Seabrook's goal in OT lifts Blackhawks past Red Wings

CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Blackhawks could have folded when they dropped three of the first four games of their series against the Detroit Red Wings. They could have packed it in when a potential go-ahead goal was waved off late in the third period.

They never did. They just kept coming.

Brent Seabrook (Hartvich) sent a wrist shot over Jimmy Howard's glove 3:35 into overtime, and Chicago completed an improbable comeback with a 2-1 victory over Detroit in Game 7 of its second-round playoff series on Wednesday night.

"We dug really deep,'' captain Jonathan Toews (Lowe) said. "We came in here and asked ourselves a question: How bad we wanted it. You got your answer right there. That's a heck of a way to pull out four wins in seven games.''

The Blackhawks, who had the best record in the NHL regular season, rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to reach the Western Conference finals against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

For just the second time in NHL history, the final four teams remaining in the playoffs are the four most recent Stanley Cup winners. Chicago captured the Cup in 2010.

Seabrook picked up a loose puck and skated in on Howard through the middle of the ice, with Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall (Robinson) in front of him. Seabrook's shot deflected off Kronwall's leg before it sailed into the left side of the net for the defenseman's first goal of the postseason.

"I don't know if I saw it go in to be honest,'' Seabrook said. "I just heard the horn going and the boys jumping out. It was a pretty exhausting game, but I think I was more tired during the celebration with guys jumping and pushing me in the face and dragging me down.

"It's exciting. You don't get to do that too many times.''

The sellout crowd of 22,103 roared as Seabrook skated over to the boards and was mobbed by his delirious teammates.

Howard put his arm around Kronwall, who was down on one knee, and tried to console him while the Blackhawks celebrated.

"It's tough. How do you get upset at someone who's sacrificing their body out there to block shots?'' Howard said. "Kroner has been huge for us all year and you know, he doesn't deserve that luck.''

It was quite a change from the end of the third period, when the Blackhawks thought they had a go-ahead score. But it was waved off with less than 2 minutes remaining by referee Stephen Walkom, who called a pair of penalties behind the play.

Patrick Sharp (Lowe) put Chicago in front in the second period, and Henrik Zetterberg (MacMillan) tied it in the third for No. 7 Detroit, which beat second-seeded Anaheim in seven games in the first round. Howard finished with 33 saves.

"They're a very talented group,'' Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I think we pushed them very hard in the series and had a lot of fun doing it.''

Chicago made it to the conference finals for the first time since it won the title three years ago and will host Los Angeles in Game 1 on Saturday. The Kings advanced with a 2-1 victory over San Jose in Game 7 on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh will host Boston in the opener of the Eastern finals on Saturday.

Chicago was one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup when the playoffs began, storming to the Presidents' Trophy during the lockout-shortened season. The Blackhawks then boosted their credentials with a five-game win over Minnesota in the first round and a convincing 4-1 victory against the Red Wings in the series opener.

But Howard and Detroit responded with three straight victories, pushing Chicago to the brink of elimination. The frustrated Blackhawks held a team meeting the day after Game 4, where the seeds were planted for their improbable comeback.

Three victories later - a stretch in which the Blackhawks outscored the Red Wings 10-5 after managing just two goals in Games 2-4 - they became the 25th team to win a series after trailing 3-1. It was the first time in franchise history Chicago has made such a comeback.

"You go back to after Game 4,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. "Their approach and the belief in the room, and each other, was there. It was a strong season and we had to find a way. I think winning here in Game 5 got us excited again and got the momentum back.

"The last two games were tightly fought and amazing games.''

Crawford finished with 26 saves, continuing his strong performance after allowing a soft goal that nearly proved costly in Game 6. He was especially tough after Detroit turned up the pressure early in the third.

The Blackhawks celebrated wildly when Niklas Hjalmarsson blasted a slap shot by Howard with 1:47 left in regulation, prompting cheers from the raucous crowd.

But Chicago forward Brandon Saad (Hartvich) and Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey got tangled up in front of the Red Wings bench. Walkom stopped play to give roughing penalties to both players as the Blackhawks went in for what appeared to be the go-ahead goal.

"It was getting to the point where he had to call the penalty, I guess. We were going back and forth,'' Quincey said. "I guess it worked in our favor there.''

After a seesaw series with all sorts of twists and turns, Chicago and Detroit faced off one more time in a Western Conference playoff game. The Red Wings will move to the East after this season as part of NHL realignment while the Blackhawks remain in the West.

Playing on soft ice due in part to The Rolling Stones concert on Tuesday night, the Original Six teams provided a fitting conclusion to a compelling series.

"You have to give the Red Wings credit,'' Sharp said. "They're a well-coached team, they keep coming at you. Each game could have gone the other way. But we have to be proud of ourselves in this locker room for being able to battle back.''

The Blackhawks got an opening at the start of the second period when Sharp got Kronwall to turn the puck over while the Red Wings changed lines. Sharp then skated in with Michal Handzus (Hartvich) and Marian Hossa (Graham) and finished a pretty passing sequence with his seventh goal of the playoffs at 1:08.

The Red Wings tied it at the beginning of the third. Gustav Nyquist made a nice move to get open along the boards and found a streaking Zetterberg on the left side for the captain's first goal since the Red Wings' 3-2 victory at Anaheim in Game 7 of the first round.

"To go all the way, you need a lot of luck,'' Detroit forward Daniel Cleary (Robinson) said. "You need to be healthy to win. The last five teams that won Cups were still alive. There's probably a reason for that. They're a good team. I mean, tip your hat to them. They played well.''

NOTES: Detroit C Valtteri Filppula (Robinson) didn't return after leaving in the first period with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... It was the third Game 7 between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. Detroit won 4-2 in 1964, and Chicago returned the favor by the same score a year later.

Breaking: Rangers fire Tortorella

The New York Rangers have fired head coach John Tortorella.

The Rangers finished sixth in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Boston Bruins.

Tortorella had been with the Rangers the past five seasons, his most successful coming in 2011-12 when New York finished first in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.

Graham falls out of the race; Pivotal Game 7 tonight will determine the fates of MacMillan and Lowe

And then there were two.

With the San Jose Sharks falling in seven games to the Los Angeles Kings, S Graham's hopes of a third Steinley Cup title came to an abrupt end.

With a quartet of potent Sharks on his Steinley roster, Graham's fate hung in the balance when the two teams took to the ice on Tuesday night. A San Jose win, along with a decent offensive output would have put him right back in the mix at the top of the standings.

But it was not to be.

The likes of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Dan Boyle couldn't overcome the defending Stanley Cup Champs in Game Seven, and now Graham will look ahead to the third round of the playoffs with a lone King in his lineup, and a triumvirate of Blackhawks.

The Hawks themselves will play a seventh and deciding game in their Western Conference Semi-final versus Detroit tonight, with MacMillan and Lowe watching closely to see which way their fortunes will turn.  A Hawks win makes it advantage Lowe.  If Chicago goes down, it might all but seal the deal for Ange.

Ahead of Tuesday's action, the two finalists both commented on their chances.

"Congratulations Lowe" said MacMillian in a brief e-mail message to Steinley nation. "Enjoy your 2013 Steinley crown. Red Wings suck!"

Lowe quickly replied with a similarly humble sentiment.

"I was going to say the same to Graham and yourself (MacMillan)" said Lowe. "Enjoy the semi-final battle between San Jose and Detroit. The Steinley winner will be determined from the result of this series. There is always next year for me. Long live the Cup."

Kings edge Sharks in Game 7 to reach Western final

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Kings' seven-game series with the Sharks came down to another tense third period, with the home team clinging to another one-goal lead. Two teams with tiny differences were one or two mistakes away from the Western Conference finals or summertime.

Jonathan Quick hardly ever makes mistakes in the postseason, and that's the biggest reason Los Angeles' Stanley Cup title defense is still rolling.

Justin Williams (Peters) scored two goals in the second period, Quick made 25 saves in his latest dominant playoff performance and the Kings advanced with a 2-1 victory over San Jose in Game 7 on Tuesday night.

Seven games over 15 days only served to underline the similarities between these Pacific Division powers, but the indomitable goalie in the Kings' net wouldn't allow the Sharks to equalize in the final minutes. The defending champs finished off this agonizingly even series with their 14th consecutive home victory over the past two months, including seven straight in the postseason.

"Jonathan Quick is just a fantastic goalie,'' Sharks captain Joe Thornton (Graham) said.

Quick and his teammates barely held off the Sharks in the frantic final minutes after Dan Boyle's (Graham) goal early in the third. Quick showed off his Conn Smythe Trophy form yet again, capped by an astonishing glove save on Joe Pavelski's (Graham) chance at an open net with 5:04 left, to finish the seven-game series by allowing just 10 goals.

"We're going to play every game like this, no matter what,'' said Quick, who leads the league in postseason goals-against average (1.50) and save percentage (.948). "It doesn't matter how many games it takes, especially against that team. We're fortunate to move forward.''

The Kings will face Chicago or Detroit when they attempt to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the third time. The Blackhawks will host the Red Wings in Game 7 on Wednesday night.

Quick couldn't do it all by himself, and he got help from a familiar big-game source: Williams scored on a power-play tap-in and a one-timer, putting the Kings on top to stay. The veteran wing came in with an eight-game goal-scoring drought, but the two-time Stanley Cup winner has scored nine points in his four career appearances in a Game 7.

"I certainly enjoy pressure situations,'' said Williams, whose goals came 2:57 apart. "I know everyone in this dressing room does. We pride ourselves on being a team that, push comes to shove, we're going to get it done. We've been through it before, and we know we can do it.''

The home team won all seven games in the series, as did the team that scored first. The fifth-seeded Kings barely rode their home-ice advantage to victory in their first potential elimination game in the last two years.
"They were as good as us,'' Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said. "We just scored.''

Antti Niemi stopped 16 shots for the Sharks, who fell just short of their third trip to the conference finals in four years. Even during a year of roster turnover and significant change, sixth-seeded San Jose remained a serious contender in its ninth straight playoff appearance.

"We thought we could come in here and steal a game,'' Thornton said. "We were just having so much fun. It's disappointing that it has to end, because we were really enjoying this. It's a tough way to finish.''

Los Angeles has won eight straight home playoff games, dating to last season's Stanley Cup clincher, but this one might have been the toughest. San Jose pressed the action throughout the third period after Williams' back-to-back goals put the Sharks in a mid-game hole, but Quick and the Kings' defense hung on for a win in Los Angeles' first Game 7 at home since 1989.

"We had a bunch of chances in the third,'' Sharks forward Logan Couture (Graham) said. "That's what teams do when they move on: They score on those chances they get. They did it, and we didn't.''

After a scoreless first period in Game 7, featuring plenty of near-miss chances but just eight combined shots, the Sharks again came out aggressively in the second. San Jose held the Kings without a shot for nearly 19 consecutive minutes.

But the Kings finally broke through after San Jose's Brent Burns took an interference penalty near Los Angeles' net. Williams got the puck to the post and hacked at it until it slid behind Niemi for his first goal since Game 4 of the first round.

Williams, who had just two assists in the previous eight games, has been candid about his line's offensive struggles during this postseason, saying the Kings' top scorers had to get better for Los Angeles to advance. So he did it again 2:57 later, taking a cross-ice pass from Anze Kopitar and beating Niemi from short range with a one-timer.

Niemi kept the Sharks in it with two stunning saves, preventing a natural hat trick by Williams several minutes before stopping Brad Richardson's one-timer. Niemi made another enormous save during 4-on-4 play early in the third, stopping Jeff Carter on a breakaway.

Boyle ended Quick's bid for his third shutout of the series with a long shot through traffic with 14:34 to play, giving the defenseman his third goal of the postseason.

"We probably made one more mistake than they did, and we couldn't find a way to get another puck by Quick,'' McLellan said. "We would love to go back and play Game 2 over again, the last four or five minutes. That's probably one that we needed and didn't get.''

The Sharks missed either team's best chance to win a road game 12 days earlier, giving up two power-play goals in the final minutes of a 4-3 loss in Game 2. The clubs were similarly equal in the regular season, when the Kings' 3-2 home victory over San Jose in the finale pushed fifth-seeded Los Angeles ahead of the Sharks.

That eventually led to the Kings starting a playoff series at home for the first time since 1992, but the uncanny home-ice advantage held: The home team has won 16 of these California rivals' 17 meetings in the past two seasons.

With one more postseason test, the Kings passed.

"It comes from the hunger of winning one and having that drive for another one,'' Williams said. "You don't want anyone else to raise the Cup but you.''

NOTES: San Jose kept its lineup from Game 6, while Los Angeles replaced fourth-liner Jordan Nolan with rookie Tyler Toffoli. Hobbling Sharks F Marty Havlat missed the final four games of the series and six of seven overall, playing only 4:52 in Game 3. ... Kings C Jarret Stoll missed his sixth straight game with an apparent concussion after an illegal hit in Game 1 by Sharks F Raffi Torres, who was suspended for the rest of the series. Stoll, who has been skating outside practice lately, is Los Angeles' third-line center and a key contributor on penalty-killing and faceoffs. ... The Kings hadn't hosted a Game 7 since Wayne Gretzky had a hat trick to beat the Edmonton Oilers in 1989 at the Forum.

Steinley Cup hinges on outcomes of pair of Game 7s

It has been a three-horse race for awhile now, but the next two nights will determine how many horses start the third round with a shot at the title.

MacMillan, Lowe and Graham - each one has a chance, but only if things go their respective ways.

Ange needs Detroit to take down Chicago.  It's that simple.  He already has four strong Penguins (Neal, Letang, Martin and Sutter) through to the next round, but he needs to advance his pair of wings (Datsyuk and Zetterberg), not for their offensive output, but for the damage a Blackhawks defeat would do to the rosters of Lowe and Graham.

On the other hand, Lowe must have Chicago prevail.  His Bruins (Marchand, Krejci, Seguin and Lucic) are a formidable bunch, but he needs to send Toews, Sharp and Bickell as deep as he can, especially given the fact that the Bruins will face the vaunted Penguins in round three.  The Pens should be favourites in that series and if Pittsburgh is victorious Lowe would have an empty roster heading into the final.  He does have a lone Shark in the form of Patrick Marleau, but a San Jose run to the Final doesn't favour the Big Man - S Graham has him boxed out in that department.

For S Graham, it all hinges on San Jose.  Can they put down the defending Stanley Cup Champ Los Angeles Kings tonight?  Graham does have one King (Kopitar), but his real strength lies in his pool of Sharks (Thornton, Couture, Pavelski and Boyle). If they go through to the next round, S Graham will be in good stead, especially if the Hawks also win.  He has Kane, Hossa and Stalberg, although the latter hasn't contributed much. A Sharks-Hawks third round series would ensure he has at least three scorers in the Stanley Cup Final.

One could argue that Aucoin, with Pens and Kings in the Final, could muster a comeback, but sitting more than 20 points behind right now, that will likely be too large a deficit to overcome.

So, who will it be?  Will Lowe be our 2013 Steinley Cup Champion as expected?  Or will MacMillan add a third title? Or could it be S Graham with his first Cup since winning back-to-back in '95 and '96?

We'll know which of these horses is going to be the best bet on Wednesday night.

Blackhawks win again to force Game 7 vs Red Wings

DETROIT (AP) - Michael Frolik skated toward Jimmy Howard, faked a wrist shot and flipped a backhander into the net. Now it's on to Game 7.

Frolik's penalty shot proved to be the winning goal Monday night, giving the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 6 and forcing a deciding game between the Original Six rivals in their last Western Conference postseason series.

Frolik became first player in league history to score two goals on penalty shots in the playoffs.
"I was kind of surprised that I was the first one in history,'' Frolik said. "It's a little bit special.''

He hopes his latest goal on a penalty shot in the playoffs helps the Blackhawks more than the previous one did. Frolik scored on a penalty shot on April 24, 2011 to pull Chicago into a third-period tie with the Vancouver Canucks, who went on to win the game.

Vancouver bounced back to beat the Blackhawks at home in overtime of that Game 7, handing them their first of two opening-round exits after they hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2010.

The NHL's top-seeded team hopes home ice is an advantage this time when its hosts seventh-seeded Detroit on Wednesday night in Game 7.

The Red Wings, meanwhile, are counting on playing with confidence after beating second-seeded Anaheim on the road in Game 7 of their first-round series.

"We've been there before,'' Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall (Robinson) said. "Now, we just have to do that again.''

Corey Crawford didn't let the Red Wings score again after allowing a fluttering puck to go from the top of the left circle, past his glove and into the net.

"I pretty much told myself it can't get any worse,'' Crawford said.

It did - for Detroit.

The Blackhawks picked up their crestfallen goalie by scoring three times in the first half of the third period to win a second straight game after trailing 3-1 in the series, their last against Detroit because it will play in the East next season as part of the NHL's realignment plan.

"We've got that momentum,'' Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. "We want to keep it.''

The Blackhawks seized it when Michal Handzus (Hartvich) tied the game in the opening minute of the final period and kept it when Bryan Bickell (Lowe) scored about 5 minutes later.

Frolik's goal on a penalty shot at the 9:43 mark put the Blackhawks ahead 4-2 and silenced the once-raucous crowd.

Chicago needed that cushion because Damien Brunner scored with 52 seconds left to pull Detroit within one. The Red Wings pulled their goaltender, but they were unable to score with the extra skater.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, though, refused to sound disappointed that his team has failed on its first two chances to eliminate the Blackhawks.

"We've got a chance to push them out of the playoffs,'' Babcock said. "It should be a lot of fun.''

The Blackhawks shifted the series back to Detroit with a 4-1 victory in Game 5, and then jumped in front on Marian Hossa's (Graham) goal in the first period of Game 6. Patrick Eaves tied the game late in the first and Joakim Andersson put the Red Wings up 2-1 with a long wrister 10:11 into the second period.

Toews won the first faceoff against Henrik Zetterberg (MacMillan) after the penalty was called, and ended up with an assist on Hossa's goalmouth scramble 3:53 into the game.

Eaves, who revived his career during the lockout-delayed season after having a concussion, scored for the first time this postseason off a rebound 18:51 into the first.

The Red Wings went ahead for the first time when Anderson had the puck, which was on edge, and flicked a wrist shot that Crawford couldn't handle.

"It was a knuckle-puck,'' Andersson said. "It's hard for the goalie to see those sometimes.''

Crawford made 35 saves, while Howard stopped 24 shots for the Red Wings.

Chicago got to the front of Howard in the third period and it paid off.

Handzus was basically by himself when he scored 51 seconds into the third against a helpless Howard. Bickell wouldn't let Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith move him away from Howard before he scored the go-ahead goal, leading to Howard taking Smith's stick and throwing it into the corner.

Frolik's penalty try was awarded when he had a breakaway after blocking Carlo Colaiacovo's shot and was hacked by him from behind.

"I've got nothing to say about that,'' Howard said when asked about the call that gave Chicago a penalty shot.

Howard had a lot to say during the game about it, screaming at an official while the Blackhawks celebrated a comeback that was made possible by supporting players.

Frolik scored just three goals during the lockout-shortened season and had five last year, tying him for 13th on the team in scoring each time.

"There's not a lot of room out there for top guys,'' Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We don't care who scores. We're all about being a team and contributing any way you can.''

NOTES: The Blackhawks won one or fewer series the previous three times they led the NHL in points. ... Quenneville earned his 79th playoff win to break a tie with Babcock for the most by an active coach and move past Pat Burns into eighth place on the league's all-time list.

Sharks beat Kings to force Game 7

 SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings have followed a familiar pattern for six games: The home team scores first on the way to the win.

After using that formula to force a decisive seventh game in their second-round series, the Sharks know they need to reverse the trend if they want to advance to the Western Conference finals for the third time in four years.

"It's followed the script. Home team wins back and forth,'' Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "It's time for us to get there and try to change the story. We're going to have to play a much better game than we did last time in that building. But they earned the right for home-ice. It's our job to take it away from them.''

Joe Thornton got (Graham) San Jose off to a fast start with a power-play goal in the first period and TJ Galiardi added a goal in the second to set up a winner-take-all game in this all-California series.

Antti Niemi made 24 saves as the Sharks earned their third 2-1 home win of the series.

"We wanted this opportunity,'' said Joe Pavelski (Graham), who set up Thornton's goal. "We wanted to go play. We feel like we've played some good games there before. It's been a while since we've won, so we're due.''

Game 7 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. While the Kings seemingly have the advantage of home ice that has been so paramount this series, road teams in NHL history are 8-8 in seventh games of series where the home team has won the first six games, according to STATS.

Dustin Brown (Aucoin) scored the lone goal for Los Angeles and Jonathan Quick made 24 saves. The Kings have lost 11 of 12 road games but have been unbeatable at home, winning all six playoff games and 13 straight at Staples Center since the end of the regular season.

"It's come down to one game,'' forward Mike Richards (Aucoin) said. "We're a confident, comfortable team at home. The fans are loud and behind us. It should be an exciting game.''

The Kings tried to end it in San Jose, putting pressure on Niemi early in the final period in search of the equalizer. But they couldn't break through against a strong forecheck late in the game - much to the delight of the loud crowd chanting "Beat LA! Beat LA!'' from the start. Los Angeles managed just one shot on goal in the final 2:50.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Sharks went more than 15 minutes without a shot before regaining their stride early in the second period. Galiardi beat Quick with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle for his first career playoff goal to make it 2-0 and San Jose had a chance to break the game open when Justin Williams was sent to the box with a double-minor for high-sticking.

But Quick and the Kings killed off all 4 minutes of power-play time and then got back into the game with just over 6 minutes left in the second when Brown banked a shot from behind the goal line off Niemi and into the net.

"Every game has been close,'' Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "I'm sure it's not a shock it's come to a Game 7. I'm sure both teams didn't want it to go this far. Right now, it doesn't matter how we win it, just that we win it.''

The Sharks started fast thanks to three early power plays and the desperation of an elimination game to continue the trend in this series of the home team scoring first when they converted on a two-man advantage. With Richards already in the box for tripping Brent Burns, Anze Kopitar (Graham) shot a puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.

San Jose patiently worked the puck around during the 5-on-3 advantage and took the lead when Pavelski slid a pass across the goalmouth to Thornton, who shot it in from the side of the net to end a drought of 102:14 dating to the second period in Game 4.

"The 5-on-3 in the first few minutes was big. We're just trying to slap down the ice but things like that happen,'' Scuderi said. "We were trying to limit their start in this building but that got the fans into it early and that hurt us.''

The Sharks were lucky that lead held up for the period as they were scrambling after that in part because of an injury that knocked defenseman Justin Braun out for the final 16 minutes of the period.

Los Angeles took the last eight shots of the period, with Niemi making two tough saves to rob Trevor Lewis on the power play and also stopping Kyle Clifford on a rebound in close. The Kings also were unlucky, hitting three posts in the period.

NOTES: The Kings haven't allowed more than three goals in 32 straight playoff games, starting with last year's run to the Stanley Cup. ... Braun returned in the second period. ... Niemi got an assist on Galiardi's goal for his first career playoff point. He joins Mike Vernon and Evgeni Nabokov as Sharks goalies to record a point in the playoffs.

Saturday's Recaps

BLACKHAWKS 4, RED WINGS 1

CHICAGO (AP) - Jonathan Toews (Lowe) and Andrew Shaw (Hartvich) scored power-play goals in the second period, and the Chicago Blackhawks avoided elimination with a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series.

Shaw added his third career playoff goal in the third as the Blackhawks stopped the Red Wings' three-game winning streak by creating chaos in front of Jimmy Howard, who had shut down Chicago's attack while moving Detroit to the brink of the Western Conference finals.

With the sellout crowd chanting "Ho-ward! Ho-ward!'' in an attempt to shake him, the standout goalie made 41 saves in another solid performance. But the Blackhawks created enough quality chances that he simply couldn't stop all of them.

Bryan Bickell (Lowe) scored the first goal of the game and Corey Crawford had 25 stops for Chicago, which managed only two goals during its first three-game losing streak of the season.

Daniel Cleary (Robinson) scored for the second straight game for Detroit, which will have another chance to close out the top-seeded Blackhawks in Game 6 on Monday night. That will be at home, too, where the Red Wings are 4-1 in this postseason.

BRUINS 3, RANGERS 1

BOSTON (AP) - Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots, Gregory Campbell scored twice and Boston beat New York to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bruins will face the Pittsburgh Penguins for the right to play for the Stanley Cup.

Recent call-up Torey Krug scored his fourth goal of the series for Boston, which reached the third round of the NHL playoffs for the second time since 1992. The other was 2011, when the Bruins won the sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Dan Girardi scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves for the Rangers, who lost to New Jersey in last year's East finals.

Campbell broke a 1-1 tie in the second period, then added an empty-netter with 51 seconds left after Lundqvist was pulled for an extra skater.

The Rangers fell behind 3-0 in the series before winning Game 4 on Thursday night to avoid a sweep, thanks in part to a pratfall by Rask that helped them erase a 2-0 deficit. They took an early lead Saturday, but they couldn't send the series back to New York for a sixth game.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Neal leads the charge as Penguins eliminate Senators in five games

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ottawa offered no answer for the surging Penguins. The way Pittsburgh is playing now, with offence up and down a lineup that isn't being dominated by stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Senators couldn't help but wonder if any team does.

James Neal scored a hat trick as the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the third time in six seasons by closing out the Senators 6-2 in Game 5 on Friday night.

Just as Ottawa's franchise icon Daniel Alfredsson foresaw following a 7-3 Penguins rout in Game 4, the Senators weren't good enough to rally from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in six attempts in franchise history. After winning Game 3 on home ice with a comeback that started in the final minute of regulation, they were outscored 13-5 in two runaway Penguins victories.

"They were better than us in each and every game and I was just trying to put the pressure on them," said Alfredsson, who acknowledged after Pittsburgh's 7-3 win in Game 4 it would be extremely difficult for the Senators to rally. "I still believe that we could do it, if we win one game I think that comment helps us, and that's where it came from."

The 40-year-old Alfredsson, an Ottawa fixture since 1995, said he will decide at some point in the off-season whether he will return for a 17th NHL season.

"It's really tough with four young kids at home," Alfredsson said. "That's kind of where I struggle personally. I'll talk to (the Senators) and see what they think. I think I still can play, I really enjoyed the playoffs and had a lot of fun with it. I'll take a little bit of time, I don't want to make a quick decision."

Coach Paul MacLean said of Alfredsson and defenceman Sergei Gonchar: "My expectations are they will come back until they tell me."

After beating Montreal the opening round following an injury-filled season in which they surprisingly made the playoffs, the Senators were good enough to win only once in a series decided by Pittsburgh's offensive execution and a scoring depth that ranges far beyond Crosby and Malkin. Brenden Morrow, Kris Letang and Malkin each added singles for the Penguins on Friday, while Neal's goals gave him five in the final two games of the series.

"We got to our game a lot. The depth we had showed," Crosby said. "Different guys chipping in, the whole way through we didn't have many lulls where we lost momentum at any point."

The Penguins were aided by the solid goaltending of Tomas Vokoun, who made 29 saves and doesn't appear willing to give back his job to former Stanley Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury any time soon.

Pittsburgh, which led the conference during the regular season, will play either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals. Boston leads 3-1 in a series that resumes Saturday night.

"They have a good team and they're really pushing for it," Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson said. "Right now, they're playing the way they want to. The first two games (in Pittsburgh) we weren't prepared for what they were bringing, they played really well and we definitely didn't play the way wanted to. ... They came out and started stronger the last game (Game 4) and this game as well."

For the Senators, who generated only goals by Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris, it was yet another disappointing conclusion to a season. They have failed to advance past the conference semifinals since reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2007, but they advanced one round further than they did a season ago.

"A lot of things have to go right for you to get past each round," goalie Craig Anderson said. "The deeper you go, the harder it gets. The better teams keep advancing and the opponents get tougher and tougher. We have to continue to get better. If you're not growing you're dying, and we need to keep growing."

Much like the series, Game 5 didn't take long to decide as the Penguins overwhelmed Anderson with waves of scoring attempts -- even when Crosby, who had just an assist, and Malkin weren't on the ice.

"We didn't respond to start Game 4 and we didn't respond after losing Game 4," Turris said.

Malkin did get Pittsburgh's fourth goal, his fourth of the playoffs, on a short breakaway created by the turnover Neal generated at mid-ice in the final minute of a second period in which Pittsburgh scored three times.

Neal added his second of the game unassisted at 11:07 of the third, and his sixth of the playoffs and third of the game with 2:39 remaining.

"Everything he's done, especially the last couple games, he's created a lot of chances for himself," Crosby said of Neal. "That whole line (Jarome Iginla-Malkin-Neal) has been pretty hard to stop. They're not fun to play against."

The Penguins are averaging 4.27 goals a game through 11 playoff games, the best such pace of any team since the 1992-93 Penguins averaged 4.17 goals per game. Pittsburgh has also scored at least four goals in nine of 11 playoff games, only once failing to score fewer than three, a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 3 in Ottawa.

But they recovered from that lone defeat in the series to easily win the final two games, including the Game 4 rout in which MacLean's post-game news conference lasted only 13 seconds and Alfredsson couldn't generate much optimism for a series comeback in a quiet dressing room.

"I think we've been confident the whole series against Ottawa," Letang said. "We knew that playing a north-south (fast-paced) series would get us rewarded."

In Game 5, the Penguins never trailed after Morrow, who missed Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, beat Anderson down low off a pass by Mark Eaton 6:25 into the first. The play was started after longtime Senators antagonist Matt Cooke beat Jared Cowen to the puck and threaded a pass to Eaton.

The goal was reviewed briefly before it was determined Morrow did not use a distinct kicking motion while directing the puck by Anderson.

Neal made it 2-0 on a power play created by Jean-Gabriel Pageau's interference penalty nearly 7 1/2 minutes into the second, and Letang pushed it to 3-0 with a 4-on-4 goal just over five minutes later.

Tyler Kennedy skated the puck out of his own zone before sending a pass to the left circle to Letang, who cut into the high slot to beat Anderson with a hard wrist shot.

Michalek, reunited on a line with Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, finally got Ottawa on the board late in the second period.

But the Senators didn't have nearly enough -- not in this game and not in the series.

"They (the Penguins) really showed the step you have to take to continue to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs," MacLean said. "I can tell them it's going to be hard, it's going to be hard, it's going to be harder, but I think we got a solid lesson in terms of what it takes."

 

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Thursday's Recaps

RED WINGS 2, BLACKHAWKS 0

DETROIT (AP) - Jakub Kindl scored on a power play in the second period, Daniel Cleary (Robinson) had an empty-net goal and Jimmy Howard made 27 saves to help the Detroit Red Wings hold on for a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, putting the NHL's best team during the regular season on the brink of elimination.

After losing Game 1, the seventh-seeded Red Wings have surged into control of the second round series by handing Chicago its first three-game losing streak of the year.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Chicago.

The Blackhawks had a power play with 4:45 left in the game when Kindl was called for hooking, but they couldn't tie the game.

RANGERS 4, BRUINS 3, OT

NEW YORK (AP) - Chris Kreider steered in a pass from Rick Nash (MacMillan) 7:03 into overtime, and New York stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a victory over Boston.

New York, which erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the critical Game 4 matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals, still trails the series 3-1. The Rangers will need to win again on Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back in Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped past goalie Tuukka Rask for his first goal of the playoffs.

Kreider, who made his NHL debut in last year's playoffs, has six career postseason goals in just 25 games.
Derek Stepan (MacMillan) and Brian Boyle scored tying goals in the third period for the Rangers, who even found success on the power play. Carl Hagelin (Aucoin) netted New York's first goal of the game in the second period.

Henrik Lundqvist made 37 saves for the Rangers.

Boston got second-period goals from Nathan Horton and rising star Torey Krug to build an early lead. Tyler Seguin's first of the playoffs put the Bruins back on top 3-2 in the third.

KINGS 3, SHARKS 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jonathan Quick made 24 saves in his seventh career playoff shutout, and Los Angeles moved to the brink of its second straight trip to the Western Conference finals with a victory over San Jose in Game 5.

Anze Kopitar (Graham) and Slava Voynov (Peters) scored, and Jeff Carter (Peters) added an empty-net goal as the defending Stanley Cup champions won their 13th consecutive home game in dominant fashion and lead the series 3-2.

Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots for the Sharks, who have played more than 96 minutes without a goal since they appeared to be taking control of the series midway through Game 4.

Game 6 is Sunday night at the Shark Tank.

The home team has won every game in the series, and the Kings remained unbeaten at Staples Center since March 23.

Daniel Alfredsson’s ‘Probably Not’ moment: Love honesty or loathe lack of leadership?

The Steinley Cup News staff believe Daniel Alfredsson's comment after the Sens lost 7-3 in Game 4 of their series against the vaunted Penguins last night was well played.  We believe it wasn't borne of frustration, nor just a brutally honest response from a player who sees the writing on the wall.  No, we think it echoed Paul MacLean's comments in that it put all of the pressure squarely on Pittsburgh.

After all, if the Senators probably can't comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series, the Penguins should easily win, right?  Probably.

The Sens have absolutely nothing to lose now, so there's no pressure on them anymore.  It's all on Pittsburgh.

Will the Sens win game 5?  Possibly.

Are they giving up?  Probably not.

But not everyone agrees with this assessment.  Check out this from Puck Daddy...


[from Puck Daddy] - - Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators has, for the most part, achieved Beloved Player status in the National Hockey League: a veteran whose work ethic, results and dedication to the only franchise he’s played for makes him exempt from most criticism.

So imagine, if you will, if Alex Ovechkin or Joe Thornton or Henrik Sedin or another captain who carries less respect than Alfredsson uttered the following when asked if it was feasible his team could win three in a row against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Wednesday's 7-3 Game 4 thumping:

"Probably not.”

Oh captain.

My, captain.

Here’s the video:

The full quote, via Erin Nicks of NHL.com, after Alfredsson was asked if it was feasible his team could win three in a row:

"Probably not," Alfredsson said. "[Pittsburgh's] depth and our play right now … it doesn't look too good.

"When you look at what we did, it wasn't good enough. Does that mean [Pittsburgh] was good? Did we make them good? Who really cares? From our point of view, we didn't manage the puck [well], we didn't execute our passes, and subsequently, we got punished in the neutral zone. We turned way too many pucks over and gave them some freebies. It would have been nice to have the lead for a little bit longer, but now we're back on our heels again. We didn't shut them down when it matters."

From the ‘Alfie Does No Wrong’ crowd, the defense of his statement goes like this (in summary of everything I’ve seen since Wednesday night):

“Daniel Alfredsson was speaking from frustration because his team was embarrassed in Game 4. He’s also staring into the abyss of his career’s end – he retrieved the puck at the end of Game 4, claiming it was for his kids. He’s speaking from the heart and, frankly, speaking the truth, and isn’t that what we want from all athletes? His candor is refreshing!”


It’s not really a surprise to see Alfredsson get a pass in many places for these comments. Alfredsson has banked enough goodwill that he could strangle a kitten in a postgame press scrum and the media would laud him for inventing a new form of “extreme petting.”

But they're comments that indicate the Senators are an inferior team to the Penguins.

Comments that effectively raise the white flag on the season after four semifinal games.

Comments that would seem like the antithesis of what you’d want out of a captain.

Again: Had Alex Ovechkin said the Capitals would “probably not” rally to win a series, he would have been called everything from selfish to a cancer of negativity infecting the Washington locker room.

Not Alfie, despite one of the most defeatist quotes ever uttered by an NHL captain in the playoffs.

It’s May 23. Nineteen years ago today, Mark Messier and the New York Rangers were down 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Final. He was asked if the team could win Game 6. He said the following.

“I know we're going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here (to the Garden) for Game 7 ... We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That's exactly what we're going to do in Game 6.... I've put my five Stanley Cup rings, my reputation and my neck on the chopping block, boys. Now save me."

Imagine how history would remember the Rangers and Messier had he answered “Probably Not.”

Breaking News: Rangers to make Brad Richards a healthy scratch for Game 4

NEW YORK (NHL.com) -- New York Rangers center Brad Richards said he will not be in the lineup for a must-win Game 4 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET, CNBC, TSN, RDS).

Richards said Rangers coach John Tortorella called him Thursday morning to give him the news that he will be a healthy scratch.

"Nothing is over, work harder and try my best to never let it happen again," Richards said. "It's all tough."

Richards scored a goal in Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals against the Washington Capitals -- it's his only point in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games this year.

Tortorella had dropped Richards to the fourth line and his ice time decreased to 8:10 in the Game 3 loss to the Bruins, who lead 3-0 in the best-of-7 series.

Roman Hamrlik indicated that he will take the place of injured defenseman Anton Stralman on the Rangers' blue line.

Paul MacLean’s 13-second press conference: ‘We’re going to Pittsburgh and we’re coming to play’ (Video)

[from Puck Daddy] - There was a lot for Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean to be frustrated with after their Game 4 loss. The first period ended with the Senators ahead 2-1, but in the third the Pittsburgh Penguins offense erupted for four goals en route to a 7-3 win.

After the game, there would be no questions for MacLean from the media. He apparently didn't feel the need to add to the story that the gamesheet told:



If only he had dropped the mic before he walked off...

As Matt Kassian told our own Nick Cotsonika, MacLean knows just how to get through to his players, whether it's slipping in a joke during meetings to lighten the mood or, well, holding 13 second press conferences with the stern look of a drill sergeant.

It's worked up to this point. Will it for Game 5?

MacMillan moves into 1st place with huge 11 pt night

We have a new leader.  At least for now.

Last week, MacMillan sounded off on the prevailing sentiment that Lowe is the prohibitive favourite to claim the Steinley Cup this year.  He argued that it was too early to predict anything and that he and others would have something to say about it before it is all over

Last night, MacMillan's roster did the talking.

With six skaters going (four Pens and three Sens), MacMillan posted 11 points.  James Neal finally woke up, scoring twice and adding an assist, while Kris Letang tallied 4 assists.  On the other side of the game's scoresheet, MacMillan got a pair of points each from Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson. When the final buzzer sounded he found himself sitting atop the Steinley leader board, two points ahead of Lowe.

 

For Lowe's troubles, he earned a point from Kyle Turris.  Sergei Gonchar was blanked.

Now it will be Lowe's turn to cross his fingers and hope for a big night.  There are three games on the slate for Thursday and Lowe will have eight skaters taking the ice.  And they're the eight Lowe needs to produce.  The likes of Toews (pronounced Toes) and Sharp for the Blackhawks, and Krejci and Lucic for the Bruins need to step up and answer MacMillan's big night with some output of their own.

Expect to see first place change hands often over the next week or so, even as the overall picture comes into focus.  We'll soon know who will be moving into Round Three with enough players to make a run for the title, and tonight will have a lot to do with what unfolds in the coming days.

Can the Bruins close out the Rangers tonight and give Lowe and edge?  He would take four potent scorers to the next round while MacMillan would lose four Blueshirts.

Will the Backhawks come alive and tie their series with the Red Wings, or can Detroit tap a nail into the President's Trophy winner's coffin?  Lowe has three Hawks and MacMillan sports two Wings.

Who will step up and take the lead in other Western Conference semi-final?  A big night from his Sharks would certainly help S Graham's cause.  He is lurking 10 points behind MacMillan, and in need of a rally of his own.

One thing is certain - a little drama along the way is good for the Steinley fans out there, even if it is still a foregone conclusion that Lowe is our 2013 Champion.

Congratulations, Lowe.

Penguins rout Senators in Game 4 to take 3-1 series lead

OTTAWA (AP) -- Sidney Crosby (Robinson) was careful not to get too far ahead of himself after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins rout the Ottawa Senators for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

"I'm not talking about anything ahead of Game 5," the Pittsburgh captain said when asked about a potential Eastern Conference final against the Boston Bruins .

But after the Penguins' 7-3 victory Wednesday night, it's hard to imagine Crosby and his teammates aren't starting to think about facing the Bruins - up 3-0 over the New York Rangers .

Jarome Iginla (Aucoin) and James Neal (MacMillan) each scored twice, Crosby, Chris Kunitz (Aucoin) and Pascal Dupuis (Robinson) added goals, and Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves. Down 2-1 after the first period, the Penguins scored twice in a 40-second span early in the second and added four goals in the first 10 minutes in the third.

Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris (Lowe) and Daniel Alfredsson (MacMillan) scored for Ottawa. Senators goalie Craig Anderson was benched after Pittsburgh's sixth goal, and Robin Lehner finished the game.

"There was a sense like, `OK, this might take as many shots as we can muster to break this guy.' And fortunately, we kept on that mindset," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "It was a matter of, `We are going to have to fire anything and everything we can at this guy to get one by him."'

Game 5 is Friday night in Pittsburgh.

"I know what we're going to do," Alfredsson said. "We're going to go out and play one hell of a game. That doesn't worry me at all. We never quit and that's not going to stop now. We know the odds are against us in every way, but we never quit and that's going to continue."

Senators coach Paul MacLean didn't take a single question after the game. Instead, he held up the scoresheet and said: "I think everything's right here. It's 7-3. See you in Pittsburgh. We're going to Pittsburgh and we're coming to play. Have a good night."

The Senators, coming off a double-overtime victory Sunday night in Game 3, opened the scoring on Michalek's short-handed goal at 2:29 of the first period. With defenseman Sergei Gonchar (Lowe) in the penalty box, Alfredsson fed the puck up the middle to a streaking Michalek, who broke through the defense and beat Vokoun low on the glove side for Ottawa's second short-handed goal of the series.

It was the Senators' first lead of the series. It wouldn't last.

Neal tied it with 5:04 left in the period, picking up the loose puck in the slot and putting it in the back of the net. Turris put Ottawa back in front off a rebound with 3:45 left in the first.

Pittsburgh tied it early in the second when Kunitz got behind the defense and went in alone to beat Anderson. Less than a minute later, Anderson gave up a rebound on Kris Letang's shot that landed on the tape of Iginla's stick to make it 3-2.

Neal started the third-period flurry with a power-play goal at 1:59. Dupuis added a short-handed goal at 8:07, Crosby followed at 8:39, and Iginla scored on a power play at 9:53.

Alfredsson finished the scoring with a late power-play goal for his 100th career playoff point.

Graham tallies 5 pts on light Steinley night

With six players going, S Graham was hoping for a big night on Tuesday. He didn't get it.

It turns out that Graham mustered just five points - not exactly what most would call a huge evening, but then again it's all relative.

There were a total of just seven points earned on Tuesday, and Graham managed five of them, making him the big mover.  He climbed into second place and now sits seven points behind Lowe, the prohibitive favourite to win the 2013 Steinley Cup.

In addition to his five point night, Graham's outlook brightened a little with the Sharks 2-1 win over the Kings.  That series is now tied 2-2, with Graham's four Sharks hanging in the balance.

There was also some good news for Lowe, even on this low scoring night.  The Boston Bruins pulled out a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers, making it all but certain that Lowe will advance at least four skaters to the Third Round. The Bruins now lead that series 3-0.

Although he posted no points on Tuesday, MacMillan will look to make up ground on Wednesday when the Ottawa Senators will seek to tie their series against the vaunted Pittsburgh Penguins.  MacMillan will ice six players against just two for Lowe tonight and he needs to rally.  The lanky one is currently in third, eight points behind the big man.

Tuesday's Recaps

BRUINS 2, RANGERS 1

NEW YORK (AP) - Daniel Paille snapped a tie with 3:31 left in the third period, and the Boston Bruins put the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can advance to the conference finals as early as Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Only three teams in NHL history have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance.

The Bruins trailed 1-0 heading into the third, but defenseman Johnny Boychuk tied it at 3:10 of the period with his fourth of the playoffs. The Rangers hadn't lost in regulation when leading after two periods since Feb. 4, 2010.

Boston thought it had grabbed the lead seconds before Paille actually scored when a shot deflected off the mask of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, popped up in the air and landed on the goal line. Lundqvist couldn't find it before Paille swooped in from behind the net and poked in the puck.

Taylor Pyatt had made it 1-0 in the second period for the Rangers
.

SHARKS 2, KINGS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Brent Burns helped San Jose jump off to a fast start with his second goal of the postseason and the Sharks tied their second-round series against Los Angeles at two games with a victory over the Kings in Game 4.

Logan Couture (Graham) followed up his overtime game-winner in Game 3 with his fifth power-play goal of the playoffs to add to the lead and Antti Niemi made 22 saves as the Sharks matched the Kings' two home wins to open the series with two of their own.

Mike Richards (Aucoin) scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles when the Sharks will look to end a streak of four straight wins by the home team in this series.

All hail Henrik Lundqvist - King of Game 3s

 

[fromPuckDaddy] - The New York Rangers are down 0-2 to the Boston Bruins, following their humbling 5-2 loss in Game 2 and with the action shifting to Madison Square Garden. They’ve been here before: Starting a series slowly, needed a big effort in a Game 3 to either take control or find new life in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They were down 0-2 to the Washington Capitals this season and back in 2011. Last postseason, in their run to the conference finals, the Rangers were 1-1 against the Ottawa Senators, Capitals and New Jersey Devils heading into the third game.

What happened in Game 3 in each of those series?

Henrik Lundqvist happened, that’s what. The Rangers goalie is 5-0 in his last five Game 3 appearances, with the Rangers going on to win three of those series.

He’s the King of Thirds: Lundqvist has a 1.01 goals-against average in his last five Game 3’s with a .966 save percentage and two shutouts, facing 177 shots – much better than his career average playoff numbers.

So yeah, the Rangers are in good hands. But the question isn’t about Lundqvist’s hands entering Game 3.


He landed awkwardly when trying to cover a rebound of a Daniel Paille shot in the third period of Game 2, with word arriving after the game that Lundqvist injured his shoulder on the play.

From the Bergen Record, Hank provided an update:

Lundqvist’s shoulder did not appear to bother him at all during Monday’s practice. At one point, he stretched out and fully extended his left arm along the ice to make a save on Rick Nash.

He said skipping practice Monday was not an option he considered. "Everybody’s sore," Lundqvist said. "It’s the playoffs. You can’t just sit out [because] it’s hurting a little bit. It happens and you just have to make sure you do the right things to keep it good."

Lundqvist has been outplayed by Tuukka Rask in this series after having one of the best 7-game stretches of his career in the win against the Capitals. Game 3 has been very good to him, for sure; but can the Rangers generate enough offense so that another clutch effort from the King in a Game 3 isn’t squandered?

Wings take series lead with 3-1 win over Hawks in Game 3

DETROIT (AP) -- Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period and Pavel Datsyuk (MacMillan) restored a two-goal lead in the third to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in the second round series.

Patrick Kane (Graham) scored 4:35 into the third period to pull Chicago within one. The Blackhawks celebrated as if they tied the game about a minute later, but Andrew Shaw's (Hartvich) goal was waved off because he was in the crease.

Datsyuk's goal 6:46 into the final period gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.

The seventh-seeded Red Wings have a shot to put the top-seeded Blackhawks on the brink of elimination Thursday night in Game 4.

Detroit's Jimmy Howard made 39 saves and Corey Crawford stopped 27 shots.

Chicago has lost consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months.

The Blackhawks began the lockout-shortened season by setting an NHL record with at least a point in their first 24 games, ended it with a league-high 77 points and avoided having a three-game losing streak during the 48-game campaign.

After a scoreless first period in a hot and steamy Joe Louis Arena, Detroit took a 2-0 lead with a pretty goal and a gritty one.

Nyquist patiently carried the puck from right to left and waited for defenceman Brent Seabrook (Hartvich) and Crawford to sprawl out to make a shot before shooting the puck.

Miller crashed the net to stuff the puck into the net after Patrick Eaves got to his own rebound to keep pressure on Crawford. Blackhawks defencemanMichal Rozsival started the sequence with a turnover in the Chicago end.

It was a sixth straight goal for the Red Wings, who lost the opener 4-1 and gave up the first goal of Game 2 before going on to even the series with a 4-1 victory.

Chicago escaped getting shut out when Duncan Keith (Hartvich) lifted the puck up the ice, over and past Detroit's defence and Kane got to it in time to beat Howard with a low shot.

Datsyuk gave the Red Wings a comfortable cushion again, getting off a wrist shot from the left side that went in and out of the net before Crawford saw it.

NOTES: Detroit coach Mike Babcock won his 77th post-season game, matching Chicago's Joel Quenneville for the most among active coaches and trailing Pat Burns by one victory for 8th place on the NHL's all-time list. ... Chicago hasn't given up a power play goal in its first eight playoff games, matching the 2001 St. Louis Blues for the longest such streak since 1988, according to STATS. ... The Blackhawks put Viktor Stalberg (Graham) back in the lineup, and scratched Daniel Carcillo, and he got shook up early in the game, missing a check and going head first into the boards.

 

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Greening's goal in 2nd OT lifts Sens to Game 3 win

OTTAWA (AP) - - Greening ended the longest game of this year's postseason with a backhander off a rebound 7:39 into the second OT, and the Senators' 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Sunday night.

Daniel Alfredsson got Ottawa even 1-1 by scoring a short-handed goal with 29 seconds left in regulation just after the Senators pulled goalie Craig Anderson for an extra skater.

"We were just calm," Anderson said of the Senators' mood heading into overtime. "We had tied it up. We had momentum. We felt like the fans really rallied behind us.

"Going into overtime, we knew we just had to build off the momentum and keep the pressure on."

Actually, both teams provided lots of pressure in a scintillating 27 1-2 minutes of extra time before Greening won it.

Greening needed six stitches to close a gash on his left cheek after taking a wayward stick to the face early in the game. The euphoria of his goal was still settling in even as the Senators' medical staffers were picking tiny bits of fiberglass out of his face.

"You get a lot of adrenaline going through your body, but they were just small pieces," Greening said. "Like I said, the big pieces were all taken out."

Anderson made 49 saves, including 18 after regulation. Tomas Vokoun stopped 46 shots for Pittsburgh and took his first loss (4-1) since taking over for No. 1 Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series will be in Ottawa on Wednesday.

"Whether you win or lose, you always turn the page quickly and concentrate on the next one," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "Obviously it's disappointing, but we will bounce back."

Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play in the second period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. That stood up until Alfredsson tied it in the closing seconds of the third.

"It looked like they had it wrapped up, and we were able to get a big goal shorthanded to get into overtime, and then both teams had their chances before we got the winner," Alfredsson said.

"Just praying that we get something to the net," Anderson said of the tying goal. "We practice that drill all the time in practice. Guy drops it off and goes to the net.

"It was just the way we practiced. Alfie is one of the best guys in the game. We want the puck on his stick at all times."

Ottawa forward Jason Spezza, who hadn't played since Jan. 27 - after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated disk - lined up alongside Milan Michalek and Cory Conacher.

The sellout crowd chanted the 29-year-old Spezza's name during his first shift.

Spezza faced a familiar opponent. His last game before surgery was at home against the Penguins, when he earned one assist and logged 21 minutes of ice time.

In his first game back, Spezza was slow to backcheck but he managed to generate a few scoring chances and made nice passes.

His back was put to the test in overtime when Penguins forward Craig Adams delivered a bone-crunching hit along the boards. Spezza shook off the check.

"I popped up as quick as possible and tried to get to the bench," Spezza said. "I was just trying to get the puck out and was in a vulnerable position, and he picked me a little clean there."

Pittsburgh's best scoring opportunity in the overtimes came when Pascal Dupuis hit the post with a drive during the first extra session.

"We had some better chances that we didn't put in tonight," Jarome Iginla said. "I thought for ourselves, we weren't as sharp, but give them credit."

Anderson was on his game after being pulled in Game 2. He robbed Crosby early in the second period, and moments later stopped a hard shot by Evgeni Malkin, who smashed his stick against the ice in frustration.

He again stymied Malkin with a sprawling save in the first overtime. Anderson's effort brought the crowd of 20,500 to its feet with chants of "Andy! Andy!"

"You just want to give your team a chance to win," Anderson said. "Sometimes stats are misleading. You just kind of build off the good stuff."

Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty with less than two minutes left in the game, but Ottawa not only killed it, but got the tying goal from Alfredsson.

"That's why he's been the captain for so long," Karlsson said. "He never quits and he leads the way for the rest of us. He showed that even though we were down a man we were really going to try and win the game and that's exactly what he did."

NOTES: Ottawa improved to 3-0 at home in this postseason. ... The Senators took seven penalties against the Penguins, who own the top power-play unit in the playoffs, but didn't allow a goal.

 

 

 

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Bruins beat Rangers in convincing fashion to take 2-0 series lead

BOSTON (AP) -- Claude Julien wanted his Bruins to play more aggressively in the third period. The Boston coach got his wish with the help of some shaky defense by the New York Rangers .

A rare rough day for goalie Henrik Lundqvist certainly helped, too.

Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic scored in the final period after Johnny Boychuk broke a tie in the second, Lundqvist gave up more than four goals for the first time in 152 games, and Boston beat New York 5-2 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

"Some games you're going to get more goals, some maybe less," Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said, "but the important thing was we were trying to focus on playing hard until the end."

New York's best period was the second when it outshot Boston 16-9. The Rangers then allowed two goals in the third.

"We gave it to them," said Lundqvist, last year's Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie. "I thought we played great. I didn't think they had to work really hard to get a couple goals there. We just made it really tough on ourselves."

Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven series will be played in New York on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The Rangers played their best period of the series in the second, but Brad Marchand gave Boston a 4-2 lead just 26 seconds into the third.

Patrice Bergeron carried the puck in deep on the right side and passed across the crease to Marchand, who had gotten behind defenseman Dan Girardi for a tip-in.

"We felt really good going into the third, and to have that type of goal go in - it's just two-on-two - it hurts you," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We couldn't generate anything, and then they're just going to fill the middle and they're just going to jam you."

The Bruins went ahead to stay, 3-2, at 12:08 of the second period when Boychuk, who had one goal in the regular season, shot a 40-footer inside the near post for his third playoff goal.

The shot got through several players before it sailed past Lundqvist.

"It was definitely a screen," Boychuk said. "All I had to do was hit the net because there were a couple of guys in front of him."

Boston never trailed as rookie Torey Krug scored the first goal before Rangers captain Ryan Callahan tied it. Gregory Campbell made it 2-1, and New York pulled even again on Rick Nash's goal, his first of the playoffs after he led the Rangers with 21 in the regular season.

Now the Rangers find themselves in a familiar position, down 0-2.

They lost the first two games of their first-round series in Washington, won the next two in New York before losing Game 5 on the road.

But Lundqvist posted consecutive shutouts in Games 6 and 7 against the Capitals when the Rangers faced elimination.

"We've done it before," Lundqvist said, "but I think we are playing a better team now so it's going to be tough to do it."

There's also the matter of his left shoulder that was hit by Daniel Paille's shot in the third period. Lundqvist rubbed it after the game and said, "We'll take a look at it."

Tuukka Rask was solid again for Boston, stopping 35 shots.

"You have to give Tuukka a lot of credit," Julien said. "Turnovers and giveaways in the second period are not something we do too much, and it could have been disastrous."

After the second period, "I told guys to play to win," he said. "I don't like our team when we are back on our heels and protecting a one-goal lead that way."

Marchand gave the Bruins a two-goal advantage when he scored on a play just like the one that gave Boston a 3-2 overtime win on Thursday night.

"It was very similar. I was kind of hanging back there backdoor, and Bergy made an unbelievable pass again," he said. "It's always good to get a couple-goal lead early in the third."

Lucic made it 5-2 at 12:39. He skated into the New York end and gave the puck to David Krejci, who was stopped by Lundqvist, but Lucic converted the rebound.

The last time Lundqvist allowed more than four goals was March 9, 2011, in a 5-2 loss to Anaheim. In the next 151 games, in the regular season and playoffs, he allowed four goals just 13 times.

Tortorella remains confident despite the five goals Lundqvist gave up Sunday.

"I don't need to evaluate Henrik," he said. "We know what Henrik is."

It takes more than consecutive losses to rattle Lundqvist.

"I'm confident I'm going to go home and try to play a strong game in the next one," he said.

After a series in which the teams were basically even throughout the first game and the first two periods of the second, the Bruins aren't overconfident.

"We didn't play our best," Marchand said. "They had a lot of opportunities that if they would've converted on, then it would be a completely different story right now. I think especially in the second period, they took it to us, but we were able to bounce back. It's definitely a very even series."

NOTES: Lundqvist has started New York's last 29 games against Boston. ... The Bruins played their second straight game without injured veteran defensemen Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden. ... A Bruins defenseman got a goal or an assist on each of the team's goals. ... The margin of victory was more than two goals for just the second time in 26 games between the Rangers and Bruins. ... In their nine playoff games, the Rangers have scored just twice on 35 power plays. They are 0-for-7 against the Bruins.

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