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NHL: Rangers reign in Prague, Penguins peak in Sweden

Marc Staal of the New York Rangers, top, vies for the puck with Tampa Bay Lightning’s Martin St Louis during their opening NHL game at Sazka’s Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Tyler Kennedy scored his second goal with 25 seconds left in overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in the first NHL regular-season opener in Sweden on Saturday.

Kennedy, who also scored 40 seconds into the first period in front of 13,699 at Stockholm’s sold-out Globe Arena, beat Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber with a wrister from the left circle.

The goal came after Ottawa center Jason Spezza turned over the puck to Kennedy at the blue line. Kennedy skated in all alone and scored.

Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson was held pointless as he returned to his native Sweden for the first time with the Senators.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves for the Penguins. Gerber stopped 26 shots for the Senators.

Pittsburgh got off to a strong start when Gerber gave up a goal in the opening minute. Kennedy skated in from behind the net and wristed the puck from a tough angle past Gerber.

Shean Donovan tied it at 9 minutes, 13 seconds when he tipped in a shot by Dean McAmmond past Fleury. Defenseman Filip Kuba, who started the move by quickly skating into the offensive zone, also got an assist.

Pittsburgh’s power play was sloppy in the opening period, failing to capitalize on five straight chances with a man advantage.

Evgeni Malkin made it 2-1 for Pittsburgh with a short-handed goal 3 minutes, 18 seconds into the second period. The Russian center stole the puck from Christoph Schubert in mid-ice, skated in all alone and swept a backhand past Gerber.

Dany Heatley, unchecked between the circles, tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 12 minutes, 15 seconds. Jason Spezza gave Ottawa the lead for the first time with a short-handed goal at 17 minutes, 55 seconds, beating Fleury with a wrister after a quick three-on-two breakaway.

Defenseman Rob Scuderi forced overtime when he beat Gerber with a wrister from the left circle at 3 minutes, 56 seconds in the third period. Sidney Crosby had the assist.

RANGERS 2, LIGHTNING 1

Markus Naslund and Brandon Dubinsky scored to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague on Saturday.

Naslund scored with 1 minute, 52 seconds remaining in the second period on a wrist shot after being fed by Scott Gomez.

Martin St Louis tied the game 3 minutes, 57 seconds into the final period after skating past Rangers defenseman Dmitri Kalinin and firing a backhand shot past goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Dubinsky had the winner on a power play with 5 minutes, 44 seconds left in the game.

Lundqvist made 20 saves and Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith had 39.

The Rangers carried the action in the second period, out shooting the Lightning 16-3, but Smith stopped everything until Naslund’s shot.
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