NHL Game Summary - NY Rangers At Pittsburgh
POSTED: 2:33 am EDT May 5,
2008
Pittsburgh, PA -- (Sports Network) - Marian Hossa's second goal of the game, 7:10 into overtime, sent the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Mellon Arena. Hossa tallied the game-winner off a broken play. Sidney Crosby carried over the Rangers' blue line and dished to Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis tried a centering pass from the left circle, but the puck skittered off New York defenseman Dan Girardi's skate to a trailing Hossa, who buried his one-timer from the slot. "I had some good playoffs,and I had some bad playoffs," Hossa said when asked about his reputation for spotty performances in the postseason. "I cannot control what people say. I'm on a great team right now,and things are coming easier. I'm enjoying the ride." Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins, who won the series four games to one and advance to the Eastern Conference finals to face in-state rival Philadelphia. The Penguins host the Flyers in Game 1 on Friday. Pittsburgh last made the conference finals in 2001, when they dropped a five- game series to New Jersey. The Flyers and Penguins have not met in the postseason since 2000, when Philly took a six-game East semifinal set. Crosby picked up a pair of assists and Marc-Andre Fleury improved to 8-1 in the playoffs with a 20-save performance. Nigel Dawes and Lauri Korpikoski tallied for the Rangers, who could not sustain momentum from a 3-0 Game 4 victory and a short burst early in the third period of Sunday's contest. Henrik Lundqvist took the loss despite 37 saves. The Swedish netminder ended the playoffs with a 5-5 record. "Anytime you don't win the Stanley cup it's a disappointing year, and that's the way it should be," said Rangers center Scott Gomez. "The future looks bright. We had a lot of young guys who stepped up and played outstanding. They know it wasn't our goal to succumb in the second round, it was to bring the Stanley Cup back to New York, and we didn't accomplish it." Facing a two-goal deficit after two periods, the Rangers rallied to keep a glimmer of hope alive for extending the series with two goals in a 1:22 span. Korpikoski, a call-up from Hartford of the American Hockey League playing in his first NHL game, ripped a wrister over Fleury's glove side 2:03 into the third to bring the visitors within one. Dawes followed by potting his second goal of the playoffs, on a backhander at 3:25. Chris Drury was whistled for a high-sticking double-minor with 1:18 to play in regulation, and the Rangers held the Penguins at bay for the rest of the third and the early portion of overtime. The first period passed without a goal, but not without good scoring chances on either side. Lundqvist had to be sharp to turn aside a pair of partial breakaway chances by Malkin, then Dawes shot a backhander high over an open net with 20 seconds to go from the low slot. Pittsburgh finally got on the board at 8:45 of the second while on the power play. From the left circle, Crosby fed to Ryan Malone waiting in the slot. Instead of shooting, he dished to the right side where Hossa slammed a one- timer past Lundqvist. On the ensuing short-handed situation, Lundqvist made back-to-back saves on Gary Roberts from outside the crease, the last one while falling backwards as the veteran tried to squeeze a backhander through his pads. However, Malkin did manage to lift a backhander off the left post with 7:20 to play in the second and the home team went up 2-0 -- a lead which they protected to the intermission.Game Notes:Pittsburgh has never lost to New York in four postseason series (1989, 1992, 1996, 2008)...The Penguins recorded their first win in the extra session, while the Rangers lost both of their overtime contests...Hossa, who has four goals through nine games, only recorded 13 goals in 55 previous playoff games prior to this season...Pittsburgh has not lost at home since February 24, a 2-1 shootout loss to San Jose.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.






