NEW YORK — Center Derick Brassard scored 27 seconds into the first period as the New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Rangers lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday night at MSG.
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh also scored for the Rangers, who received 24 saves from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Right winger Blake Comeau scored for the Penguins. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed two dubious goals but was otherwise solid in stopping 36 shots.
The Rangers took the early lead after left winger Rick Nash fired a long, seemingly harmlessly slap shot that led to a fat rebound off the pads of Fleury. Brassard stepped into the loose puck and buried it to put the Rangers ahead 1-0.
The Penguins took four minor penalties during an undisciplined first period and McDonagh made them pay. Defenseman Keith Yandle made a nice drop pass for McDonagh, who unleashed a shot from the blue line that skipped past Fleury to make it 2-0 with 4:44 left in the period.
The Penguins stayed out of the penalty box during the second period and pulled to within 2-1 on Comeau’s goal at 6:15. There was traffic in front of the net with Penguins center Max Lapierre tangling with Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle. A shot by defenseman Ben Lovejoy was stopped by Lundqvist, but Comeau fired the rebound home.
Over the final two periods, with the Penguins no longer on a mission to take penalties, the game was much more closely contested. After holding a 13-5 edge in shots in the first period, the Rangers outshot the Penguins 25-20 over the final 40 minutes.
Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi left the game midway through the third period after taking a wrist shot by left winger Chris Kunitz in the jaw.
The Penguins pulled Fleury for an extra skater with 1:15 remaining in regulation, but did not generate a dangerous scoring chance.
Red Wings 3, Lightning 2
TAMPA, Florida — The Tampa Bay Lightning, which had the NHL’s best home record in the regular season, opened the playoffs with a home loss Thursday night.
Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk scored twice to lead the Red Wings to a 3-2 win at Amalie Arena.
The Red Wings, seeded third in the Atlantic Division, won just one of four regular-season meetings with the Lightning but took the playoff opener despite being outshot 27-10 in the first two periods.
Detroit took a chance by starting Petr Mrazek, 23, in goal over veteran Jimmy Howard, 31, but Mrazek played superbly, making 44 saves. Howard is a former University of Maine star.
The Red Wings opened a 3-1 lead early in the third period on a shorthanded goal. Center Luke Glendening tracked down a loose puck deep in the Tampa Bay end, made a spin move to beat center Valtteri Filppula, then fired a backhander from behind past goalie Ben Bishop.
Tampa Bay pulled within one with 11:34 left after defenseman Nikita Nesterov scored his first career playoff goal. But he missed on a power play shortly after — the Lightning finished 0 of 7 with the man-advantage, including a six-on-four for the final 12.8 seconds.
Darling shines for Blackhawks
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Duncan Keith provided Chicago with a high in the second overtime on Wednesday, scoring the game-winner on a slapper from the left point as the Blackhawks wiped out a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 decision over the Nashville Predators and a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal.
Keith’s shot made a deserving winner out of backup goalie Scott Darling, a former UMaine player who replaced Corey Crawford after the first period. A former Nashville farmhand, Darling stopped all 42 shots he faced, including a spectacular post-to-post kick save on defenseman Ryan Ellis during a third-period power play.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wouldn’t commit to a starter for Game 2 Friday night, but he praised Darling’s effort.
“It was a great opportunity for him, and he seized the moment,” Quenneville said. “It’s one of the greatest performances you’re going to see.”
Meanwhile, Nashville absorbed a crushing loss despite outshooting Chicago 54-42.
Like the one the Predators assumed after a dominant first period that saw center Colin Wilson sandwich goals around an easy tally for left winger Viktor Stalberg. Crawford contributed to his early departure, misplaying the puck behind the net as Nashville center Calle Jarnkrok swiped it and fed Stalberg for a virtual empty-netter.
Quenneville opted for Darling, equally peeved at his team and Crawford for the opening 20 minutes.
“I was nervous and excited all at the same time,” Darling said.
Darling eased into the game as Chicago stormed the Predators’ end, and the Blackhawks tied the score in the second period’s first 14 minutes. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson got the Blackhawks on the board at 1:43, and left winger Patrick Sharp and center Jonathan Toews followed with power-play markers.
Right winger Patrick Kane, back after missing the regular season’s final 21 games due to a fractured left collarbone, notched assists on both power-play goals.
The 6-foot-6 Darling faced just seven shots in his first 30 minutes, but Nashville controlled play for the next 30 minutes, creating a spate of good chances. However, the Predators couldn’t find the net’s backside as the sellout crowd of 17,225 vacillated between standing ovations and anxiety.