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2011 NHL Playoff Coverage
Tampa Bay Lighting 8 Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Game 5; Penguins lead series 3-2
Penguins looked to wrap up their first round series at home yesterday; that was until Lightning struck in the Consol Energy Center, eight times.
It would be Simon Gagne with his first of the post season to put the Lightning on the score board first followed less than a minute later by Steven Stamkos. Stamkos netted his first NHL playoff goal to make it 2-0 Lightning before heading off ice for the first intermission.
The second period would see a surge in Lightning as 1:55 into the period captain Vincent Lecavalier would make it 3-0. Simon Gagne would net his second of the night just over five minutes into the period followed by Stamkos again just a few minutes later to bring the Lightning strikes to five with more than half of the game left to play.
Pittsburgh would open the third period with a hi-sticking penalty to Alex Kovalev that would see a slap shot from Pavel Kubina make it 6-0 Tampa on the power play.
Just over a minute after the Kubina goal Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson would be called for roughing and put the Penguins back on the penalty kill where Kubina would tip-in a shot for his second of the night to make it 7-0 Lightning.
Less than a minute after the second Kubina goal Penguins Michael Rupp would score his first of the post season to put the home team on the scoreboard. Shortly after the Rupp goal Chris Conner would net a second for Pittsburgh with a wrist shot past Dwyane Roloson.
From 11:48 – 15:35 the Penguins would be called for three separate slashing and boarding calls that would see Dominic Moore make it 8-2 for Tampa on the power play.
Shortly after the Lightning’s Steve Downie would receive a roughing minor and a misconduct while Penguins Brooks Orpik would take a misconduct.
New York Rangers 1 Washington Capitals 3 Game 5; Capitals claim series
For a second playoff appearance in a row the Rangers were ousted by the Capitals.
It would all start with a penalty.
Early in the first period Rangers defenseman Bryan McCabe would take a tripping penalty that would lead to a power play goal from Capitals defenseman Mike Green. Green and captain Alex Ovechkin were celebrating on one side of the ice when a scrum broke out that saw Rangers Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury called for roughing, while Capitals Alexander Semin and Brooks Laich would be called for coincidental roughing minors as well. Adding insult to injury New York’s Vinny Prospal would take an abuse of officials penalty as well.
The second period would see Ovechkin out work Rangers defenseman Marc Staal and go backhand on Henrik Lundqvist for a 2-0 lead.
It would be Alexander Semin with the third goal for Washington late in the third that would set Capitals fans ablaze and distinguish the hopes of the Rangers of continuing their post season.
At 19:28 in the third it would be Rangers Wojtek Wolski with his first of the playoffs to give the Rangers a goal only to see another scuffle break out and Capitals John Erskine would get a two minute roughing while Rangers Sean Avery would get a misconduct, Ruslan Fedotenko would get a roughing penalty while Bryan McCabe got a roughing and the misconduct to end the season for the Rangers.
Montreal Canadiens 1 Boston Bruins 2 (2OT) Game 5; Bruins lead series 3-2
It took 51 shots on goal and two extra periods but the Boston Bruins are now one win away from claiming the series between two Original Six rivals.
Just over four minute into the third period it was Brad Marchand with a wrist shot past Carey Price to give the Bruins the first lead of the game. It took the Canadiens nearly ten minutes to answer back. Jeff Halpern scored his first of the post season as he put one past Tim Thomas to make it a tie game and eventually force not one, but two, overtime periods.
Boston’s Nathan Horton would put one past Price just over nine minutes into the second overtime and claim the series lead for the Bruins who will head back to Montreal on Tuesday to take on the Canadiens in the Bell Center with hopes of wrapping up the series.
Los Angeles Kings 3 San Jose Sharks 1 Game 5; Sharks lead series 3-2
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick lived up to his name saving 51 shots from the Sharks to keep Los Angeles playoff hopes alive.
Striking early would be Kings Wayne Simmonds with a tipped-in goal off of a shot from Kyle Clifford. Minutes later Clifford would put the puck past Antti Niemi with a slap shot to give the Kings a 2-0 lead.
Just over a minute after the Kings took a 2-0 lead it would be Dustin Penner that would make it 3-0 for Los Angeles and would see Antero Niittymaki replace Niemi in net after giving up three goals on four shots.
It would be Patrick Marleau with the lone goal for the Sharks in the second period as he would put a slap shot past Quick whom netted a 0.981 save percentage for the night to earn to star of the game.
The Sharks and the Kings will face off in game six tomorrow in Los Angeles at 10:00 p.m. EST on TSN and RDS.
Up into the Netting
Somebody told me… that hockey fans like parodies. (Lyrics)
Feeling like taking a stand?
Well let them fly…
And just because the Maple Leafs didn’t make the post season doesn’t mean we can leave out Reimer…
Your Easter Sunday NHL Playoff Lineup
Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres
Game 6; Sabres lead series 3-2
3:00 p.m. EST on TSN, NBC, RDS
Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators
Game 6; Predators lead series 3-2
6:00 p.m. EST on TSN, RIS
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks
Game 6; Canucks lead series 3-2
7:30 p.m. EST on CBC, Versus, RDS