Penguins Stand Up To Rangers
Perhaps the Pittsburgh Penguins are teaching the New York Rangers that there are different ways to die.
They were accused by the Rangers of being a club full of Camilles, a bunch of swan-diving babies who pretended to expire on the ice every time they took a hit. Their defense was accused of being too raw, and their goaltender, Ken Wregget, was accused of playing second fiddle to Tom Barrasso.
But after a 4-1 Penguins victory on Thursday night by the road warriors, now 5-0 away from home in the playoffs, it was the Rangers who found themselves on the brink of expiration in this series, trailing three games to one.
On Thursday night, Wregget smothered 40 shots, two of the Pittsburgh “divers” scored goals, and it was a member of the Rangers defense corps, Jeff Beukeboom, who committed too raw a giveaway in front of his own net and effectively set up the third Pittsburgh goal.
That goal, slammed past Mike Richter by Glen Murray at 12 minutes, 19 seconds of the third period, was a virtual Rangers-killer. “That took the wind out of their sails,” said Wregget, who has stopped 129 Rangers shots, one of them a third-period rebound that he swept out of danger with with his head as he lay sprawled in his crease. “It was the only thing I had left,” he said.
At game’s end, it was left to Mario Lemieux, who contributed six shots and immeasurable poise, to sink the Rangers ship with an empty-netter.
“Now we’re up 3-1, so it’s do-or-die for them,” said Wregget.
Added Neil Wilkinson, one of the Penguins’ maligned rookie defensemen: “It was either that we’re diving, or we’re whining, or we’re crying, or we don’t have any defense, and so this series has been a challenge to us.”
Penguins 4, Rangers 1
Pittsburgh 1 1 2 - 4
N.Y. Rangers 0 1 0 - 1
First period-1, Pittsburgh, Jagr 7 (Smolinski, Dzidezic), 4:35. Second period-2, Pittsburgh, Nedved 7 (Francis, Zubov), 1:27. 3, New York, Graves 7 (Kurri, Leetch), 6:28 (pp). Third period-4, Pittsburgh, Murray 2, 12:19. 5, Pittsburgh, Lemieux 7 (Nedved), 19:31 (en).
Shots on goal-Pittsburgh 14-11-6-31. New York 16-13-12-41.Power-play opp.-Pittsburgh 0 of 4; New York 1 of 6.Goalies-Pittsburgh, Wregget 6-1 (41 shots-40 saves). New York, Richter 5-5 (30-27).A-18,200 (18,200).
Panthers 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
Miami
Dave Lowry scored 4:06 into overtime as Florida beat Philadelphia to knot their best-of-seven semifinal series at 2-2.
Lowry deflected a wrist shot by defenseman Ed Jovanovski past Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall for the winner.
The goal went under video review because the net came off its mooring.
“We were very worried as far as the overtime is concerned,” said Florida goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, who had a season-high 43 saves. “Maybe we exorcized some demons here tonight.”
Florida’s last OT win was Dec. 2, 1993.
Florida’s Ray Sheppard sat out with what the Panthers called numerous “bumps and bruises.”
Philadelphia 0 2 1 0 - 3
Florida 2 1 0 1 - 4
Period-1, Florida, Niedermayer 1, 1:02. 2, Florida, Niedermayer 2 (Woolley, Jovanovski), 8:23 (pp). Penalties- Laus, Fla (slashing), 5:50; Svoboda, Phi (goalie interference), 7:29; Dykhuis, Phi (cross-checking), 8:08; Jovanovski, Fla (roughing), 11:17.g 2 (Lindros), 16:18. 4, Philadelphia, Brind’Amour 2 (Svoboda, Quinn), 17:36. 5, Florida, Barnes 2 (Laus, Mellanby), 19:55. Penalties-Lindros, Phi (goalie interference), :58; Straka, Fla (goalie interference), 1:56; Laus, Fla (interference), 4:45; Therien, Phi (charging), 10:42; Mellanby, Fla (hooking), 16:48; Lindros, Phi (tripping), 18:22; Woolley, Fla (tripping), 18:45.adelphia, Renberg 3 (Hawerchuk, Brind’Amour), 18:53. Penalties-Quinn, Phi (holding), 1:41; Dykhuis, Phi, minor-misconduct (crosschecking), 5:56; Brind’amour, Phi (elbowing), 10:33; Woolley, Fla (holding), 11:11; Laus, Fla (high-sticking), 16:03; Otto, Phi (cross-checking), 16:03.
Overtime-7, Florida, Lowry 6 (Jovanovski), 4:06Powerplay opp.-Philadelphia 1 of 7; Florida 1 of 8.
Goalies-Philadelphia, Hextall 6-4-0 (32 shots-28 saves). Florida, Vanbiesbrouck 6-3-0 (46-43).
A-14,703 (14,503).