NHL Playoff Roundup: Hurricanes, Penguins win in OT
Published 12:00 am Friday, April 17, 2009
Associated Press
The NHL roundup …
NEWARK, N.J. ó Defenseman Tim Gleason scored his first NHL playoff goal on a slap shot at 2:40 of overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 Friday night, tying their first round playoff series at a game apiece.
Gleason’s shot from the right point appeared to hit the skate of Devils defenseman Niclas Havelid and carom past defenseless goalie Martin Brodeur.
Eric Staal, who provided a screen in front of Brodeur, scored the other goal for the Hurricanes. Carolina, which lost the series opener 4-1 on Wednesday, seemed to find its game in the second period on Friday.
Zach Parise tallied for the Devils, who lost captain Jamie Langenbrunner to a lower body injury in the second period.
Carolina nearly won the game less than a minute earlier on a similar play. Defenseman Joni Pitkanen took a shot from the left circle that appeared to hit a Devils defenseman and Rod Brind’Amour before clanging off the goal post.
Brodeur, who finished with 30 saves, wasn’t so lucky the second time as Carolina beat New Jersey for the fifth time in five postseason overtime games. Carolina’s Cam Ward made 33 saves for the win.
The Hurricanes killed 5 of 6 Devils power plays, including a couple which resulted after foolish penalties.
New Jersey had a great chance to take the lead early in the third period, but 45-goal scorer Zach Parise banged a shot off the left post on a 2-on-1 break.
Ward was also good in the third period, making outstanding glove saves on Bryce Salvador with 10:55 left in regulation and another against Travis Zajac with 3:07 to go.
Penguins 3, Flyers 2, OT
PITTSBURGH ó Bill Guerin scored his second goal of the game after Pittsburgh went on a rare two-man advantage in overtime, and the Penguins went up two games in their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Guerin, at 38 the oldest player on a mostly young team, took Sergei Gonchar’s pass from center point and skated toward the net from the low left circle, faked a pass and beat goalie Martin Biron on a shot that deflected off the left post and into the net 18:29 into overtime.
Guerin also scored the goal that tied it at 1 late in the second period, and Evgeni Malkin tied it at 2 with 3:37 remaining in the third after rookie Darroll Powe’s goal put the determined Flyers up early in the period.