NEW YORK (AP) – Philip Chittle scored in a tie-break early in the third period, and the New York Rangers prevented a relegation victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Wednesday night.
Jacob Trumpet and Alexis Lafrenier had goals and assists, and Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren also scored for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin, who has scored 10 goals in three periods in the two previous games, has made 27 saves.
Jake Gunzel scored two goals, and Chris Letang also scored for Pittsburgh, which leads in the best of seven series with a score of 3-2. Eugene Malkin gave two assists and Louis Doming finished with 29 saves.
Penguins star Sidney Crosby left about seven minutes before the end of the second period with an obvious injury and did not return.
Game 6 is Friday in Pittsburgh, and a potentially decisive game 7 will be on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers held their first position this evening early in the third period and took advantage when Shitil received a pass from Lafrenier in the right circle, turned around and punched past Domingo to bring the Rangers ahead 4-3 at 2:53.
Pittsburgh pulled out Domingue for an extra skater, remaining about 1 1/2 minutes. He briefly returned 20 seconds later during a break in the game and left the ice again. Lindgren ended the victory with an empty net 16 seconds before the end.
When the Penguins led 1-0 in the 20th minute, Mike Matheson of Pittsburgh hit the post for 3 1/2 minutes of the second period. Then a minute later Domingue hit Artem Panarin’s throw and tried Lindgren. Also two minutes later the goalkeeper stopped slapping Trumpet and the next Panarin.
Letang made it 2-0 at 7:58 when he received a pass from Malkin and slapped past Shesterkin on Pittsburgh’s first shot on goal during that period.
The Rangers then took the lead when they scored three straight hits in the 2:42 range at the end of the second.
Fox got the Rangers on the scoreboard with a score of 4:49 when he got the puck inside the blue line, slowly jumped up and shot from the top of the right circle past Domingue’s shoulder.
Lafrenier equalized 90 seconds later when he quickly slapped Kaapo Kakko’s center pass.
The trumpet brought the Rangers ahead another 1:12 later as he drove in the right circle and inflicted a backhand from the middle through Domingue’s skates.
The lead lasted just 13 seconds when Gunzel equaled his second of the evening and seventh in the series when he scored a central pass from Malkin.
The Rangers outscored the Penguins 11-10 in the first period, limiting themselves mostly to outside throws.
The Penguins held a 5-on-3 game early when Chris Crider was invited to strike and Jacob Trumpet struck with his elbow in just 24 seconds of play. The Rangers made just two shots on goal during the lead, and Shesterkin made a good save in gloves on Gunzel.
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead in 9 and a half minutes when Gunzel got a rebound from his own shot and sent a central pass from behind the goal line that deviated from Shesterkin’s leg and inwards. It was his sixth goal in a series.
LIDER
Lindgren has returned to the Rangers after missing three previous games due to an upper body injury in the first game of this series. He replaced C. Johnny Brodinsky when the Rangers went with seven defenders and 11 strikers. Lindgren then left the game with an obvious injury early in the second period and headed to the dressing room a few minutes later. He returned late in this period.
MILESTONES
Crader played in his 85th playoff game of his career, tying Don Maloney to sixth on the franchise list.
STRIPES
Gentzel scored the fifth game in a row, equaling Jaromir Jagr (1996, 2000) and Kevin Stevens (1991) in the fourth longest run in a single postseason in the franchise’s history. In the top three are Mario Lemieux (seven twice, six). … D Mike Mattison gave a goal assist on Güntzel’s goal, extending his scoring streak to four games (one goal, five assists). … Fox (three goals, two assists) extended his points streak to five games.
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