TOP STORY
The King's Defends His Castle @ MSG
Henrik Lundqvist Steals Game 4 to Give the Rangers a 3-1 Series Lead
(Photo Credit - AP)
(7) New York Rangers (3-1) over the (2) Washington Capitals (1-3) 2-1
Henrik Lundqvist had his teammates digging deep to describe his performance that put the New York Rangers on the verge of advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight year. "He's like Tina Turner," forward Brandon Dubinsky said, "He's 'Simply the Best.'" Lundqvist tied a career playoff high with 38 saves (half of them in the second period) and the seventh-seeded Rangers put the Washington Capitals on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.
Lundqvist, who posted a 1-0 shutout win in Game 2, was on top of his game as the Capitals controlled play from the second period to the end, outshooting New York 39-21. "He's amazing, he's our heartbeat, and he gives everyone confidence that is playing in front of him," said defenseman Paul Mara, who staked the Rangers to a 1-0 lead in the first period. "He's awesome. We love him. He's the king."
Mara snapped the Rangers' scoring drought at 126 minutes, 11 seconds with 6:05 left in the opening period, scoring just the second goal against Simeon Varlamov, the 20-year-old rookie who has stopped 75 of 78 shots since taking over for Jose Theodore after New York's 4-3 win in Game 1. Chris Drury shook off an injury enough to add his first goal of the series. It turned out to be his 17th postseason winner.
"It's so important to bounce back with a good game when we struggled a little bit the last game," Lundqvist said. "The way we responded is perfect." "It's not done yet," Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said. "We were in this situation last year and we came back. We got that experience and it was good experience. We know how to come back."
The Capitals' potent power play went 0-for-6 and is 4-for-22 in the series. Alexander Ovechkin finally lit the lamp in this series on his 32nd shot of the series. Ovechkin turned the mood inside Madison Square Garden from celebratory to panic when he rifled a slap shot off the crossbar and into the net at 2:13 of the third period. It was the first goal of the series on the 32nd shot by Ovechkin, who led the NHL with 56 regular-season goals.
Washington erased a 3-1 hole against Philadelphia in the first round last year, before falling in overtime of Game 7. The Capitals overcame a 3-1 series deficit once in their history, against Philadelphia in the 1988 Patrick Division semifinals. They have never won a series after trailing 2-0. The Rangers have never lost a series after leading 3-1.
Game 5 is Friday night at the Verizon Center/
One day when I was talking hockey with a friend of mine, he said that to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, your goalie has to steal a game when you're playing a better team. Well, Henrik Lundqivst has now stolen two games in this series. I've heard a few people refer to this as one of the greatest Ranger goaltending performances in the history of the franchise. While I can't really speak for anything before the Mike Richter era, I find it tough to argue the point. King Henrik is in the zone right now. Everyone keeps saying that the Rangers aren't going to go far if they can't score, and I agree with that point. HOWEVER, if Lundqvist can turn in performances like that twice a series (and he hasn't given any reason to show he can't), the Rangers could play the role of playoff spoiler.
OTHER PLAYOFF ACTION...
(1) Boston Bruins (4-0) over the (8) Montreal Canadiens (0-4) 4-1
The Boston Bruins swept aside their longtime rivals and a decade's worth of playoff frustration. Andrei Kostitsyn gave Montreal a 1-0 lead 39 seconds in and the Canadiens dominated the scoring chances in the opening period, outshooting Boston 16-7. The Bruins, though, went to the dressing room with a 2-1 lead after Ryder and Krejci scored 1:58 apart late in the period. Former Montreal forward Michael Ryder scored twice and assisted on David Krejci's goal to help Boston complete a four-game sweep of the Canadiens with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Tim Thomas made 26 saves, and Phil Kessel also scored for the Bruins, who won the Eastern Conference quarterfinal for their first playoff series win in 10 years.
"Yeah, it's definitely a good feeling to beat your old team here in Montreal and make it the last one," said Ryder, who signed as a free agent after he was a healthy scratch for all but four of the Canadiens' 12 playoff games last season. "I kind of actually forgot about what happened last year. I'm a Bruin now and it's a lot of fun."
Top-seeded Boston had lost five straight series -- falling to Montreal in 2002, '04 and '08 -- since beating Carolina in the first round in 1999. It was the Bruins' first series sweep since they beat Montreal four straight in the 1992 Adams Division final. On the flip side, Montreal completed its 100th season with eight straight losses, including its last four regular-season games.
If the Rangers take the series against the Capitals, the Bruins get the Rangers (what a series that would be). If the Capitals rally to win the series, then Boston would get Carolina if they beat the Devils. If the Devils win, then Boston gets the winner of Pittsburgh-Philly.
This is a textbook example of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Bruins are playing the best hockey of any team in the East and arguably the NHL (Detroit would be the other), while the Canadiens completely underachieved this year and were lucky to make the playoffs. I know there are no hand outs in the NHL, but the Panthers deserved the 8th seed if this was the effort that was going to be turned in by Les Habitents. Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has a loooong off-season ahead of him.
(5) Calgary Flames (2-2) over the (4) Chicago Blackhawks (2-2) 6-4
Olli Jokinen scored two goals and had an assist in Calgary's 6-4 victory over Chicago that sent the Western Conference series back to Chicago even at two wins apiece. Jokinen ended a 16-game goal drought -- his longest since 2002 -- with his first career playoff goals. They also were his first goals at the Pengrowth Saddledome since the Flames acquired him from Phoenix at the March 3 trade deadline. "It's nice to score, but it's much nicer to win games," said the 30-year-old Jokinen, playing in the postseason for the first time in his career. "It felt a lot better when we scored that fifth goal than when I scored my own goals."
The King's Defends His Castle @ MSG
Henrik Lundqvist Steals Game 4 to Give the Rangers a 3-1 Series Lead
(Photo Credit - AP)
(7) New York Rangers (3-1) over the (2) Washington Capitals (1-3) 2-1
Henrik Lundqvist had his teammates digging deep to describe his performance that put the New York Rangers on the verge of advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight year. "He's like Tina Turner," forward Brandon Dubinsky said, "He's 'Simply the Best.'" Lundqvist tied a career playoff high with 38 saves (half of them in the second period) and the seventh-seeded Rangers put the Washington Capitals on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.
Lundqvist, who posted a 1-0 shutout win in Game 2, was on top of his game as the Capitals controlled play from the second period to the end, outshooting New York 39-21. "He's amazing, he's our heartbeat, and he gives everyone confidence that is playing in front of him," said defenseman Paul Mara, who staked the Rangers to a 1-0 lead in the first period. "He's awesome. We love him. He's the king."
Mara snapped the Rangers' scoring drought at 126 minutes, 11 seconds with 6:05 left in the opening period, scoring just the second goal against Simeon Varlamov, the 20-year-old rookie who has stopped 75 of 78 shots since taking over for Jose Theodore after New York's 4-3 win in Game 1. Chris Drury shook off an injury enough to add his first goal of the series. It turned out to be his 17th postseason winner.
"It's so important to bounce back with a good game when we struggled a little bit the last game," Lundqvist said. "The way we responded is perfect." "It's not done yet," Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin said. "We were in this situation last year and we came back. We got that experience and it was good experience. We know how to come back."
The Capitals' potent power play went 0-for-6 and is 4-for-22 in the series. Alexander Ovechkin finally lit the lamp in this series on his 32nd shot of the series. Ovechkin turned the mood inside Madison Square Garden from celebratory to panic when he rifled a slap shot off the crossbar and into the net at 2:13 of the third period. It was the first goal of the series on the 32nd shot by Ovechkin, who led the NHL with 56 regular-season goals.
Washington erased a 3-1 hole against Philadelphia in the first round last year, before falling in overtime of Game 7. The Capitals overcame a 3-1 series deficit once in their history, against Philadelphia in the 1988 Patrick Division semifinals. They have never won a series after trailing 2-0. The Rangers have never lost a series after leading 3-1.
Game 5 is Friday night at the Verizon Center/
One day when I was talking hockey with a friend of mine, he said that to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, your goalie has to steal a game when you're playing a better team. Well, Henrik Lundqivst has now stolen two games in this series. I've heard a few people refer to this as one of the greatest Ranger goaltending performances in the history of the franchise. While I can't really speak for anything before the Mike Richter era, I find it tough to argue the point. King Henrik is in the zone right now. Everyone keeps saying that the Rangers aren't going to go far if they can't score, and I agree with that point. HOWEVER, if Lundqvist can turn in performances like that twice a series (and he hasn't given any reason to show he can't), the Rangers could play the role of playoff spoiler.
OTHER PLAYOFF ACTION...
(1) Boston Bruins (4-0) over the (8) Montreal Canadiens (0-4) 4-1
The Boston Bruins swept aside their longtime rivals and a decade's worth of playoff frustration. Andrei Kostitsyn gave Montreal a 1-0 lead 39 seconds in and the Canadiens dominated the scoring chances in the opening period, outshooting Boston 16-7. The Bruins, though, went to the dressing room with a 2-1 lead after Ryder and Krejci scored 1:58 apart late in the period. Former Montreal forward Michael Ryder scored twice and assisted on David Krejci's goal to help Boston complete a four-game sweep of the Canadiens with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Tim Thomas made 26 saves, and Phil Kessel also scored for the Bruins, who won the Eastern Conference quarterfinal for their first playoff series win in 10 years.
"Yeah, it's definitely a good feeling to beat your old team here in Montreal and make it the last one," said Ryder, who signed as a free agent after he was a healthy scratch for all but four of the Canadiens' 12 playoff games last season. "I kind of actually forgot about what happened last year. I'm a Bruin now and it's a lot of fun."
Top-seeded Boston had lost five straight series -- falling to Montreal in 2002, '04 and '08 -- since beating Carolina in the first round in 1999. It was the Bruins' first series sweep since they beat Montreal four straight in the 1992 Adams Division final. On the flip side, Montreal completed its 100th season with eight straight losses, including its last four regular-season games.
If the Rangers take the series against the Capitals, the Bruins get the Rangers (what a series that would be). If the Capitals rally to win the series, then Boston would get Carolina if they beat the Devils. If the Devils win, then Boston gets the winner of Pittsburgh-Philly.
This is a textbook example of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Bruins are playing the best hockey of any team in the East and arguably the NHL (Detroit would be the other), while the Canadiens completely underachieved this year and were lucky to make the playoffs. I know there are no hand outs in the NHL, but the Panthers deserved the 8th seed if this was the effort that was going to be turned in by Les Habitents. Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has a loooong off-season ahead of him.
(5) Calgary Flames (2-2) over the (4) Chicago Blackhawks (2-2) 6-4
Olli Jokinen scored two goals and had an assist in Calgary's 6-4 victory over Chicago that sent the Western Conference series back to Chicago even at two wins apiece. Jokinen ended a 16-game goal drought -- his longest since 2002 -- with his first career playoff goals. They also were his first goals at the Pengrowth Saddledome since the Flames acquired him from Phoenix at the March 3 trade deadline. "It's nice to score, but it's much nicer to win games," said the 30-year-old Jokinen, playing in the postseason for the first time in his career. "It felt a lot better when we scored that fifth goal than when I scored my own goals."
Eric Nystrom broke a tie with that fifth goal, scoring off a rebound with 6:56 left in the third period. Flames captain Jarome Iginla also had a pair for Calgary, including an empty-netter, to go along with an assist. Calgary pulled away in the third after blowing a 4-1 lead in the second.
"Holy cow, protecting leads," Nystrom said. "It's amazing how it's easier to play coming from behind. Sometimes when you have a lead you sit on it a little bit, but tonight we persevered and battled hard to win this game. Now the series is 0-0 again." Defenseman Adrian Aucoin also scored for the Flames, 4-2 winners Monday night at home after dropping the first two games in Chicago.
Patrick Kane, Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker and Samuel Pahlsson scored for Chicago. "It's going to be a long flight home tomorrow," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. "It's far from over. It's frustrating and yes, we were up two games and you can cry about that all day about having those first two games and then letting them have the last two and letting them get back in the series. "But we knew they weren't going anywhere so we're just going to have to battle and get momentum swinging back in our favor a little bit.
Miikka Kiprusoff made 28 saves for his second straight victory, while Nikolai Khabibulin turned away 22 shots for Chicago. Flames winger Rene Bourque, listed as day-to-day after Chicago's Adam Burish broke his stick over his shoulder at the end of Game 3, participated in the pregame skate, but was scratched from the lineup.
Game 5 is Saturday night in Chicago.
I really thought the Blackhawks would win this series, but now I'm not sure. The way Calgary has played the past two games, they've looked like the Flames team they are supposed to be. When Calgary went up 4-1, my thought was "Okay we've got a series again". When Chicago rallied to tie the game, I figured that could be the series. But the fact that Calgary pulled out the win after blowing the lead makes Saturday night's game VERY interesting.
OTHER NEWS
-Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason and Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg are the finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year. Versteeg, a fifth-round choice (134th overall) of the Boston Bruins in 2004, led all rookies with 31 assists while finishing second to Ryan with 53 points. The 22-year-old from Lethbridge, Alta., added a rookie-best four short-handed goals. "Bobby Ryan and Mason, those are two pretty special players and to be loaded into a class with those guys, it's a huge compliment for myself," Versteeg said Wednesday from Calgary, where the Blackhawks were facing the Flames in a Western Conference quarter-final series. "I was a bit surprised. It caught me off guard. This year, I've always known I could help offensively and I was put in some situations to succeed and just tried to do my best with that." Ryan, the second pick in the 2005 draft, recorded 31 goals and 57 points -- both tops among first-year players -- in just 64 games with the Ducks. The 22-year-old from Cherry Hill, N.J., earned rookie-of-the-month honors in January with 11 goals and five assists in 14 games. Ryan played junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League's Owen Sound Attack. Mason, taken in the third round (69th overall) by the Blue Jackets in 2006, led the NHL with 10 shutouts and ranked second with a 2.29 goals-against average. The 20-year-old from Oakville, Ont., lifted the Blue Jackets to the first playoff appearance in franchise history. The trophy will be handed out June 18 during the NHL awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
TONIGHT'S ACTION:
^Gm 5 - (5) Philadelphia Flyers @ (4) Pittsburgh Penguins (Pittsburgh leads 3-1) - Versus
^Gm 4 - (2) Detroit Red Wings @ (7) Columbus Blue Jackets - 7PM - (Detroit leads 3-0)
Gm 5 - (6) Carolina Hurricanes @ (3) New Jersey Devils - 7:30PM - (Series tied 2-2)
Gm 4 - (8) Anaheim Ducks @ (1) San Jose Sharks - 10:30PM (Anaheim leads 2-1) - Versus
^ = elimination alert
^Gm 5 - (5) Philadelphia Flyers @ (4) Pittsburgh Penguins (Pittsburgh leads 3-1) - Versus
^Gm 4 - (2) Detroit Red Wings @ (7) Columbus Blue Jackets - 7PM - (Detroit leads 3-0)
Gm 5 - (6) Carolina Hurricanes @ (3) New Jersey Devils - 7:30PM - (Series tied 2-2)
Gm 4 - (8) Anaheim Ducks @ (1) San Jose Sharks - 10:30PM (Anaheim leads 2-1) - Versus
^ = elimination alert
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(information from the AP was used in this post)
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