brandon Dubinsky's third period goal.
Goaltending also featured prominently in the other two opening night match-ups, Martin Brodeur, the NHL leader in career wins, making 18 saves to notch his 96th post-season victory as the New Jersey Devils quieted the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1.
Ray Whitney was the only Hurricane to put a puck behind Brodeur.
In the night's only Western Conference clash, Roberto Luongo won a goaltending duel over Chris Mason making 25 saves as Vancouver Canucks cooled off the NHL's hottest team edging the St. Louis Blues 2-1.
Daniel Sedin in the first period and Sami Salo with a powerplay tally in the second provided the Vancouver goals beating Mason, who was equally outstanding in the St. Louis net facing 31 shots.
In Washington, the Capitals, looking for their first post-season series victory since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1998, stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to level the score early in the third period and ignite the home crowd. But the Capitals could not complete the rally, Dubinsky collecting the winning goal.
"I didn't think we were going to win in four straight," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Just like New York is confident they stole one tonight we're confident we're a good team and we'll play well Saturday."