Stanley Cup Playoffs 2014: Penguins Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury Blanks Rangers To Even Series
By Larry Snyder
May 4, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes a save against New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis (26) as Pens defenseman Kris Letang (58) defends during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Penguins rode a 22-save shutout by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to take Game 2 of their second-round playoff series against the New York Rangers 3-0 on Sunday night at Consol Energy Center. The series is now knotted up at one game apiece.
The shutout was Fleury’s first of the 2014 playoffs and the seventh of his postseason career, which is the most in Pittsburgh history. He also broke Tom Barrasso‘s club record for playoff victories, getting his 50th.
After a scoreless first period, the Penguins broke the ice in the second. Evgeni Malkin skated the puck into the Rangers end on the left side and sent a pass across ice to Kris Letang.
He got the Penguins on the scoreboard when he sent a centering pass to Chris Kunitz down low and the puck went off the stick of sliding New York defenseman Dan Girardi and got past goaltender Henrik Lundqvist at the 10:26 mark. Letang’s 15th career postseason score tied him with Larry Murphy‘s record for Pittsburgh defenseman.
Late in the third period, Jussi Jokinen added an insurance goal on the power play when he took the rebound off a shot by James Neal from the bottom of the right circle and went top shelf on Lundqvist with 3:30 left. Jokinen now has a point in seven of eight playoff games, and extended his scoring streak to six contests with the score.
Malkin picked up his fourth goal in the playoffs when he closed out the game by sending a wrist shot into an empty Rangers net at 19:06 of the third. The score clinched a game that Pittsburgh dominated from start to finish, a departure from their rough start in Game 1, a 3-2 overtime loss.
Sidney Crosby saw his postseason goal drought reach 13 games on Sunday night. It should be noted that the Pittsburgh captain won 13 of 26 of his faceoffs, and his play continued to show improvement as he led the team with six shots on goal over the course of the game. He was relentless at both ends of the ice on Sunday night.
The Pens had their penalty kill unit firing on all cylinders as they stopped all four power plays of the Rangers, including three in the opening 12 minutes. It was the second straight game that New York has gone 0 for 4 on the advantage.
Lundqvist gave everything he could and did turn away 32 of 34 on the night for New York while Brad Richards led the Rangers with six shots on Fleury.
Game 3 will see the Penguins and Rangers dropping the puck at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Madison Square Garden. The game will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network, and can be heard locally on the radio on 105.9 The X with Mike Lange and Phil Bourque.
From The Clipboard: Attendance at Consol Energy Center was 18,638…While the Black and Gold has won all four previous playoff series with the Rangers, New York has won four of the last six playoff series in which they won Game 1 on the road…Pittsburgh was 4-1 against New York in 2013-14…Scratches for the Pens on Sunday night were Chris Connor, Deryk Engelland, Tanner Glass, Jayson Megna, Brooks Orpik, Taylor Pyatt and Tomas Vokoun.