Nash, Guentzel, Pavelski named our 'Three Stars of the Night'

NEW YORK -- UNB! Network NHL/hockey blog "The Neutral Zone" has named Rick Nash, Jake Guentzel, and Joe Pavelski as their 'Three Stars of the Night' for all NHL Playoff games taking place on April 18, 2017.

FIRST STAR - RICK NASH, F, NEW YORK RANGERS
Nash scored the go-ahead goal at 4:28 of the second period as the Rangers evened their series at 2-2. Nash scored his second career game-winning goal in the postseason (also Game 2 of 2014 Conference Final at Montreal). Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Nash is 5th in Rangers playoff history with 2 career GWG vs. Montreal (Cook, Graves, MacGregor, Slowinski).

SECOND STAR - JAKE GUENTZEL, F, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Guentzel is first player with five goals in his first four career playoff games since Maurice Richard in 1944.

THIRD STAR - JOE PAVELSKI, F, SAN JOSE SHARKS
Pavelski scored 15 seconds into the contest to establish a Sharks record for fastest goal to begin a playoff game. Pavelski eclipsed the mark set by Dany Heatley in Game 1 of the 2011 Conference Quarterfinals vs. the Kings (0:28).

Lundqvist, Nash out for Rangers vs. Hurricanes

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and forward Rick Nash will not play against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; FS-CR, MSG, NHL.TV) because of injury.

Lundqvist (lower body) and Nash (upper body) are listed as day to day.

Lundqvist made 43 saves in a 5-2 victory at the Florida Panthers on Tuesday to move into 10th place on the all-time NHL wins list with 404. He is 30-17-2 with a 2.65 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and two shutouts in 51 games this season.

Nash, who had an assist Tuesday, has 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists) in 55 games.

"Both Nash and Lundqvist are day to day," coach Alain Vigneault said. "Obviously {Lundqvist] was in the last game. Nash has been carrying this upper-body injury and it's just too painful today."

Forward Mark Puempel, who did not dress for each of the past two games, will take Nash's place in the lineup and skate on a line with Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes.

The Rangers will also be without forward Michael Grabner, who will miss his fifth consecutive game with a hip injury.

The Rangers recalled goalie Brandon Halverson from Greenville of the ECHL on an emergency basis. He will back up starter Antti Raanta on Thursday.