NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog "The Neutral Zone" has named Erik Karlsson, Sidney Crosby, and Nick Bonino as their 'Three Stars of the Night' for all NHL playoff games taking place on April 27, 2017.
FIRST STAR - ERIK KARLSSON, D, OTTAWA SENATORS
Karlsson leads all skaters with 30:11 TOI/GP and all defensemen with 1-6—7 in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
SECOND STAR - SIDNEY CROSBY, F, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Crosby registered his 51st career multi-point playoff game to pass Jaromir Jagr (50) for most among active NHL players.
THIRD STAR - NICK BONINO, F, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Bonino scored the go-ahead goal at 12:36 of the third period to guide the Penguins to a 1-0 series lead. Bonino tallied his sixth career game-winning goal in the playoffs and second vs. Washington (Game 6 of 2016 SR).
Friday, April 28, 2017
Crosby scores twice, Bonino has winner as Pens beat Caps
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) – Sidney Crosby outdueled Alex Ovechkin in a vintage goal-for-goal showdown between the NHL's top teams, and Nick Bonino and Marc-Andre Fleury put the finishing touches on a playoff classic.
Crosby scored two goals in 52 seconds, Bonino had the winner in the third period and Fleury made dazzling saves with and without his stick, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 Thursday night in Game 1 of their highly anticipated second-round series.
Almost eight years after their "dueling hat tricks" game, Ovechkin answered Crosby with his fourth goal of the playoffs, but his team couldn't compensate for the Penguins captain's greatness.
"They're special athletes, both those guys, and they look for those big moments and they capitalize on those big moments," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "They're special players."
Crosby scored twice in the first 64 seconds of the second period to give him as many goals as he had points in the Penguins' series against the Capitals a year ago.
"That's how it goes sometimes," Crosby said. "You don't get some for a while and then they come in bunches."
With linemates Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist playing a game of "Get Crosby the puck and watch him do his thing," the 2016 playoff MVP capitalized on a couple of Washington mistakes and looked as if he had a third goal in him a few more times.
"He was a threat all night," Penguins center Matt Cullen said. "He was dangerous. He was attacking."
In a postseason full of blown multi-goal leads, the Capitals rallied on goals by Ovechkin late in the second and Evgeny Kuznetsov early in the third. Then another Capitals mistake allowed Scott Wilson to find Bonino in some open ice, and the third-line center beat Braden Holtby with 7:24 left for the Game 1 winner.
"Bones is a guy that's a high-stakes player," coach Mike Sullivan said. "He brings his best game when the games are most important, and we've got a lot of guys on our roster that we can say that about."
Fleury qualifies, especially after he flailed around and almost actually stood on his head to preserve the victory. He made 15 of his 32 saves in the third period, including a flurry of four with 3 minutes left long after he had lost his stick.
"I couldn't see the puck for a little while there, I had no stick, so I was trying to make some stops," Fleury said. "It was fun. ... Try to rise up to the challenge and try to keep the team in the game. Saving that lead, when you can do it, it's a good feeling."
The Capitals weren't feeling so good about a game in which they didn't have a single power play. Pittsburgh went 0 for 2 with the man advantage, but Trotz thought there were opportunities for his team to get at least one chance.
"No penalties against their side," Ovechkin said. "You just have to fight through it."
The Capitals outshot the Penguins 35-21 - Holtby made 18 saves and Fleury was the difference. With Game 2 in Washington on Saturday night, Bonino knows it will be difficult to take a 2-0 series lead with the same showing.
"I think we can play better," Bonino said. "There's no perfect games. I think we weathered their storm there. I think we're happy to get the win, but they played a great game and we know they're going to get better too, so we've got to match that."
NOTES: LW Chris Kunitz returned to the Penguins' lineup after missing the first round and final five games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Kunitz appeared in his 107th playoff game, tying Hall of Famer/co-owner Mario Lemieux for fifth on the Penguins' career list. ... Pittsburgh LW Carl Hagelin remained out with a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since mid-March. ... Capitals D Karl Alzner missed his fifth consecutive game with an upper-body injury. ... Washington did not have a power play in a playoff game for the first time since Game 7 of the first round against the New York Islanders in 2015.
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AP Hockey Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) – Sidney Crosby outdueled Alex Ovechkin in a vintage goal-for-goal showdown between the NHL's top teams, and Nick Bonino and Marc-Andre Fleury put the finishing touches on a playoff classic.
Crosby scored two goals in 52 seconds, Bonino had the winner in the third period and Fleury made dazzling saves with and without his stick, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 Thursday night in Game 1 of their highly anticipated second-round series.
Almost eight years after their "dueling hat tricks" game, Ovechkin answered Crosby with his fourth goal of the playoffs, but his team couldn't compensate for the Penguins captain's greatness.
"They're special athletes, both those guys, and they look for those big moments and they capitalize on those big moments," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "They're special players."
Crosby scored twice in the first 64 seconds of the second period to give him as many goals as he had points in the Penguins' series against the Capitals a year ago.
"That's how it goes sometimes," Crosby said. "You don't get some for a while and then they come in bunches."
With linemates Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist playing a game of "Get Crosby the puck and watch him do his thing," the 2016 playoff MVP capitalized on a couple of Washington mistakes and looked as if he had a third goal in him a few more times.
"He was a threat all night," Penguins center Matt Cullen said. "He was dangerous. He was attacking."
In a postseason full of blown multi-goal leads, the Capitals rallied on goals by Ovechkin late in the second and Evgeny Kuznetsov early in the third. Then another Capitals mistake allowed Scott Wilson to find Bonino in some open ice, and the third-line center beat Braden Holtby with 7:24 left for the Game 1 winner.
"Bones is a guy that's a high-stakes player," coach Mike Sullivan said. "He brings his best game when the games are most important, and we've got a lot of guys on our roster that we can say that about."
Fleury qualifies, especially after he flailed around and almost actually stood on his head to preserve the victory. He made 15 of his 32 saves in the third period, including a flurry of four with 3 minutes left long after he had lost his stick.
"I couldn't see the puck for a little while there, I had no stick, so I was trying to make some stops," Fleury said. "It was fun. ... Try to rise up to the challenge and try to keep the team in the game. Saving that lead, when you can do it, it's a good feeling."
The Capitals weren't feeling so good about a game in which they didn't have a single power play. Pittsburgh went 0 for 2 with the man advantage, but Trotz thought there were opportunities for his team to get at least one chance.
"No penalties against their side," Ovechkin said. "You just have to fight through it."
The Capitals outshot the Penguins 35-21 - Holtby made 18 saves and Fleury was the difference. With Game 2 in Washington on Saturday night, Bonino knows it will be difficult to take a 2-0 series lead with the same showing.
"I think we can play better," Bonino said. "There's no perfect games. I think we weathered their storm there. I think we're happy to get the win, but they played a great game and we know they're going to get better too, so we've got to match that."
NOTES: LW Chris Kunitz returned to the Penguins' lineup after missing the first round and final five games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Kunitz appeared in his 107th playoff game, tying Hall of Famer/co-owner Mario Lemieux for fifth on the Penguins' career list. ... Pittsburgh LW Carl Hagelin remained out with a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since mid-March. ... Capitals D Karl Alzner missed his fifth consecutive game with an upper-body injury. ... Washington did not have a power play in a playoff game for the first time since Game 7 of the first round against the New York Islanders in 2015.
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Karlsson helps Senators edge Rangers 2-1 in Game 1
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Erik Karlsson was hoping for a good bounce. He got a great one.
Karlsson's shot from an almost impossible angle beat Henrik Lundqvist with 4:11 left in the third period, sending the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in the opener of their second-round playoff series on Thursday night.
Karlsson's first attempt was blocked by Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, but the second - the shot leaving his tape from below the goal line - somehow found its way past the Swedish goaltender, who had been nearly unbeatable to that point.
"Those are always nice to get," Karlsson said. "And I think that the amount of pucks that we put at the net we deserved one of those."
It was the last of 43 shots at Lundqvist and the first goal of the playoffs for the Ottawa captain.
"There's three guys in line with that puck and I pick it up, but it just hit me in the head and it's in," Lundqvist said.
It was Karlsson's first goal and seventh point of the playoffs. The 26-year-old defenseman, who has been playing with a foot injury, also logged more than 28 minutes in the win.
Senators coach Guy Boucher was almost at a loss for words to describe a player who he believes is deserving of Hart Trophy consideration as league MVP this season.
"It's been so consistent that I guess I got used to it," Boucher said. "I don't know if that's good or bad, but I don't think you should ever get used to that. I think our fans have to appreciate what we have here. It's more than a star right now. That's what I think is unbelievable. He's a skilled player that became a star and now he's a winner."
Ryan McDonagh scored for New York, and Lundqvist finished with 41 saves.
Craig Anderson stopped 34 shots and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa, which eliminated Boston in six games in the first round.
Game 2 is Saturday.
The Senators, playing in front of several empty seats, had a chance for a fast start, but went 0 for 3 on the power play during a scoreless first period.
The 35-year-old Lundqvist was terrific, especially early on. He made 21 saves in the first, including a pair of stops on Mark Stone during a flurry around the net on Ottawa's first power play.
Lundqvist had a 1.70 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in the first round against Montreal.
"He made some big stops for us and kept it tight and we always know he's going to be there," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "You knew they were going to push in their building in Game 1 and we have to find a way to answer in Game 2. Playoffs come down to a bounce and one shot here or there and Thursday we were on the wrong side of it."
Anderson wasn't tested nearly as much at the other end, but was forced to hang tough when McDonagh walked past a row of Senators during a New York power play and made an attempt on goal that went wide.
The captain of the Rangers made the most of another power-play opportunity in the second, beating Anderson at 7:10 with pesky winger Chris Kreider camped out in front. New York went 1 for 15 with the man advantage in the first round.
Slumping through the first half of the middle period, the Sens grabbed momentum by punishing the Rangers with a series of heavy shifts down low in the offensive zone. The speedy Viktor Stalberg nearly scored when he slipped behind the New York defense at one point, but he was turned away.
Ottawa finally broke through with another power play - on the second of two minor penalties for rookie Brady Skjei.
Lundqvist brushed aside Kyle Turris' shot from the left face-off circle, but the rebound came right to Dzingel and he converted the Sens' 33rd shot.
It was more Lundqvist in the third. He denied Clarke MacArthur on a redirection from the slot, and then turned away Dzingel, who had gotten behind the New York defense. Lundqvist snatched his shot with the glove as the Canadian Tire Centre crowd murmured in frustration.
NOTES: Dozens of rows in the upper bowl were completely empty, and there was even a noticeable smattering of vacant seats in the lower bowl. The Senators had no comment when asked about the empty seats at the game and the attendance was not announced. The official game sheet said 16,744 fans were in the 19,153-seat arena.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Erik Karlsson was hoping for a good bounce. He got a great one.
Karlsson's shot from an almost impossible angle beat Henrik Lundqvist with 4:11 left in the third period, sending the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in the opener of their second-round playoff series on Thursday night.
Karlsson's first attempt was blocked by Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, but the second - the shot leaving his tape from below the goal line - somehow found its way past the Swedish goaltender, who had been nearly unbeatable to that point.
"Those are always nice to get," Karlsson said. "And I think that the amount of pucks that we put at the net we deserved one of those."
It was the last of 43 shots at Lundqvist and the first goal of the playoffs for the Ottawa captain.
"There's three guys in line with that puck and I pick it up, but it just hit me in the head and it's in," Lundqvist said.
It was Karlsson's first goal and seventh point of the playoffs. The 26-year-old defenseman, who has been playing with a foot injury, also logged more than 28 minutes in the win.
Senators coach Guy Boucher was almost at a loss for words to describe a player who he believes is deserving of Hart Trophy consideration as league MVP this season.
"It's been so consistent that I guess I got used to it," Boucher said. "I don't know if that's good or bad, but I don't think you should ever get used to that. I think our fans have to appreciate what we have here. It's more than a star right now. That's what I think is unbelievable. He's a skilled player that became a star and now he's a winner."
Ryan McDonagh scored for New York, and Lundqvist finished with 41 saves.
Craig Anderson stopped 34 shots and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa, which eliminated Boston in six games in the first round.
Game 2 is Saturday.
The Senators, playing in front of several empty seats, had a chance for a fast start, but went 0 for 3 on the power play during a scoreless first period.
The 35-year-old Lundqvist was terrific, especially early on. He made 21 saves in the first, including a pair of stops on Mark Stone during a flurry around the net on Ottawa's first power play.
Lundqvist had a 1.70 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in the first round against Montreal.
"He made some big stops for us and kept it tight and we always know he's going to be there," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "You knew they were going to push in their building in Game 1 and we have to find a way to answer in Game 2. Playoffs come down to a bounce and one shot here or there and Thursday we were on the wrong side of it."
Anderson wasn't tested nearly as much at the other end, but was forced to hang tough when McDonagh walked past a row of Senators during a New York power play and made an attempt on goal that went wide.
The captain of the Rangers made the most of another power-play opportunity in the second, beating Anderson at 7:10 with pesky winger Chris Kreider camped out in front. New York went 1 for 15 with the man advantage in the first round.
Slumping through the first half of the middle period, the Sens grabbed momentum by punishing the Rangers with a series of heavy shifts down low in the offensive zone. The speedy Viktor Stalberg nearly scored when he slipped behind the New York defense at one point, but he was turned away.
Ottawa finally broke through with another power play - on the second of two minor penalties for rookie Brady Skjei.
Lundqvist brushed aside Kyle Turris' shot from the left face-off circle, but the rebound came right to Dzingel and he converted the Sens' 33rd shot.
It was more Lundqvist in the third. He denied Clarke MacArthur on a redirection from the slot, and then turned away Dzingel, who had gotten behind the New York defense. Lundqvist snatched his shot with the glove as the Canadian Tire Centre crowd murmured in frustration.
NOTES: Dozens of rows in the upper bowl were completely empty, and there was even a noticeable smattering of vacant seats in the lower bowl. The Senators had no comment when asked about the empty seats at the game and the attendance was not announced. The official game sheet said 16,744 fans were in the 19,153-seat arena.
NHL Playoff Capsules (April 28, 2017)
WASHINGTON (AP) – Sidney Crosby scored two goals in 52 seconds, Nick Bonino had the winner in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Thursday night.
Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin got much of the buzz heading into the showdown of two of NHL’s best teams, and Ovechkin collected his fourth goal of the playoffs. Evgeny Kuznetsov tied it in the third, but Marc-Andre Fleury made 15 of his 32 saves in the final period to help the defending Stanley Cup champions to the victory.
Crosby was a threat to score just about every time he touched the puck. He beat Braden Holtby with his first two shots of the second period.
Holtby stopped 18 shots, but he allowed Bonino’s goal at 12:36.
Game 2 is Saturday night.
SENATORS 2, RANGERS 1
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Erik Karlsson scored on a bad-angle shot with 4:11 left in the third period, lifting Ottawa to the win in the opener of its second-round playoff series.
The Senators captain beat fellow Swede Henrik Lundqvist from just above the goal line. The shot pinged off Rangers center Derek Stepan before going into the net.
It was Karlsson’s first goal and seventh point of the playoffs. The 26-year-old defenseman, who has been playing with a foot injury, also logged more than 28 minutes in the win.
Game 2 is Saturday.
Ryan McDonagh scored for New York, and Lundqvist finished with 41 saves.
Craig Anderson stopped 33 shots and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa, which eliminated Boston in six games in the first round.
Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin got much of the buzz heading into the showdown of two of NHL’s best teams, and Ovechkin collected his fourth goal of the playoffs. Evgeny Kuznetsov tied it in the third, but Marc-Andre Fleury made 15 of his 32 saves in the final period to help the defending Stanley Cup champions to the victory.
Crosby was a threat to score just about every time he touched the puck. He beat Braden Holtby with his first two shots of the second period.
Holtby stopped 18 shots, but he allowed Bonino’s goal at 12:36.
Game 2 is Saturday night.
SENATORS 2, RANGERS 1
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Erik Karlsson scored on a bad-angle shot with 4:11 left in the third period, lifting Ottawa to the win in the opener of its second-round playoff series.
The Senators captain beat fellow Swede Henrik Lundqvist from just above the goal line. The shot pinged off Rangers center Derek Stepan before going into the net.
It was Karlsson’s first goal and seventh point of the playoffs. The 26-year-old defenseman, who has been playing with a foot injury, also logged more than 28 minutes in the win.
Game 2 is Saturday.
Ryan McDonagh scored for New York, and Lundqvist finished with 41 saves.
Craig Anderson stopped 33 shots and Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa, which eliminated Boston in six games in the first round.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Penguins, Capitals set to renew rivalry
Stats, LLC
WASHINGTON -- The NHL playoffs might be peaking too soon as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night.
The top two teams left in the postseason are meeting in the conference semis for the second straight year. Pittsburgh defeated top-seeded Washington in six games in last year's conference semifinals en route to capturing the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Penguins are 8-1 in playoff series vs. the Capitals, and have won both meetings during the Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin era.
"We lost in Game 6 (in 2016) and Game 7 (in 2009). You just have to move forward," said Ovechkin, who has 10 goals and 13 assists in the 13 games. "You don't have to be afraid. You know you play against Stanley Cup champion and they are a very good team, but so are we. This battle has to be done if we want to get success."
The Penguins, who finished second behind the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division by going 50-21-11 (111 points), ousted the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games in the first round, while Washington 55-19-8 (118 points) bested the stubborn Toronto Maple Leafs in six.
This will be the first time since the 2001 Stanley Cup Final (Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils) that the NHL's top-two teams from the regular season will meet in a playoff series.
Five of Washington's first-round games went to overtime and the speedy Maple Leafs likely were a good test before facing the fast-paced Penguins.
"They're a high-pressure team with their skating, their speed," Washington head coach Barry Trotz said of the Penguins. "They pressure on the forecheck, they try to create turnovers. (They get) 50-50 pucks, and they turn that into opportunities and that's sort of what Toronto does."
Pittsburgh enters the series minus defenseman Kris Letang, who is done for the season, and (for now) goaltender Matt Murray. Forward Carl Hagelin, who had three goals and seven points in last year's playoff series, has been out since March with a lower-body injury, but practiced Wednesday.
"Big step today, getting involved in team practice," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's getting eager. Take it day-to-day. He's a lot closer."
Two injured Penguins, forward Chris Kunitz and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, will be game-time decisions.
Washington defenseman Karl Alzner (upper body) remains day-to-day, though Nate Schmidt has stepped in and performed extremely well.
Depth is a strength for both teams and while it is billed as Crosby vs. Ovechkin, the series could easily come down to Marcus Johansson or Jake Guentzel. Johansson was one of six Capitals -- led by Ovechkin and Oshie with 33 -- to score 19 or more goals.
"They're a good forechecking team. They can create offense off the rush," Sullivan said. "They've got some dynamic forwards in their lineup and we're going to have to be aware when they're on the ice."
Guentzel, a rookie, scored five goals vs. Columbus in the first round. During the regular season, he was one of seven Penguins to score 16 or more goals. Crosby led the team and league with 44.
Braden Holtby finished the Toronto series with a 2.36 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. After allowing four goals in each of the first three games, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner stopped 61 of 63 shots in Games 5 and 6.
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had a 2.52 GAA and .933 save percentage against Columbus that included a 49-save effort in a 5-2 series-clinching win.
Washington went 2-0-2 against Pittsburgh in the regular season, outscoring the Penguins 21-14.
"It is going to be a battle," Penguins defenseman Ian Cole said. "They are a great team and have a lot of great players and everyone here is excited for that. We ended up winning last year, which is great, but everyone here knows the margin of error is very small come playoff time.
"A couple bounces here or there and they very easily could have won that series. We know we need to be at our best every shift that we're out there."
Nicklas Backstrom recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in four games against the Penguins, and Oshie ranked second with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Holtby was 2-0-1 with a 2.74 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Evgeni Malkin had five goals and one assist against Washington, while Crosby had a goal and four assists. Fleury was 1-1-0 with a 4.02 GAA and .884 save percentage in two games.
"I think we both know what to expect," Washington's Brooks Orpik said. "It's just a matter of who executes better within the series."
WASHINGTON -- The NHL playoffs might be peaking too soon as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night.
The top two teams left in the postseason are meeting in the conference semis for the second straight year. Pittsburgh defeated top-seeded Washington in six games in last year's conference semifinals en route to capturing the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Penguins are 8-1 in playoff series vs. the Capitals, and have won both meetings during the Sidney Crosby-Alex Ovechkin era.
"We lost in Game 6 (in 2016) and Game 7 (in 2009). You just have to move forward," said Ovechkin, who has 10 goals and 13 assists in the 13 games. "You don't have to be afraid. You know you play against Stanley Cup champion and they are a very good team, but so are we. This battle has to be done if we want to get success."
The Penguins, who finished second behind the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division by going 50-21-11 (111 points), ousted the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games in the first round, while Washington 55-19-8 (118 points) bested the stubborn Toronto Maple Leafs in six.
This will be the first time since the 2001 Stanley Cup Final (Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils) that the NHL's top-two teams from the regular season will meet in a playoff series.
Five of Washington's first-round games went to overtime and the speedy Maple Leafs likely were a good test before facing the fast-paced Penguins.
"They're a high-pressure team with their skating, their speed," Washington head coach Barry Trotz said of the Penguins. "They pressure on the forecheck, they try to create turnovers. (They get) 50-50 pucks, and they turn that into opportunities and that's sort of what Toronto does."
Pittsburgh enters the series minus defenseman Kris Letang, who is done for the season, and (for now) goaltender Matt Murray. Forward Carl Hagelin, who had three goals and seven points in last year's playoff series, has been out since March with a lower-body injury, but practiced Wednesday.
"Big step today, getting involved in team practice," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's getting eager. Take it day-to-day. He's a lot closer."
Two injured Penguins, forward Chris Kunitz and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, will be game-time decisions.
Washington defenseman Karl Alzner (upper body) remains day-to-day, though Nate Schmidt has stepped in and performed extremely well.
Depth is a strength for both teams and while it is billed as Crosby vs. Ovechkin, the series could easily come down to Marcus Johansson or Jake Guentzel. Johansson was one of six Capitals -- led by Ovechkin and Oshie with 33 -- to score 19 or more goals.
"They're a good forechecking team. They can create offense off the rush," Sullivan said. "They've got some dynamic forwards in their lineup and we're going to have to be aware when they're on the ice."
Guentzel, a rookie, scored five goals vs. Columbus in the first round. During the regular season, he was one of seven Penguins to score 16 or more goals. Crosby led the team and league with 44.
Braden Holtby finished the Toronto series with a 2.36 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. After allowing four goals in each of the first three games, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner stopped 61 of 63 shots in Games 5 and 6.
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had a 2.52 GAA and .933 save percentage against Columbus that included a 49-save effort in a 5-2 series-clinching win.
Washington went 2-0-2 against Pittsburgh in the regular season, outscoring the Penguins 21-14.
"It is going to be a battle," Penguins defenseman Ian Cole said. "They are a great team and have a lot of great players and everyone here is excited for that. We ended up winning last year, which is great, but everyone here knows the margin of error is very small come playoff time.
"A couple bounces here or there and they very easily could have won that series. We know we need to be at our best every shift that we're out there."
Nicklas Backstrom recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in four games against the Penguins, and Oshie ranked second with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Holtby was 2-0-1 with a 2.74 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Evgeni Malkin had five goals and one assist against Washington, while Crosby had a goal and four assists. Fleury was 1-1-0 with a 4.02 GAA and .884 save percentage in two games.
"I think we both know what to expect," Washington's Brooks Orpik said. "It's just a matter of who executes better within the series."
Brassard, Zibanejad insist focus should be on Senators-Rangers
Stats, LLC
OTTAWA -- Try as he might, Derick Brassard could not change the storyline for Thursday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers at Canadian Tire Centre.
"It's not about me and Mika," the Senators center said after Wednesday's practice, referring to Rangers center Mika Zibanejad -- the player he was traded to Ottawa for last summer. "There are other guys on the teams. It's about the 23 guys on both rosters."
True enough, but they were the scoring leaders of their respective squads in the first round, with Brassard racking up eight points (two goals) in Ottawa's six-game elimination of the Boston Bruins and Zibanejad picking up four points (one goal, an overtime winner) in New York's six-game bouncing of the Montreal Canadiens.
It has been a particularly strong resurgence for Brassard, the 29-year-old who had a disappointing regular season (14 goals, 39 points in 81 games) but also owns the reputation of being a strong playoff performer.
"There's always pressure," said Brassard, who led the Rangers in postseason scoring three of the last four springs and now has 20 goals and 52 points in 65 playoff games. "I think I can handle it pretty well. I've always showed up on the big stage.
"At this time of year, you expect guys to step up and be better players. You see a lot of players on our team doing that and that's why we're here today."
The Senators moved the promising 24-year-old Zibanejad because, after missing the playoffs two of the last three seasons, they had a must-win now mentality. In his first season on Broadway, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Swede had 14 goals and 37 points while being limited to 56 games because of a broken fibula.
"When I saw the schedule and I saw the playoff tree, I knew it was a possibility that it was going to be them," Zibanejad told the Rangers website of facing the team that made him the sixth overall pick of the 2011 entry draft. "It's like any other team now and I just want to get to four first.
"For me, it's just winning this series. Taking a game at a time and winning. It's all about the team right now. I knew it was going to come up and be brought up a lot, but for me, try and just win."
The Rangers are favored to advance, but fully expected is a low-scoring, close series. New York will have to deal with Ottawa's suffocating 1-3-1 defensive structure and the Senators will have their hands full with a veteran blue line that will pose bigger problems than they faced against the Bruins, who had three regular defensemen injured.
Senators coach Guy Boucher, a psychology major, reached into his background while addressing the media Wednesday.
"From what I hear from everybody, we don't seem to have much of a chance," Boucher said. "The odds are 10/1 in Vegas against us. Everybody seems to think they're going to roll all over us so I guess they're a pretty good team.
"They don't have many flaws, but I also know they're getting urgency now to win that Cup because they've been talking about it for many years now. That's how we consider those guys, Stanley Cup contenders year after year, and that's what they're after now so that's what we're up against."
The Senators could get a boost from the return of Tom Pyatt, a defensively sound winger who was knocked out of the Bruins series with an upper-body injury in Game 4. But ruled out Wednesday was Mark Borowiecki, a physical defenseman who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2.
The Rangers have no injuries.
OTTAWA -- Try as he might, Derick Brassard could not change the storyline for Thursday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers at Canadian Tire Centre.
"It's not about me and Mika," the Senators center said after Wednesday's practice, referring to Rangers center Mika Zibanejad -- the player he was traded to Ottawa for last summer. "There are other guys on the teams. It's about the 23 guys on both rosters."
True enough, but they were the scoring leaders of their respective squads in the first round, with Brassard racking up eight points (two goals) in Ottawa's six-game elimination of the Boston Bruins and Zibanejad picking up four points (one goal, an overtime winner) in New York's six-game bouncing of the Montreal Canadiens.
It has been a particularly strong resurgence for Brassard, the 29-year-old who had a disappointing regular season (14 goals, 39 points in 81 games) but also owns the reputation of being a strong playoff performer.
"There's always pressure," said Brassard, who led the Rangers in postseason scoring three of the last four springs and now has 20 goals and 52 points in 65 playoff games. "I think I can handle it pretty well. I've always showed up on the big stage.
"At this time of year, you expect guys to step up and be better players. You see a lot of players on our team doing that and that's why we're here today."
The Senators moved the promising 24-year-old Zibanejad because, after missing the playoffs two of the last three seasons, they had a must-win now mentality. In his first season on Broadway, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Swede had 14 goals and 37 points while being limited to 56 games because of a broken fibula.
"When I saw the schedule and I saw the playoff tree, I knew it was a possibility that it was going to be them," Zibanejad told the Rangers website of facing the team that made him the sixth overall pick of the 2011 entry draft. "It's like any other team now and I just want to get to four first.
"For me, it's just winning this series. Taking a game at a time and winning. It's all about the team right now. I knew it was going to come up and be brought up a lot, but for me, try and just win."
The Rangers are favored to advance, but fully expected is a low-scoring, close series. New York will have to deal with Ottawa's suffocating 1-3-1 defensive structure and the Senators will have their hands full with a veteran blue line that will pose bigger problems than they faced against the Bruins, who had three regular defensemen injured.
Senators coach Guy Boucher, a psychology major, reached into his background while addressing the media Wednesday.
"From what I hear from everybody, we don't seem to have much of a chance," Boucher said. "The odds are 10/1 in Vegas against us. Everybody seems to think they're going to roll all over us so I guess they're a pretty good team.
"They don't have many flaws, but I also know they're getting urgency now to win that Cup because they've been talking about it for many years now. That's how we consider those guys, Stanley Cup contenders year after year, and that's what they're after now so that's what we're up against."
The Senators could get a boost from the return of Tom Pyatt, a defensively sound winger who was knocked out of the Bruins series with an upper-body injury in Game 4. But ruled out Wednesday was Mark Borowiecki, a physical defenseman who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2.
The Rangers have no injuries.
GM McPhee weighs hopes of Vegas hitting NHL lottery jackpot
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer
As jackpots go in Las Vegas, George McPhee wouldn't mind little lady luck being on the side of his Golden Knights expansion franchise when the NHL holds its draft lottery on Saturday.
"That would be so like Vegas in its first lottery, winning it," the Golden Knights general manager told The Associated Press by phone. "That would be something."
The odds, aren't that bad for a franchise preparing to open its first season in October.
The Golden Knights and desert rival Arizona Coyotes have each been awarded a 10.3 percent chance of winning the lottery, giving them the third-best shot at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft in June. The Colorado Avalanche, with an 18 percent chance, have the best odds after finishing with the league's worst record this season, followed by the Vancouver Canucks (12.1 percent chance).
At worst, the Golden Knights will select no lower than No. 6.
"We'll go in there having our fingers crossed," said McPhee, who will attend the lottery drawing in Toronto. "This will be another first for us."
McPhee can also attest to knowing how teams with the best odds don't always win.
He was the Capitals general manager in 2004, when Washington won the lottery by vaulting from third to first to claim the right to draft Alex Ovechkin. The Edmonton Oilers bucked the odds in 2015, when they also moved up from third to first and selected once-in-a-generation talent in Connor McDavid.
Though there have been various formats since the NHL introduced the lottery in 1995, teams with the best odds have won it just seven of 21 times. That included last year, when the Toronto Maple Leafs retained the top pick to end a five-year run of last-place teams losing the lottery. They drafted rookie-of-the-year finalist Auston Matthews.
McPhee understands how a No. 1 pick has the best potential to spur a franchise's growth - particularly a newcomer such as Vegas.
"Ovechkin's done that for Washington, and McDavid and Matthews and Eichel," he said, in reference to Sabres forward Jack Eichel, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. "And they can really turn a town that isn't already a hockey town into a hockey town."
This year's class of draft prospects lacks the buzz McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Winnipeg's Patrik Laine generated the previous two years.
NHL Central Scouting ranks Nolan Patrick as its top prospect even though the forward for the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings missed 35 regular-season and four playoff games due to injuries this year. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Patrick finished with 20 goals and 46 points in 33 games. Swiss-born forward Nico Hischier is ranked second after earning Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rookie-of-the-year honors playing for Halifax.
TV analyst and former Flames general manager Craig Button assessed Nolan by saying: "I don't see a player going into this draft that is better than Nolan Patrick." Button disputed the notion of this year's class as being weak by saying the comparisons are skewed by the exceptional talent featured in the two previous years.
"If you're going to compare it to the last top-two picks, well, good luck. You've got no chance," Button said. "But I see lots of good players in this draft."
McPhee declined to share his impressions of Nolan by saying it would be unfair to do so at the expense of other prospects. And he hedged his bets when assessing this year's crop of prospects.
"There are good players in every draft and you have to find them," McPhee said. "If it's a good draft, everybody seems to find a player. If it's not, it's the best drafting teams that come up with players and create separation between organizations."
---
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
AP Hockey Writer
As jackpots go in Las Vegas, George McPhee wouldn't mind little lady luck being on the side of his Golden Knights expansion franchise when the NHL holds its draft lottery on Saturday.
"That would be so like Vegas in its first lottery, winning it," the Golden Knights general manager told The Associated Press by phone. "That would be something."
The odds, aren't that bad for a franchise preparing to open its first season in October.
The Golden Knights and desert rival Arizona Coyotes have each been awarded a 10.3 percent chance of winning the lottery, giving them the third-best shot at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft in June. The Colorado Avalanche, with an 18 percent chance, have the best odds after finishing with the league's worst record this season, followed by the Vancouver Canucks (12.1 percent chance).
At worst, the Golden Knights will select no lower than No. 6.
"We'll go in there having our fingers crossed," said McPhee, who will attend the lottery drawing in Toronto. "This will be another first for us."
McPhee can also attest to knowing how teams with the best odds don't always win.
He was the Capitals general manager in 2004, when Washington won the lottery by vaulting from third to first to claim the right to draft Alex Ovechkin. The Edmonton Oilers bucked the odds in 2015, when they also moved up from third to first and selected once-in-a-generation talent in Connor McDavid.
Though there have been various formats since the NHL introduced the lottery in 1995, teams with the best odds have won it just seven of 21 times. That included last year, when the Toronto Maple Leafs retained the top pick to end a five-year run of last-place teams losing the lottery. They drafted rookie-of-the-year finalist Auston Matthews.
McPhee understands how a No. 1 pick has the best potential to spur a franchise's growth - particularly a newcomer such as Vegas.
"Ovechkin's done that for Washington, and McDavid and Matthews and Eichel," he said, in reference to Sabres forward Jack Eichel, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft. "And they can really turn a town that isn't already a hockey town into a hockey town."
This year's class of draft prospects lacks the buzz McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Winnipeg's Patrik Laine generated the previous two years.
NHL Central Scouting ranks Nolan Patrick as its top prospect even though the forward for the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings missed 35 regular-season and four playoff games due to injuries this year. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Patrick finished with 20 goals and 46 points in 33 games. Swiss-born forward Nico Hischier is ranked second after earning Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rookie-of-the-year honors playing for Halifax.
TV analyst and former Flames general manager Craig Button assessed Nolan by saying: "I don't see a player going into this draft that is better than Nolan Patrick." Button disputed the notion of this year's class as being weak by saying the comparisons are skewed by the exceptional talent featured in the two previous years.
"If you're going to compare it to the last top-two picks, well, good luck. You've got no chance," Button said. "But I see lots of good players in this draft."
McPhee declined to share his impressions of Nolan by saying it would be unfair to do so at the expense of other prospects. And he hedged his bets when assessing this year's crop of prospects.
"There are good players in every draft and you have to find them," McPhee said. "If it's a good draft, everybody seems to find a player. If it's not, it's the best drafting teams that come up with players and create separation between organizations."
---
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
---
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
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