National Hockey League Playoff Game Capsules
Boston, MA (Sports Network) – Johnny Boychuk, Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic scored in succession to break open a tie game and stake the Boston Bruins to a commanding lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the New York Rangers following Sunday’s 5-2 Game 2 victory at TD Garden. Boston took a 1-0 series lead with a hard-earned 3-2 overtime triumph on Thursday, but left little doubt about the outcome of this one after reeling off three unanswered goals to support a stout effort between the pipes from Tuukka Rask. Marchand added an assist in the triumph, with Torey Krug delivering a goal and an assist for Boston and Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci each contributing a pair of helpers. Rask turned aside 35 shots to outshine counterpart Henrik Lundqvist, with the reigning Vezina Trophy recipient stopping just 27-of-32 chances as the Rangers fell to 1-5 on the road in these playoffs. New York, which also fell into an 0-2 hole before rallying to top Washington in seven games in the opening round, will attempt to bounce back when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Tuesday’s Game 3. The Rangers did get a goal from Rick Nash, the talented sniper’s first of this year’s postseason, with Ryan Callahan also lighting the lamp in the loss.
Final Score: Ottawa 2, Pittsburgh 1 (2-OT)
Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) – Colin Greening scored the game-winner 7:39 into double-overtime, as the Ottawa Senators outlasted the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, in Game 3 of this Eastern Conference semifinal series from Scotiabank Place. Daniel Alfredsson’s shorthanded goal with 28.6 seconds left in regulation forced overtime before Greening buried a rebound in the second extra session to send the Senators to victory. On the deciding goal, Andre Benoit fired a shot from the right faceoff dot that Tomas Vokoun fought off, but Greening was there on the low right side to backhand the rebound into the back of net. Craig Anderson, who was pulled early in the second period of Ottawa’s Game 2 setback, bounced back with a 49-save performance for the Senators, who trail this best-of-seven series 2-1. Tyler Kennedy scored the lone Pittsburgh goal, while Vokoun was handed his first loss of the postseason despite stopping 46-of-48 shots for the Penguins, who went a woeful 0-for-6 on the power play.
Categorized in: NHL