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miaowang123
Jul 30 '19
PITTSBURGH -- Columbus coach Todd Richards insists his upstart team isnt in the playoffs "just to go to school. Robert Williams Celtics Jersey ." Maybe, but the Pittsburgh Penguins provided a pretty valuable lesson in perseverance during a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Down two after 21 minutes of slow and sometimes sloppy hockey, the Metropolitan Division champions responded by scoring the final three goals, including Brandon Sutters go-ahead wrist shot 8:18 into the third period. "I think we expected a tight game," Sutter said after the third playoff goal of his career. "They got up and we stuck with it. It was a good win." One that came with more than a few tense moments. Beau Bennett and Matt Niskanen scored power-play goals 45 seconds apart in the second period, erasing Pittsburghs two-goal deficit. Jussi Jokinen also scored for the Penguins and Marc-Andre Fleury overcame some shaky defence in front of him to stop 31 shots. Game 2 is Saturday night. "We have to learn from it but we found a way to win," Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby said. "Obviously we didnt start the way we wanted, getting down two goals. I think we have to clean up some things." If not, a series expected to be a romp could turn into something else entirely. Jack Johnson, Mark Letestu and Derek Mackenzie scored for the Blue Jackets, who remain in search of their first-ever playoff win. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 28 saves but was handcuffed by Sutters knuckler at the end of a 2-on-1 break. "Ive seen Bob make that save a thousand times," Richards said. "It just got by him." The Blue Jackets insisted they wouldnt be intimidated despite Pittsburghs overwhelming edge in playoff experience and star power. The Penguins swept the five regular-season meetings between the teams, but Columbus surged after the Olympic break, rising to the seventh seed in the East while the injury-riddled Penguins coasted to a division title. If the NHLs youngest team was scared by the stage, it hardly showed. Johnson gave the Blue Jackets their first-ever post-season lead 6:20 into the game. He charged to the front of the net, got a feed from Brandon Dubinsky and beat Fleury with a beautiful deke from forehand to backhand. The Penguins answered with 2:51 left in the first when Evgeni Malkin -- returning after missing three weeks with a foot injury -- took advantage of a turnover by Fedor Tyutin and hit Jokinen in the slot. The knuckling wrist shot sailed over Bobrovskys right shoulder and Pittsburgh exhaled. But only briefly. With Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi off for interference, the Blue Jackets went back in front 2-1 when Letestu jammed home a rebound and sent Columbus soaring into the dressing room. "People were wondering how we would start the game with our inexperience, but we were pretty comfortable after the first period with a 2-1 lead and maybe let off the gas," Columbus centre Ryan Johansen said. Mackenzie got loose for a breakaway short-handed goal, pushing the advantage to 3-1 just 43 seconds into the second. But Columbus momentum then vanished against the leagues top power play. Bennett tipped in a Niskanen slap shot 51 seconds after Mackenzie scored. Johnson was quickly whistled for interference and Niskanen needed only 10 seconds to even the game with a snap shot from the left circle. Things settled down after the five goals in 5 minutes flurry, though Columbus didnt exactly fold. The Blue Jackets carried play at times in the first two periods. The Penguins righted themselves in the third. The miscues that plagued them for the first 40 minutes disappeared, replaced by the kind of responsible play they know theyll need to make a serious run at the franchises fourth Stanley Cup. "Nobody panicked," Fleury said. "The power play was huge for us like it has been all season. It got us back in the game and from then we were in good shape." NOTES: Pittsburgh is 10-3 in its last 13 Game 1s played on home ice. ... The Blue Jackets scratched forwards R.J. Umberger (upper body) and Nick Foligno (lower body), though coach Todd Richards said both players could be available for Game 2. ... Crosby assisted on Niskanens goal to give him 106 career points in the post-season, tied with Kevin Stevens for third on the franchise list.Gordon Hayward Celtics Jersey . Colton Sissons also scored for Milwaukee (19-12-8), which went ahead with a two-goal third period. Wade MacLeod and Greg McKegg replied for Toronto (23-12-4). Shaquille ONeal Celtics Jersey . But defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia held off a strong challenge to beat Shuai Peng of China 6-3, 6-4, and there was another hard-fought victory for 2012 runner-up Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Alison Riske of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Wild will try to continue their recent hot streak, as they shoot for a fifth win in six tries when they host the struggling Dallas Stars on Saturday. Minnesota went 6-3-0 in the first month of 2014-15 and closed October with consecutive 4-3 wins over Boston and San Jose. Tuesdays road victory over the Bruins came in regulation, but the Wild needed a shootout to defeat the visiting Sharks on Thursday. The Wild rallied to post a victory over the Sharks in the opener of a three- game homestand. Minnesota trailed 2-0 in the first period and never held a lead in the game before winning in the shootout. Kyle Brodziak scored two third-period goals to force extra time. Minnesota trailed 3-1 after Joe Thorntons goal at 1:37 of the third, but Brodziak tallied less than four minutes later to make it a one-goal game and he evened the score with 9:28 remaining in regulation. The goals were the first two of the season for Brodziak. We were getting pucks to the net but werent get many high-quality chances, said Brodziak. Fortunately we were able to break them down there in the third and got a few in. Mikko Koivu also lit the lamp in regulation and Thomas Vanek had two assists for the Wild. Jason Pominville scored the decisive goal of the shootout and Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves through regulation and OT. Even at one goal apiece after two rounds, Pominville went in slow and wristed a shot past Antti Niemis glove and Kuemper stoned Patrick Marleau for the win. The victory pushed Minnesota to 4-0 on home ice this season. The Wild will complete their homestand Tuesday against Pittsburggh. Marcus Smart Jersey. Dallas has lost three straight games, but has at least earned a point while losing each of its last two outings on home ice. After dropping a 4-3 overtime decision against visiting St. Louis on Tuesday, the Stars were handed a 2-1 OT loss by Anaheim on Friday. Nate Thompsons goal with 2:30 played in the extra session lifted the Ducks past the Stars. Corey Perry accepted a drop pass from Cam Fowler just inside the Dallas blue line, took one stride before making a hard stop below the left circle and hammering a shot towards the net. The puck deflected off Thompson and sailed by Kari Lehtonen to end the contest. Antoine Roussel produced the lone offense for the Stars, tying the game at 1-1 with 5:27 left in the third. Lehtonen stopped 22 pucks in defeat. Although his team was able to earn a point for the second straight game, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff was less than pleased with his clubs play on Friday. We are very fortunate to get a point, Ruff said. The first 40 minutes was as poor as Ive seen us play. Tyler Seguin failed to register a point Friday for only the third time this season and for the first time since Oct. 11. Seguin has 15 points on the season, tying him for the league lead with Philadelphias Jakub Voracek and Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby. The Stars and Wild split four meetings in 2013-14, with Minnesota winning the first two encounters at home before Dallas closed the season series with a pair of victories as the host. Dallas has claimed six of the past 10 meetings in this matchup, but the Wild have taken three in a row and five of the last six in St. Paul. ' ' '
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