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Feb 26 '18
PITTSBURGH -- New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault had trouble finding the words to describe goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Bill Walton Jersey . "Hes OK," Vigneault said finally with a small shake of his head. Except that is, in Game 7s. In Game 7s, Lundqvist is unbeatable. And so are the Rangers. Frustrating Sidney Crosby and the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins one final time, Lundqvist made 35 saves to lift New York to a 2-1 win on Tuesday night and give his resilient team an unlikely spot in the Eastern Conference finals. "I was so tired at the end," Lundqvist said after setting an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 triumph. "But it was just a great feeling when you know its a done deal and we did it." Brian Boyle and Brad Richards scored for New York, which rallied from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchises 88-year history. The Rangers did it behind Lundqvist, who stopped 102 of the final 105 shots he faced over the final three games as New York advanced to the conference finals for the second time in three years. The three-time All-Star is 10-2 when facing elimination. He was at his best during a mad scramble in front of the Rangers net with just over 5 minutes left, when he turned aside three shots from three different angles in a matter of seconds to preserve a one-goal lead. "He was OK with guys being on top of him as long as we didnt take penalties," New York defenceman Ryan McDonagh said. "He fought through screens, fought for loose pucks. He was incredible." The Rangers will play the winner of the Bruins-Canadiens series in the conference finals. That series is tied 3-3 and Game 7 is Wednesday night in Boston. Jussi Jokinen scored his team-high seventh goal of the post-season for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves for the Penguins, who outshot New York 36-20, but were outscored 10-3 over the final three games. Pittsburgh fell to 2-7 all time at home in Game 7s, including three such losses in the past five seasons. This one might have been the most painful for the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and coach Dan Bylsma that seemed pointed toward a dynasty after winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. Crosby, who led the league in scoring and is an MVP finalist, managed just one goal in 13 playoffs games. Just as importantly, five springs have now come and gone without Pittsburgh getting a Cup to bookend the one they hoisted that giddy night in Detroit and changes could be on the way. The Penguins are just 4-5 in playoff series over the past five seasons, with each loss coming to lower-seeded teams. Not exactly the expected outcome for a roster scattered with top-end talent that hasnt met expectations. While Bylsma declined to take the wide-angle view, his captain understood the dressing room could have a very different look next fall. "I think theres always questions," Crosby said. "When expectations are high and you dont win thats normal. Im sure there will be a lot of questions." There are none at the moment for the Rangers, who seem to thrive when their season boils down to three periods of hockey. Faced with their fifth Game 7 in the past three years, they did what they always do and took control early. Boyle quieted a raucous crowd 5:25 into the game at the end of a pretty breakout. Derek Dorsett hit Boyle streaking across the Pittsburgh blue line and Boyle tapped it between his legs to Dominic Moore, who waited a split second before sending it back to Boyle. The veteran forwards shot went between Fleurys legs for his second goal of the post-season. The Penguins responded by briefly taking over the game, their momentum cresting 4:15 into the second period when Jokinen pounded home a rebound off an Olli Maatta shot to tie the game. The goal seemed to get the Penguins almost too keyed up. Matt Niskanen went to the box for tripping and New Yorks power play, which was laughable when the series began, provided the clincher. Pittsburghs Brian Gibbons failed to get his stick down on a crossing pass from Brandon Sutter, nullifying a short-handed chance. The Rangers took off the other way, and with the Penguins still scrambling to get back into position, Richards took a pass from Martin St. Louis and flipped it into a wide-open net to make it 2-1 before the games midway point. Lundqvist did the rest. He robbed Pittsburghs James Neal at the doorstep late in the second period and fought off swarm after swarm over the final 20 minutes as the Rangers beat the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time in five post-season meetings. The first four series werent close. This one didnt appear to be either until the Rangers rallied behind St. Louis. The veteran forward, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay, lost his mother suddenly last week. He raced home to Montreal to be with his family only to return for Game 5. New York responded with a 5-1 win that signalled a sea change in the series. The Rangers controlled Game 6 -- with St. Louis scoring the first goal on Mothers Day -- and Game 7 was more of the same. NOTES: Pittsburghs power play, which tied with Washington for tops in the league in the regular season, finished the series 1 for 20. ... The Rangers are 8-1 in their past eight Game 7s. ... Richards remained unbeaten (7-0) in Game 7s in his career. Al-Farouq Aminu Jersey .com) - Devan Dubnyk stopped all 30 shots fired his way and made several big saves down the stretch for his third shutout of the season as the Minnesota Wild beat the Calgary Flames 1-0 on Tuesday. Brandon Roy Jersey . - The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Jenkins and Sean Nolin to triple-A Buffalo. PHILADELPHIA -- Steve Mason skated off the Flyers ice to a roar he waited a career to hear. The thunderous cheers quickly changed to an appreciative chant: "Ma-son! Ma-son! Ma-son! Headed to New York with new life, Mason sure earned this curtain call. Mason stopped 37 shots for his first career post-season win, Matt Read and Jakub Voracek scored and the Philadelphia Flyers evened their first-round matchup against the New York Rangers with a 2-1 win in Game 4 on Friday night. In his first start of the series, Mason shut down the Rangers, and shut out the noise of a raucous crowd. "The crowd is unbelievable this time of the year," Mason said. "Its definitely loud out there. Sometimes, its almost too loud for a goaltender. You cant hear the shot being released." He had no trouble keeping his eye on the puck and was in top form almost two weeks after he suffered an upper-body injury. Ray Emery was solid in the first three games but Mason played the final 7:15 in a 4-1 loss Tuesday night. Mason was just getting warmed up. He played perhaps his best game of the season, denying a Rangers team that pressured him with shots all game. He was a wall in the final tense minutes when the Rangers pulled goalie Henrik Lundqvist for the extra attacker. Dominic Moore scored for the Rangers, who squandered their chance to win the series this weekend at home. Game 5 is Sunday at Madison Square Garden. "You dont want to go to MSG down 3-1 in the series and have to win in that building," Mason said. "For us, it was pretty much a must win." The Rangers outshot the Flyers 16-6 and dominated a first period that put Mason to work in a hurry. But the Flyers escaped with a 1-1 tie after Jason Akesons shot off the backboards bounced straight to Read, who beat Lundqvist on his left side for the goal. "He told me he meant to do that," Read said. "It came right to me. I just had to one-time it. I think Lundqvist got a piece of it but well take it." Read caught Lundqvist out of place at the perfect time. "I didnt expect it to come out that fast and on his stick," he said. "It was hard for me to come across." Voracek redirected Brayden Schenns shot from the slot past Lundqvist for a power-pllay goal and a 2-1 lead. Shabazz Napier Jersey. Mason had never played with a lead in five career post-season starts. Mason hadnt started a playoff game in five years since his rookie season with Columbus. The Blue Jackets were swept by Detroit in that series, and the late-season injury against Pittsburgh delayed his Philadelphia post-season debut. "I waited a long time for it, but one doesnt do much in the long run," Mason said. Flyers captain Claude Giroux hasnt scored in the series but his strongest performance came after Game 3s loss when he said, "Were going to tie up the series and go back to New York." Off theyll go to New York, the series tied. "Its going to be better for us mentally to go up there," Giroux said. Giroux limped to the bench after taking a hard hit from Mats Zuccarello late in the third. Giroux, third in the NHL with 86 points, had no shots on goal in the first two games and has only two assists through four games. Moore gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead when he joined the rush out of the penalty box and scored on a wraparound goal 4:38 into the game. The Rangers pounded Mason with shot after shot, doubling the Flyers total for most of the first two periods. Mason was sprawled in the crease stopping several shots and kept the Flyers in a game they desperately needed to win. "He looked confident right from the get-go, and he had to be in the first," coach Craig Berube said. Lundqvist, an eight-time All-Star and 2012 Vezina Trophy winner, stopped 23 shots but was betrayed by an offence that couldnt convert open looks. The Rangers were 0 for 4 on the power play and are 0 for 12 since Game 2. "We got good looks, but this time of year you need more than good looks," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "You need to get the job done." Notes: The Rangers have scored first in the last three games. ... Flyers D Nicklas Grossmann left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. ... Lauren Hart, the daughter of longtime former Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart, sang "God Bless America," alternating lyrics with Kate Smith, who was on a video image. Smiths rendition of the song has been a rallying anthem for the Flyers since the mid-1970s. ... Game 6 is Tuesday in Philadelphia. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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