Derek Stepan scored the game-winner in the final period to ensure the New York Rangers held off the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Sunday and maintained their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference.
Two of the NHL’s top teams battled to a 2-2 tie heading into the third in which Marian Gaborik notched his 32nd goal of the season to nudge the home team ahead at Madison Square Garden, in New York.
David Krejci tied the game for the Bruins midway through the period, but Stepan responded less than a minute later to settle the contest.
It was New York’s third win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions in as many meetings this season and their third contest in less than three full days.
“It felt like we were a little tired and had a tough time in the second [period],” New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist told reporters after making 30 saves in the win.
“In the third, we regained some energy from scoring that third goal. We answered back. That’s what it comes down to,” he said.
Three first-period fights set the tone for the grudge match that saw the Rangers escape despite not playing their best.
Boston outshot New York 33-17, but still came up empty as they failed to gain breathing space in the Northeast Division where they lead Ottawa by just three points.
The Rangers (42-15-7) played a third straight game without injured captain Ryan Callahan, yet still moved 10 points ahead of Pittsburgh in the conference.
Anton Stralman and Carl Hagelin gave New York a 2-0 lead in the first and Benoit Pouliot scored for Boston before Jordan Caron tied it for the Bruins (38-23-3) in the second.
“We were a pretty dominant team today in my mind,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “So maybe on the scoreboard it might not have been a victory, but I think mentally our guys still feel pretty confident with the game we played today.”
FLYERS 1, CAPITALS 0
In Washington, Eric Wellwood scored less than a minute after Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette called a timeout to give his players an earful and Ilya Bryzgalov made 34 saves to lead the Flyers to victory over the Washington Capitals.
Bryzgalov earned his third shutout of the season and the 26th of his career, even though the Flyers were missing two defensemen who sat out with injuries: Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, a two-time league MVP, played fewer minutes than most of Washington’s other forwards and was held without a goal for the seventh time in his last 10 games. Washington have lost two games in a row — both at home, both shutouts — following a three-game winning streak.
BLACKHAWKS 2, RED WINGS 1
In Detroit, Michigan, Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane broke a tie late in the second period in Chicago’s victory over Detroit.
Ray Emery made 23 saves to help Chicago solidify their hold on the sixth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Niklas Kronwall scored for Detroit, 27-4-2 at home. Jimmy Howard made four saves before leaving after the first period because of a lower-body injury. Joey MacDonald stopped 12 shots in the final two periods.
Red Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl also left early in the first period because of an upper-body injury. Detroit was already without captain Nicklas Lidstrom, center Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson.
ISLANDERS 1, DEVILS 0
In Uniondale, New York, Anders Nilsson made 24 saves to become the first Islanders goalie to have a shutout in his first NHL victory, leading New York past New Jersey.
The 21-year-old Nilsson was called up from Bridgeport on Wednesday. He was selected the AHL goalie of the month for last month after going 6-0-1. The 1.96m Swede made his first NHL start on Nov. 21, losing 5-0 at Pittsburgh. He also played the last two periods in a 6-0 home loss against Boston on Nov. 19.
Kyle Okposo scored early in the second period.
STARS 3, FLAMES 2, SO
In Calgary, Alberta, Loui Eriksson had a short-handed goal and added an assist in regulation, then scored in a shootout in Dallas’ victory over Calgary.
Jamie Benn scored on Dallas’ first attempt in the shootout and Eriksson connected on the second.
Michael Ryder added a power-play goal and Kari Lehtonen made 36 saves and assisted on Eriksson’s goal. The Stars have climbed to seventh in the Western Conference, going 6-0-1 in their last seven games.
Curtis Glencross and Jarome Iginla scored for Calgary.
PANTHERS 4, SENATORS 2
In Sunrise, Florida, Marcel Goc, Krystofer Barch and Mikael Samuelsson scored second-period goals as Florida rallied to beat Ottawa for the first time in 10 games.
Jack Skille added a goal with 1:26 left, Jose Theodore made 23 saves and Mike Weaver had two assists to help the Panthers beat the Senators for the first time since a 3-0 victory in Ottawa in January 2010.
Jared Cowen and Chris Neil scored in the first period for Ottawa, while Robin Lehner stopped 24 shots.
Goc and Barch scored in a 2:21 span early in the second to tie it.
AVALANCHE 2, WILD 0
In St Paul, Minnesota, Jamie McGinn got his first career two-goal game just 8:25 into the night, giving Colorado all the scoring they needed to beat Minnesota.
Peter Mueller and Stefan Elliott assisted in that order on both goals, spoiling rookie Matt Hackett’s first start in the Wild net at home after five scattered appearances.
Hackett made 33 saves, with regular Niklas Backstrom out another two to four weeks with a strained groin muscle and backup Josh Harding resting after giving up six goals the previous game at Detroit and getting pulled in the third period.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
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