Pascal Dupuis scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves as the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins opened the playoffs with a 5-0 romp over the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
Beau Bennett, Kris Letang and Tanner Glass also scored for the Penguins, who had no trouble against the Islanders even with star Sidney Crosby sidelined. Crosby has been out since he was struck on the jaw by a puck on March 30 in a game against the Islanders.
The Penguins, the No. 1 seeds in the Eastern Conference, beat Evgeni Nabokov four times in the game’s first 22 minutes, including goals by Letang and Dupuis 32 seconds apart early in the second period to send Nabokov to the bench after he stopped just 11 shots.
Photo: Reuters
Kevin Poulin came on in relief and surrendered a soft goal to Glass.
BRUINS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 1
In Boston, Nathan Horton scored the go-ahead goal late in the first period as Boston used a revived offense to beat Toronto in the playoff series opener.
The Bruins scored more than three goals for the first time in 10 games. They closed the regular season on a 2-7 skid that dropped them to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
That set up a first-round matchup with fifth-seeded Toronto, the first time the teams have met in the postseason since 1974.
Wade Redden also scored in the first period for Boston, and David Krejci and Johnny Boychuk added goals in the second.
James van Riemsdyk had given Toronto a 1-0 lead with a power play just 1:54 into the game.
SHARKS 3, CANUCKS 1
In Vancouver, Dan Boyle and Patrick Marleau scored in the third period for San Jose, who rallied to beat Vancouver in the first-round Western Conference series opener.
Boyle and Logan Couture both had a goal and an assist, and Marleau pushed San Jose’s lead to 3-1. Antti Niemi made 28 saves for the Sharks, who were outshot 30-28.
Kevin Bieksa scored for the Canucks.
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