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Sens stun Pens; Flyers top Devils
Source: Agencies |
April 16, 2010, Friday
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THE Ottawa Senators upset Stanley Cup champions the Penguins 5-4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in their National Hockey League Eastern Conference first round series.
Jarkko Ruutu scored the Senators' fifth at 9:40 in the third period to seal the win after the Penguins had clawed back to 4-3 through a goal to Craig Adams.
The Penguins challenged again when Alex Goligoski scored with 2:24 remaining, but were unable to put an equalizer past goaltender Brian Elliott, who needed only 17 saves in his maiden postseason appearance.
"We believe in ourselves and we believe we can take it all the way," Elliott told reporters. "Every win is so meaningful. Especially the first one tonight."
The fifth-seeded Senators fell behind three minutes into the first period then answered with three straight goals from Peter Regin, Chris Neil and Chris Kelly to seize control of their best-of-seven series.
In-form center Evgeni Malkin scored Pittsburgh's first two to trim the deficit to 3-2 midway through the second but Erik Karlsson added a powerplay goal to give the Senators breathing space.
In contrast to Elliott, opposing netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was under relative siege from the Senators' offense, stopping 21 of 26 shots.
Maurice Richard trophy co-winner Sidney Crosby tallied three assists for the Penguins, playing their third first round series against Ottawa in four years. The Penguins won their last first round series in 2008.
In other Eastern Conference action, the Philadelphia Flyers scored two second-period goals to defeat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 and take a 1-0 series lead.
Out West, the Colorado Avalanche finished last in the Western Conference a year ago, but shocked the top-seeded San Jose Sharks 2-1 in their opener, courtesy of a Chris Stewart goal with only 50 seconds left.
Western Conference champions Detroit Red Wings also fell 2-3 to the Phoenix Coyotes, who came back from 1-2 down after powerplay goals scored by Wojtek Wolski and Derek Morris in the second and third periods, respectively.
In Newark, New Jersey, Brian Boucher had 23 saves in his first playoff start in eight years as Philadelphia beat New Jersey.
Chris Pronger and Mike Richards scored second-period goals, and the Flyers rode the momentum of claiming the NHL's last playoff berth on the final day of the regular season to yet another win over New Jersey.
While the Flyers are the No. 7 seed in the conference, they won five of six games against the Devils in the regular season and second-seeded New Jersey had few answers in the postseason against a rock-solid Boucher.
In San Jose, California, Stewart's shot deflected off San Jose defender Rob Blake's skate and into the net with 50 seconds left in regulation to lift Colorado past the Sharks.
The loss was just the latest playoff disappointment for the Sharks, who have made a bad habit of following up stellar regular seasons with early postseason exits. San Jose has lost Game 1 at home in its past four playoff series.
Ryane Clowe scored for San Jose.
In Glendale, Arizona, Morris broke a tie early in the third period and assisted on two other powerplay goals in Phoenix's victory. Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom scored for Detroit.
Jarkko Ruutu scored the Senators' fifth at 9:40 in the third period to seal the win after the Penguins had clawed back to 4-3 through a goal to Craig Adams.
The Penguins challenged again when Alex Goligoski scored with 2:24 remaining, but were unable to put an equalizer past goaltender Brian Elliott, who needed only 17 saves in his maiden postseason appearance.
"We believe in ourselves and we believe we can take it all the way," Elliott told reporters. "Every win is so meaningful. Especially the first one tonight."
The fifth-seeded Senators fell behind three minutes into the first period then answered with three straight goals from Peter Regin, Chris Neil and Chris Kelly to seize control of their best-of-seven series.
In-form center Evgeni Malkin scored Pittsburgh's first two to trim the deficit to 3-2 midway through the second but Erik Karlsson added a powerplay goal to give the Senators breathing space.
In contrast to Elliott, opposing netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was under relative siege from the Senators' offense, stopping 21 of 26 shots.
Maurice Richard trophy co-winner Sidney Crosby tallied three assists for the Penguins, playing their third first round series against Ottawa in four years. The Penguins won their last first round series in 2008.
In other Eastern Conference action, the Philadelphia Flyers scored two second-period goals to defeat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 and take a 1-0 series lead.
Out West, the Colorado Avalanche finished last in the Western Conference a year ago, but shocked the top-seeded San Jose Sharks 2-1 in their opener, courtesy of a Chris Stewart goal with only 50 seconds left.
Western Conference champions Detroit Red Wings also fell 2-3 to the Phoenix Coyotes, who came back from 1-2 down after powerplay goals scored by Wojtek Wolski and Derek Morris in the second and third periods, respectively.
In Newark, New Jersey, Brian Boucher had 23 saves in his first playoff start in eight years as Philadelphia beat New Jersey.
Chris Pronger and Mike Richards scored second-period goals, and the Flyers rode the momentum of claiming the NHL's last playoff berth on the final day of the regular season to yet another win over New Jersey.
While the Flyers are the No. 7 seed in the conference, they won five of six games against the Devils in the regular season and second-seeded New Jersey had few answers in the postseason against a rock-solid Boucher.
In San Jose, California, Stewart's shot deflected off San Jose defender Rob Blake's skate and into the net with 50 seconds left in regulation to lift Colorado past the Sharks.
The loss was just the latest playoff disappointment for the Sharks, who have made a bad habit of following up stellar regular seasons with early postseason exits. San Jose has lost Game 1 at home in its past four playoff series.
Ryane Clowe scored for San Jose.
In Glendale, Arizona, Morris broke a tie early in the third period and assisted on two other powerplay goals in Phoenix's victory. Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom scored for Detroit.
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