For the second straight night the Penguins played a strong defensive game and for the second straight night they defeated the New York Rangers, taking a 2-1 series lead in the process.
Marc-Andre Fleury posted his second consecutive shutout, stopping all 35 shots by New York.
Fleury, who is usually a lightning rod of criticism, has stopped 73 of New York’s last 74 shots.
The Rangers, once again, went scoreless on the power play (0-5). New York is now 0-13 in this series and 0 for their last 32 with the man advantage.
Sidney Crosby kicked off the scoring for Pittsburgh 2:34 into the second period. Robert Bortuzzo sent a stretch pass out to Crosby who drove down the left side of the ice before beating Henrik Lundqvist five-hole. It was Crosby’s first goal since Game 4 in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals against Ottawa.
Jussi Jokinen scored 15:20 into the second period to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to two. As Jokinen came out of the penalty box, Mats Zucarello attempted to send a pass out to the point. Instead, the puck went past the defense and landed on Jokinen’s stick, who then cut towards the net on a breakaway. Jokinen hesitated slightly before beating Lundqvist on the stick side for his sixth goal of the playoffs.
In the third period, both teams showed signs of fatigue. The Rangers outshot the Penguins 9-1 in the final frame yet could register a lot of chances other than Ryan McDonagh’s wide turn around shot late in the game.
Three Stars
- Jussi Jokinen
- Sidney Crosby
- Marc-Andre Fleury
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
