Associated PressNEWARK, N.J. ó Henrik Lundqvist and another flukey goal have the Rangers halfway to the second round, and the Devils wondering what they have to do to beat their longtime rival after a 2-1 New York win Friday night.
Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery scored 23 seconds apart early in the third period and Lundqvist made 26 saves in beating the Devils in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The win was the Rangers’ ninth in 10 games against New Jersey this season, and it gives New York a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that will shift across the river for Game 3 on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
John Madden finally put the Devils on the board with 1:23 to play, deflecting Elias’ slap shot between Lundqvist’s pads with goalie Martin Brodeur on the bench for an extra skater. It was only the Devils’ 11th goal in 10 games against the Swedish goalie this season.
Penguins 5, Senators 3
PITTSBURGH ó Ryan Malone scored Pittsburgh’s third power-play goal with only 1:02 remaining and the Penguins squandered a three-goal lead against Ottawa, then rallied for a sweep of their first two home games in the Eastern Conference series.
Petr Sykora scored two of the three goals set up by Evgeni Malkin as the Penguins.
Malone added an empty-net goal with 6.5 seconds remaining ó the Penguins’ 54th shot, easily their most in regulation in their playoff history.
Wild 3, Avalanche 2, OT ST. PAUL, Minn. ó Keith Carney scored on a slap shot 14 seconds into overtime to lift Minnesota past Colorado, tying the Western Conference series 1-1.