Lundqvist, looking sharp and not the least bit bothered by the eye injury that forced him out of Game One, made 29 saves. The series is tied at 1.
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Forward Anton Zlobin scored Wheeling’s lone goal.
Early on, it looked like a repeat of Game One, as Pittsburgh outshot the Rangers 17-8 and led 1-0 on Kessel’s first goal.
Fleury missed the last two weeks of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs while recovering from his second concussion this season.
The New York Rangers appear to have escaped a potential devastating injury as they prepare to visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in Game 2 of their best-of-seven first-round series. They lost both of the previous ones. Malkin, coming off an upper-body injury believed to be his wrist, was a full participant in practice and declared himself a game-time decision.
Evgeni Malkin was returning to the lineup to center his own line with Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust. Now the betting odds for the game have the Penguins favored to pick up the victory on their home ice.
Miller converted another pass shortly after the faceoff, allowing Brassard to skate by Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta before shooting past Zatkoff’s blocker and giving the Rangers their first lead of the series at 2-1.
NY got excellent news on Friday, as goalie Henrik Lundqvist took part in practice after leaving Game 1 with an eye injury. “I didn’t really put my shot where I wanted to”, Rust said. That prevented him from playing the final two periods. “It’s more the swelling around the eye that affects it (the vision) a little bit. It would have been nice if I would have scored”. The Rangers outhit the Penguins 57-25. He’s been a strong postseason performer for the Blueshirts, and has 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in his last 21 playoff games going back to last season.
That the Rangers managed to even this series without Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi – two of their stalwart defencemen, both out injured – further underscores the value of Lundqvist.
Kessel has 15 goals and nine assists in 24 career playoff games.
Game 3 takes place Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. He wasn’t and Jeff Zatkoff, the Pens’ third-string goalie, got his first National Hockey League playoff win in the Penguins’ 5-2 victory.
Centers Jean-Sebastien Dea and Jake Guentzel scored Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s goals. The game starts at 7 p.m.
The Washington Capitals are up 2-0 in their first-rounds series after a tremendous performance by Braden Holtby in a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia.
“I thought Lundqvist played great”, Zatkoff said. That was as close as L.A. would get to tying the game.
Matt Murray’s prognosis is no clearer.
It may seem like an obvious statement because of course it is easier to beat an opponent if you keep them off the scoreboard, but those records clearly indicate that the way Pittsburgh feels most comfortable winning games is with its offense.
Wednesday’s victory was Pittsburgh’s fourth straight over NY, though the Rangers have taken seven of the last nine postseason meetings. “Our guys made a lot of blocks before pucks got to the net”, Zatkoff said. “He made more saves than me tonight”.
“Obviously it was a big moment in the game”, Lundqvist said.
Lundqvist saw the puck just fine three days after the scare he and the entire population of Rangerstown endured when the goaltender was hit around the right eye by Staal’s stick blade late in the first period before leaving when the area around the eye swelled up.
NY goalie Henrik Lundqvist preserved the lead nearly three minutes later by denying Bryan Rust on a breakaway before Miller set up a third goal by passing to Zuccarello alone to Zatkoff’s left.
Dallas also swept its first two playoff games at home.
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As much as the Rangers controlled the second part of Game 2, they kind of gave the Penguins life in the third period by committing two penalties while already on the power play.
