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New Yorks Andy Pettitte will make his final start before ret

PostNapisane: 20 gru 2017, o 05:44
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PITTSBURGH -- The best line on hockeys busiest team hardly looked gassed. Marcus Johansson Jersey . The way Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot were furiously pouring in overtime goals, the New York Rangers didnt exactly look like a group in need of a day off. Brassard beat Marc-Andre Fleury 3:06 into overtime -- with Pouliot bizarrely doing the same seven seconds later -- and the Rangers stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference secound round Friday night. The winner officially went to Brassard, whose wrist shot from in front beat Fleury cleanly but caromed back onto the ice. Referee Steve Kozari waved it off, however, and play continued before Pouliot slammed the puck into a wide open net moments later for good measure. "I found out way later (Brassard) got the goal," Pouliot said. "Good for him. Weve been playing well against Philly and now tonight. We deserved that." Pouliot and Brad Richards gave the Rangers an early 2-0 lead. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 34 shots and stuffed a late Pittsburgh breakaway in the final seconds of regulation. The line of Pouliot, Brassard and Mats Zuccarello combined for 14 points in New Yorks four regular-season meetings with the Penguins. They were the best trio on the ice on a team barely 48 hours removed from a wearying seven-game victory over Philadelphia in the opening round. "Since Christmas theyve probably been our most consistent line," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Theyve got real good chemistry. They read off one another and support one another well and ... they scored two in overtime." Lee Stempniak and James Neal scored for the Penguins. Fleury made 24 saves but was helpless on the winner. "It was just a big pile of guys and I was trying to find the puck out of it," Fleury said. Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby was held without a goal for the 12th straight playoff game as the Rangers took away much of the open ice where Crosby likes to operate. "It couldve went either way," Crosby said. "I dont think we played a full 60 (minutes)." Not exactly. The Rangers were supposed to be exhausted after outlasting the Flyers in the opening round, not advancing until a 2-1 victory in Game 7 on Wednesday night. Instead, it was the well-rested Penguins who appeared to need a nap. Pouliot gave New York the lead 5:04 into first period, capitalizing on a Pittsburgh turnover then splitting Penguins defenceman Olli Maatta and Matt Niskanen before firing a wrist shot that caromed off Fleurys right arm and into the net. Richards doubled the lead late in the period with his third and easiest goal of the post-season. Carl Hagelin beat Maatta to a puck in the corner and fed it to Richards, who had enough time in front to go from his backhand to his forehand and flip the puck by an overmatched Fleury. Whatever sluggishness the Penguins felt after a three-day layoff vanished in the second. Stempniak cut the lead in half by taking a nice drop pass from Beau Bennett then streaking down the middle and beating Lundqvist with a backhand 7:15 into the period. Neal tied it just over 6 minutes later thanks to a rare mistake by Lundqvist, who deflected Neals into the air then had it glance off his back and into the net. Lundqvist pleaded with officials that Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin had interfered with him while trying to make the save, but replays showed Malkins high-stick swat didnt come close to touching the puck. New York gathered itself before the third and the teams traded chances over the final 20 minutes of regulation with Lundqvist stopping a slap shot from Stempniak in the final 15 seconds to send it to overtime. Whatever adrenaline the Rangers had left fueled them during the brief extra period. New York dominated play before the madcap finish to beat the Penguins in Game 1 of a post-season series for the first time. The Penguins came in 4-0 in the playoff series against New York. Now the Rangers find themselves in control with a welcome day off before Sundays rematch. "Yeah we played seven games and the seventh one was a grueling match but I think most of us have been through it," Pouliot said. "Its the NHL and you have to find a way and we did." NOTES: New York went 0 for 4 on the power play and is 0 for its last 25 with the man advantage. ... The Rangers held out F Chris Kreider once again. Kreider wore a non-contact jersey during Friday mornings skate and his return from a hand injury remains uncertain. ... Penguins D Brooks Orpik missed his third straight game with an undisclosed injury. Rod Langway Jersey .Y. - The New York Rangers have reached a one-year contract extension with goalie Cam Talbot, keeping Henrik Lundqvists backup away from unrestricted free agency. Mike Gartner Jersey . While plenty of statistics illustrate Torontos turnaround in the second year of manager Ryan Nelsens tenure, stopping goals is not one of them. http://www.thecapitalshockeystore.com/Capitals-Philipp-Grubauer-Adidas-Jersey/ . On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations.HOUSTON -- The crowd at Minute Maid Park on Friday night was filled with New York Yankees fans. Despite that, when David Robertson emerged from the bullpen in left-centre field in the ninth inning, boos rained down on him and didnt stop until well after hed thrown his first pitch. It wasnt anything personal. The Yankees fans were simply hoping for another chance to watch Mariano Rivera close out a game. Robertson got the save as Rivera looked on, and the Yankees got a glimpse of their future in a 3-2 win over Houston on that sent the Astros to their team-record 13th consecutive loss. "I did not take any of the boos personally," Robertson said. "I can understand why the fans would want to see Mariano. Theres two games left now ... and fans kind of hope to see him pitch again. But well see what happens." After the game, New York manager Joe Girardi said Rivera told him he wasnt available to pitch on Friday, a night after Riveras emotional farewell at Yankee Stadium. Girardi will check with him again on Saturday. Girardi said the 43-year-old Rivera can play centre field this weekend if he wants to. "Ill talk to him every day to see what he wants to do," the manager explained. "I know hes talked about playing some centre field, but I know he has some concerns about his leg. Thats really up to him. If he wants to do it, he can do it. Im OK with it." David Adams hit a two-run double and Mark Reynolds also drove in a run for the Yankees, who stopped a four-game losing streak. Houston dropped to 51-109, the most losses for a major league team since the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks went 51-111. The Astros 322 losses over three seasons are the fifth-most in big league history according to STATS, ahead of only the 1962-64 New York Mets (340), the 1963-65 Mets (332), the 1915-17 Philadelphia Athletics (324) and the 1940-42 Philadelphia Phillies (323). "Its been real tough losing 13 straight," Houston third baseman Matt Dominguez said. "Hopefully we can come out tomorrow and Sunday and get wins and end the year on a good note, build a bit mmore confidence heading into spring training. John Carlson Jersey. quot; Adam Warren (3-2) allowed two hits and struck out four in five scoreless innings as New York started the final series of a disappointing season in which the team failed to reach the playoffs for just the second time in 19 years. "I think it should give him a lot of confidence for next year for what hes done for our club this year in a lot of different roles that weve used him," Girardi said of Warren, who has mostly pitched in relief this season. "Very pleased with the step forward he took this year and he needs to build on it." David Phelps gave up Brett Wallaces two-run double in the seventh, and Joba Chamberlain struggled before Preston Clairborne and Robertson closed it out. Robertson, who got his third save, figures to inherit the closer role Rivera has held since 1997. Hes looking for a better reception when he takes the mound next season. "I really hope so," he said. Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer (4-5) yielded three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in 5 1-3 innings. Robinson Cano singled with one out in the fourth, Alfonso Soriano walked and Reynolds singled to drive in the go-ahead run. Dominguezs error allowed Soriano, and Adams doubled just inside the fence in the left-field corner. Houston struck out seven times, increasing its franchise-record total this season to 1,511. They are 18 shy of Arizonas record, set in 2010. NOTES: New Yorks Andy Pettitte will make his final start before retiring on Saturday against Paul Clemens. The 41-year-old Pettitte, who is from nearby Deer Park, played for the Astros from 2004-06. "To be able to make my last start here in my hometown is going to be extremely special," he said. "Everybody that Ive grown up with ... and that instilled things in me is going to be here. So its going to be a really exciting day for me. And its fitting, I believe." The Astros honoured Pettitte in the middle of the fifth inning on Friday night by presenting him with the framed No. 21 jersey he wore when he played in Houston. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '