Playoffs - Sat, 04 May - Results

NY Rangers v Washington 0-1 - Game 2 - Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates feels Mike Green is better when he thinks almost like a quarterback instead of a goal-scorer, because that's when he's most poised and typically makes intelligent decisions with the puck. Green did just that in overtime Saturday afternoon, and wouldn't you know, the defenseman got the puck right back and scored a series-altering, game-winning power-play goal at Verizon Center. Green handed the puck off to Mike Ribeiro, who drew the defense to him before sliding a pass back to Green for a one-timer from a few steps inside the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo that beat New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist on the glove side eight minutes into overtime. It was all Washington needed to grab a 1-0 win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 3 is Monday at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN2, RDS2). Holtby finished with 24 saves, a low number considering the Rangers had a pair of power plays, one late in regulation and another early in overtime, that could have determined the outcome. Washington's penalty killers wouldn't let it happen. The Capitals killed off Troy Brouwer's slashing minor with 3:44 left in regulation and Steve Oleksy's delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass 1:51 into overtime. The Rangers didn't manage a shot on goal on either power play as Washington blocked five shots, including one off Derick Brassard's stick in overtime that Eric Fehr basically swallowed with his gut. Washington is 7-for-7 on the PK in the series. Despite finishing 27th on the penalty kill during the regular season, it is 35-for-40 in the past 14 games. The Capitals went on the power play in overtime because Ryan McDonagh was guilty of shooting the puck over the glass from inside the defensive zone 7:09 into the extra period. McDonagh's guilty play ended a shift that lasted more than three minutes and was broken up by a timeout after the Rangers iced the puck at the 5:42 mark. It was Washington's first power play since the 15:58 mark of the first period. Washington quickly set up its power play and worked the puck around to Green at the point. He shoveled it to Ribeiro, who faked a shot from the top of the right circle, drawing both Ryan Callahan and John Moore to him, before feeding back to Green for the 55-foot one-timer that gave him the first playoff overtime winner of his career. In Game 1, Green shot the puck wide and wound up getting a fortunate bounce off the end boards to allow Alex Ovechkin to score a power-play goal. This time Green hit the net, just like he did to score an overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 13. Rick Nash nearly won it for the Rangers with 3:44 to play in regulation, but his shot off a power rush through the Capitals' defense hit off the left post. However, Brouwer was guilty of slashing Nash as he went past him, setting up the Rangers for a power play that did not go well. Washington killed it off by clearing the puck down the ice four times. The Rangers wanted another power play with 45.3 seconds to play in regulation because they thought Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner should have been called for delay of game when the puck went into the stands off his stick in the defensive zone. However, the officials conferred and ruled Alzner did not commit a penalty. Rule 63.2 states that the delay of game penalty shall be assessed "when any player, with both of his feet inside the defending zone, shoots or bats (using his hand or stick) the puck directly (non-deflected) out of the playing surface."
Toronto v Boston 4-2 - Game 2 - Since his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs four years ago, Phil Kessel has rarely found himself in a position to quiet the diehard fans who once cheered for him as a member of the Boston Bruins. In 23 previous matches against the Bruins, Kessel had failed to score an even-strength goal. He mustered only three power-play goals. But that all changed in one swooping motion on Saturday night. Kessel earned some revenge against his former team by scoring what proved to be the decisive goal early in the third period to lead the Maple Leafs to a 4-2 victory over the Bruins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The victory enabled the Maple Leafs, who survived a heavy dose of offensive pressure from the Bruins down the stretch, to even this best-of-7 series at one victory apiece. Game 3 is scheduled at Air Canada Centre on Monday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN-US, CBC, RDS). Not only did Kessel's goal give the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead, it gave everyone on the bench a jolt of energy. As good as Boston was in its 4-1 victory in Game 1 on Wednesday, the Maple Leafs were equally sharp and effective on Saturday in an impressive response. Unlike the team's lackluster effort in the previous contest, Toronto's top players were raring to go from the outset. Joffrey Lupul scored twice and van Riemsdyk once. Goalie James Reimer made 39 saves. Captain Dion Phaneuf had four hits, blocked one shot and had one assist in 23:35 of ice time. The Maple Leafs totaled 17 blocked shots, including four by defenseman Mark Fraser and three by forward Mikhail Grabovski. They also outhit the Bruins 44-35, with defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and forward Matt Frattin leading the way with five apiece. With the Maple Leafs clinging to a precarious 3-2 lead, van Riemsdyk scored off a splendid backhand attempt while falling to the ice with 3:07 remaining in regulation to give the visitors the insurance they needed. It was the second goal of the series for van Riemsdyk, who was celebrating his 24th birthday. Kessel stunned the sellout crowd at the arena he used to call home when he scored on a breakaway 53 seconds into the third to give his team a 3-1 lead. It was his first even-strength goal against the Bruins, the team for which he spent three seasons. He entered having connected for three power-play goals during his four seasons with the Maple Leafs. The Bruins pulled within 3-2 when defenseman Johnny Boychuk's blast from the right point appeared to deflect off Toronto's Tyler Bozak and past Reimer at 10:35. Tyler Seguin was battling with Bozak in the slot at the time the puck was deflected in front. Reimer was called upon to make 17 saves in the second and 12 more in the third for the Maple Leafs in notching the first playoff victory of his career. The Maple Leafs took their first lead of the game midway through the second period on Lupul's second goal of the night. Matt Frattin and Lupul raced in 2-on-1, and Frattin made a nice dish from the bottom of the right circle across the crease. Lupul controlled the puck on his backhand and lofted a shot over Tuukka Rask to give Toronto a 2-1 lead. The goal came less than two minutes after Toronto's Nikolai Kulemin rang a shot off the long-side post from right circle. Rask (28 saves) kept his team within striking distance when he stopped Ryan Hamilton on two quick shots and then Kessel on the rebound with just over seven minutes left in the second. Reimer also needed to come up big. His best save came at 16:57 of the middle period when he used his right pad to deny Seguin on a turnaround snap shot from 25 feet. The Leafs pulled into a 1-1 tie 5:18 into the second with Chara in the penalty box for tripping. Jake Gardiner took a shot from the left point that Rask stopped, but Lupul outfought everyone for the rebound and swept it into the right corner of the net. The Bruins took a 1-0 lead 1:56 into the middle period when Nathan Horton deflected home a puck while he was coming to a stop in the crease in front of Reimer. Horton skated hard down the left wing before dropping a pass to Milan Lucic, whose slap shot from the left circle bounced off Reimer, hit Horton in the shin and caromed into the net. The goal was reviewed and confirmed by video replay.
Anaheim v Detroit 4-0 - Game 3 - Game 3 of this Western Conference Quarterfinal may have turned in the Anaheim Ducks' favor on an illegal hit, and now the Detroit Red Wings will have to hope history doesn't reveal the series turned on it as well. Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader was assessed a five-minute major penalty for charging and a game misconduct after hitting Anaheim defenseman Toni Lydman late in the second period of a scoreless game, and the Ducks rolled from that point in a 4-0 victory Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena. The Ducks scored once on the five-minute power play but controlled play for most of the game after the hit and now hold a 2-1 lead in this best-of-7 series with Game 4 on Monday night here at The Joe. Nick Bonino scored 18 seconds after the penalty to Abdelkader to put Anaheim in front at 15:29 of the second period. He backhanded a rebound from the edge of the crease for his second goal of the series. Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller made 23 saves, and the Red Wings were shut out in a Stanley Cup Playoff game for the first time since 2007 and the first time in 28 postseason meetings with Anaheim. Seconds after the Red Wings were inches away from tying the score on a power play at one end, a great individual play by Getzlaf made it a two-goal advantage at the other. Getzlaf poked the puck away from Detroit forward Damien Brunner while shorthanded, then went past goalie Jimmy Howard and put it in the open net at 6:33 of the third period. There was plenty of focus on Abdelkader's hit after the game. He has been a key player for the Red Wings in this series with his physical play, and he drew the penalty that led to the game-winning goal in Anaheim's 5-4 overtime victory in Game 2. Lydman did not return to the game. Boudreau said afterward the veteran had a headache and was being evaluated. If Abdelkader is not available for the Red Wings in Game 4, it could be a critical blow for a team already missing Darren Helm and Danny DeKeyser. Ducks rookie Emerson Etem, who created multiple chances earlier in the game, finished a pretty pass from Teemu Selanne to make it 3-0 at 8:04 of the third period. It was the first NHL playoff goal for the Southern California native. Matt Beleskey added the fourth Anaheim goal late in the third after Detroit had taken multiple penalties and the result was no longer in doubt. One day after Boudreau and a few Ducks players talked about needing to stay out of the penalty box, Anaheim had four guys take up residency there in the opening period. The penalty killers kept Detroit off the scoreboard, limiting the Red Wings to two shots on goal despite being shorthanded for 5:20, including an 80-second 4-on-3 and a 40-second 5-on-3 against. Anaheim won Game 1 of this series, 3-1, with a pair of power-play goals. Detroit claimed Game 2 in part because of three straight extra-man markers. The Ducks won the special-teams battle in Game 3, getting Bonino's power-play goal and Getzlaf's shorthanded score. The Ducks controlled play at even strength and limited the Red Wings' chances in the opening minutes. Howard made 13 saves in the opening period, including nine at even strength, and left a scrum at the end of the 20 minutes without his helmet but with the standing-room crowd chanting his name. By the waning moments of the third period of this contest, most of those 20,066 fans had already exited this old barn, disappointed and hoping to avoid the extra traffic because of a Taylor Swift concert across the city at Ford Field.
St Louis v Los Angeles 0-1 - Game 3 - There's no way the St. Louis Blues can say they didn't have their chances. The door was ajar all night, but they couldn't completely pry it open. Four power plays. A boatload of near-misses. The Los Angeles Kings weathered through, couldn't convert much themselves but avoided falling into an almost insurmountable hole with a 1-0 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal series on Saturday night. Jonathan Quick made Slava Voynov's second-period goal stand up by stopping all 30 shots he faced as the Kings closed their series deficit to 2-1. Game 4 is Monday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). Williams made a terrific diving poke check late in the game that might have saved the win. The effort was indicative of a series in which neither offense has had much space to work with. Seven goals have been scored in the three games. St. Louis was going for its first 3-0 series lead since the 2001 conference semifinals after winning a pair of 2-1 victories at Scottrade Center. But it came up empty on L.A.'s third too many men penalty of this series in the third period to extend its power play slump to 0 for 12. St. Louis might have kicked itself for going into the second intermission down 1-0. Andy McDonald fanned from the slot and Steen missed a gaping right side of the net. St. Louis also couldn't take advantage of a glaring Kings turnover, nor could the Blues capitalize on Colin Fraser's high-sticking penalty 175 feet from his own net. L.A. was outshot 14-11 in the second period, but scored what proved to be the game's only goal when Voynov emerged from a netfront scramble to finally give L.A. a genuine even-strength goal. Brian Elliott couldn't cover the puck in a maze of bodies and it squirted free to Voynov, who tucked a shot through traffic and inside the left post at 4:56 for his second career postseason goal. Elliott made 20 saves and was stellar despite allowing the game's lone goal. He got a piece of an all-alone Drew Doughty in the right slot in the first period and stopped Dwight King on a third-period shorthanded breakaway. Quick denied David Backes twice, on a partial breakaway in the first and on a leg pad save during the Blues' first power play. Until Voynov's goal, the Kings' two goals in the series came with a sixth attacker in the final minute of Game 1 and during a two-man advantage in Game 2. In their first Stanley Cup Playoff game at home since they lifted the Cup last June, the Kings won their eighth straight in L.A. and dealt the Blues their sixth consecutive loss at Staples Center. While there was only one goal in 60 minutes, there was plenty of contact. The teams combined for 92 hits, including 53 by the Kings. L.A. centermen were dominated in the faceoff circle the first two games but were 28-29 in Game 3. Sutter played with seven defensemen as Alec Martinez saw his first game action since April 2. Sutter said he wanted more energy and to "try and get a little bit more out of everybody." He also scratched Jordan Nolan and rotated different wings on the fourth line. Quick recorded his club-record fifth career playoff shutout. He helped kill a two-man advantage in the third. Quick has stopped 93 of 97 shots in the series.