NHL playoffs roundup
Parise scores twice as Devils burn Lightning in Game 1 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Zach Parise scored his second goal on a give-and-go with Jamie Langenbrunner early in the third period, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in their opening playoff game Thursday night.
Scott Gomez set up power-play goals by Patrik Elias and Brian Rafalski, and the clinching goal by Brian Gionta with 1:22 to play for New Jersey.
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who set a single-season record with 48 wins, looked ordinary in making 23 saves in the game determined by power plays and turnovers.
Vincent Lecavalier scored twice to rally the Lightning from a 3-1 deficit, and Martin St. Louis had the other for Tampa Bay.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference matchup will be Saturday night at the Continental Airlines Arena.
Rangers 4, Thrashers 3
ATLANTA – The New York Rangers scored the first two goals and never trailed in holding off the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in Thursday night’s playoff opener.
The Thrashers, in their seventh NHL season, were playing their first postseason game. They desperately tried for a tying goal in the final minute with a power play, but were denied.
With the tight victory in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal game, the Rangers won for the first time since the 1997 playoffs.
They were swept by New Jersey in the first round last year, but Jaromir Jagr helped make sure New York enjoyed a better start in this series. The Rangers outshot the Thrashers 38-24.
The Rangers drew only two penalties in the game, including one against Thomas Pock for holding the stick with 1:11 to play. Atlanta pulled goalie Kari Lehtonen after the penalty, but was stymied by Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 35 shots.
Jagr got his 68th postseason goal. Michael Nylander had a goal and two assists, and Michal Rozsival and Marcel Hossa also scored for the Rangers.
Eric Belanger, Shane Hnidy and Pascal Dupuis scored for Atlanta.
Sabres 4, Islanders 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Second season, familiar result. The Buffalo Sabres can still score and still win.
Chris Drury and Brian Campbell each scored two goals, helping the top-seeded Sabres open the playoffs with an efficient 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders in their Eastern Conference series Thursday night.
As they did in finishing the season with a league-leading 53 wins and 308 goals, the Sabres showed off their balanced offense. Campbell’s game-opening goal was set up by fourth-line center Tim Connolly, and Buffalo converted two of six power-play chances.
Better still, Buffalo was sound on defense, limiting the Islanders to 21 shots, including just one in the first period.
Arron Asham scored for New York, which clinched the East’s eighth and final playoff berth by winning its last four games of the regular season.
Minor league goaltender Wade Dubielewicz wasn’t to blame in making his career playoff debut filling in for starter Rick DiPietro, who’s out after sustaining two concussions last month. Dubielewicz kept the Isles in by stopping 20 of the first 22 shots, and finished with 31 saves.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is at Buffalo on Saturday.
The Sabres never trailed, with Drury scoring the go-ahead goal on a power-play in the second period. Driving into the slot, he flipped in a loose puck after Campbell’s shot was blocked in front.
Red Wings 4, Flames 1
DETROIT – The Red Wings put the Flames on their heels with a crushing check and two goals in the first 81/2 minutes. Valtteri Filppula and Nicklas Lidstrom scored in the first period, helping Detroit get started in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
The Red Wings led 4-0 by the middle of the second period – on Pavel Datsyuk’s and Mathieu Schneider’s goals. Detroit set the tone in the opening minutes when Schneider knocked down Matthew Lombardi.
, landing the first big hit of the game. A few minutes later, Filppula’s goal ended a beautiful, end-to-end play.
Then the Red Wings scored an ugly, playoff-type goal they have often failed to produce during underachieving postseasons. Lidstrom’s shot from between the circles was to the left of the net, but it caromed off Brad Stuart and got past goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.