Rangers win Game 1, 4-2
Brian Boyle celebrates his second period goal against the Ottawa Senators during Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. (April 12, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, teams need difference-makers. Henrik Lundqvist was that Thursday night, stopping 30 shots as the Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-2, in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
In front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd, Lundqvist made 13 saves in the first period and 11 in the second as the Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the first 40 minutes on even-strength goals by Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik and Brian Boyle.
Brad Richards added the fourth goal when Carl Hagelin, forechecking hard, stole the puck from Nick Foligno behind the net and found Richards in front at 2:15 of the third period.
Game 2 in the first-ever best-of-seven series between the two clubs will be played Saturdaynight at the Garden.
After finishing the regular season with a career-best 39 wins and 1.97 goals-against average, Lundqvist stepped up against the potent Senators, especially when the Rangers were sagging in the second while trying to hold on to a 1-0 lead.
Lundqvist made four saves as the Rangers lost a little control, and coach John Tortorella called a timeout at 9:51.
"We were hemmed in for a bit in our end a while and Hank made a few big saves," Dan Girardi said. "It gave us a second to calm down and get ourselves going the other way."
"We don't want to rely on Hank for that amount of time all at once," Richards said. "We got right back on track at the end of the second. It was probably a turning point right there."
The Rangers, continuing to play the grinding style that carried them to the top of the Eastern Conference, held the Senators to three shots on three power plays. The physical play picked up as the game went on, and the momentum really shifted after Stu Bickel nailed Milan Michalek from behind with a crosscheck at 15:13. Filip Kuba elbowed Brandon Prust after a shorthanded rush and Boyle tangled with rookie defenseman Erik Karlsson, with both going off.
Gaborik's unassisted goal came at 16:24 of the second with a beautiful move. He darted in from the right circle, stutter-stepped in front to force goaltender Craig Anderson to shift and fired the puck through the opening between his pads.
Boyle swooped in to grab Artem Anisimov's pass in the slot and beat Anderson at 19:06 as the puck went upper-corner and appeared to be deflected by Jason Spezza.
Anderson had been 6-0 at the Garden in his career.
When Daniel Alfredsson ended Lundqvist's shutout bid with a deflection in front at 10:05 of the third period on the Senators' 28th shot, fans responded with a resounding cheer for the Swedish goaltender, the team's MVP through the season. The Senators, showing their quick-strike capability, cut the lead to 4-2 when Erik Condra finished off a two-on-one with 2:19 left.
It was the first time the Rangers opened a playoff series at home since an Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Canadiens in 1996. They won that one and seven of the last 10 first-round series. On Thursday night, the Rangers came out to add another victory to that record.
Callahan opened the scoring at 12:01 of the first after Anton Stralman's shot was kicked to the lower right circle by Anderson. Callahan spun and slid a shot past his extended left skate.
"We had contributions from pretty much everyone," Boyle said. "It's a grind. That's the way you have to do it; they came physically and we tried to answer."
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