Associated Press
Rangers rookie Chris Kreider and defenseman Dan Girardi both had a goal and an assist in the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots for his fifth career playoff shutout, as the Blueshirts opened the Eastern Conference finals with a 3-0 victory over the well-rested New Jersey Devils on Monday night.
Playing just two days after eliminating Washington in a stirring 2-1 Game 7 victory, the top-seeded Rangers hit their home ice again and won their third straight Game 1 of these playoffs. The Devils had been off for five days since they knocked out the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.
No team forced to play seven-game series in each of the first two rounds has gone on to win the Stanley Cup, but the Rangers are determined to be the first. Shaking off suggestions they are tired, the Rangers slogged through two scoreless periods and pulled out a win with a dominating third period.
"I think it starts with work habits, how hard we want to work," Lundqvist said. "And then the skill takes over. We have been doing it all year."
The Rangers are in the conference finals for the first time since 1997, and they haven't reached the Stanley Cup finals since 1994 when they beat 22-year-old goalie Martin Brodeur and the Devils in a classic seven-game series that backed up captain Mark Messier's guarantee.
Girardi got a perfect setup from Kreider and scored 53 seconds into the third period. Playing in just his 13th NHL game, all in these playoffs, Kreider sent a pass back from the right circle in the Devils' zone to the point. Girardi took long strides as he charged up ice and stepped into a shot that ripped through a screen in front by teammate Derek Stepan. The shot beat Brodeur for Girardi's second playoff goal this season.
• COMMENT ON BLUESHIRTS UNITED | PHOTO GALLERY
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STATS OF THE GAME
The Blueshirts have opened six of their last nine playoff series with a win in Game 1. They have posted a 32-11 series record when winning Game 1, including wins in seven of the last eight playoff series in which they won the opening game. Henrik Lundqvist's shutout was the 12th by a Rangers goaltender all-time in series opening games. The Rangers are 8-3 in playoff series when posting a shutout in Game 1. |
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| (selected by the local media) |
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| 1. Lundqvist |
2. Girardi |
3. McDonagh |
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[48-28-6]
[51-24-7]