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(Sports Network) - After posting a dramatic comeback win in the last meeting, the top-seeded New York Rangers will try to finish off the Washington Capitals tonight in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Vikings Jersey . Get interactive with the TSN Community and get updates with TSN.cas Game Night blog right now. This best-of-seven series between the Rangers and Capitals was tied at 2-2 heading into Mondays Game 5 in New York. It appeared as though Washington would gain the 3-2 advantage in this series entering the closing seconds of regulation, but the Rangers pulled out an improbable victory in the pivotal contest. The seventh-seeded Capitals led Game 5 by a 2-1 score when a double-minor penalty was assessed to Washingtons Joel Ward after he caught New Yorks Carl Hagelin with a high stick with 21.3 seconds to play. With Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, Brad Richards scored his fifth goal of the playoffs with 7.6 seconds left in regulation to even the score and send the game to overtime. The Rangers then won the game while still on the power play in overtime as John Mitchell won a right circle draw back to Marc Staal, who slid to his left then cranked a shot that deflected off a Capital and past a screened Braden Holtby for the win. Holtby stopped 35 shots in the loss. "Theyre all emotional games," said New York head coach John Tortorella. "Its a kick in the gut when you lose because it happens so quickly and its pretty exciting when you win because it happens quick." Thanks to the dramatic win in Game 5, the Rangers can end this series tonight and earn their first trip to the conference finals since 1997. Meanwhile, Washington needs to win this evening to set up a decisive Game 7 this Saturday in New York. Both teams went the distance in the opening round, as the Capitals ousted second-seeded Boston and the Rangers defeated No. 8 seed Ottawa. Anton Stralman scored the other goal for the Rangers, while Lundqvist needed to make only 16 stops for the win. Brooks Laich and John Carlson each scored for the Capitals, who will have to win the last two games of this series if they want to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1998. Washington also made its one and only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 98. "Weve been resilient all year so we have to come back home and play a hockey game," said Washington head coach Dale Hunter. "Everyone battled out there tonight and we just caught some bad breaks." Washington is 2-3 on home ice in the playoffs after going 26-11-4 at the Verizon Center in the regular season. The Rangers and Capitals split Games 3 and 4 of this series in D.C. The clubs have alternated wins and losses since the start of this round, with New York taking the odd-numbered games and Washington winning Games 2 and 4. New York is 3-2 on the road this postseason and was 24-12-5 away from the Big Apple during the 2011-12 campaign. The Rangers are the top seed in the East for the first time since they won their last Stanley Cup title in 1994. This marks the seventh playoff series between the Rangers and Capitals and Washington has taken four of those six matchups. The Capitals beat New York in the conference quarterfinals in both 2009 and 2011, winning last years series in just five games. The last time the Rangers defeated Washington was in the 1994 conference semifinals. Washington overcame a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Rangers in the 2009 playoffs. Jeff Locke Jersey . Van Riemsdyk scored twice and Nikolai Kulemin picked up the game-winner as Toronto snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Maple Leafs (12-7-1) placed the newly acquired Holland on its top line between Phil Kessel and van Riemsdyk.Corey Wootton Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers have made Nail Yakupov a healthy scratch for the second straight game for tonights game against the Washington Capitals.ST. LOUIS -- The Vancouver Canucks kept it close, then pounced. Daniel Sedin scored a power-play goal 46 seconds into overtime to give the Canucks a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night in a matchup for first place in the Western Conference. The Canucks prevailed despite getting outshot 33-21 by the upstart Blues, who have missed the playoffs five of the past six seasons. The shot total matched a season low for Vancouver, second in the NHL with 33 road points. "Its a sign of a good team when you can have so-so games and still come out on the right side," Sedin said. Alexandre Burrows had two goals and drew the decisive penalty for the Canucks, who have an NHL-best 59 points -- three more than St. Louis. David Backes was whistled for boarding with 19.9 seconds to go in regulation, and the Blues were in disarray in overtime after defenceman Roman Polak broke his stick shortly before Sedin beat Brian Elliott from the right faceoff dot. "Their guy went to get his stick, and it opened up a passing lane from Hank (Sedin) to me," Sedin said. "It wasnt the best shot, but well take it." Forward T.J. Oshie gave his stick to Polak but stayed on the ice for several seconds before responding to calls from the bench waving him over. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said it was the wrong move, but didnt blame Oshie. "We dont want to do it 4-on-3," Hitchcock said. "He shouldnt have been called off." Jason Arnott scored both goals for the Blues, who lead the Central Division by a point, despite the end of a four-game winning streak. Hitchcock thought Burrows was a fine actor, and added from his viewpoint Burrows had turned so he hadnt been checked from behind. "I didnt agree with the penalty at all, not one bit," Hitchcock said. "I saw what I saw. A hockey play." Snow and icy conditions likely prevented a sellout with attendance of 18,231, less than 1,000 shy of capacity. The goal was the 700th career NHL point for Daniel Sedin, who assisted on the Canucks first goal. Henrik Sedin had two assists, including one on hiss twin brothers game-winner. Everson Griffen Jersey. Alex Edler also had two assists for Vancouver, which wrapped up a 3-1 trip with the next six at home. It was a gruelling stretch, with four games in six days. Arnott and Burrows both posted their first two-goal game of the season. Arnott has scored in three straight games, and Burrows has four goals in five games. All of the Blues thought they should have scored a lot more. "Weve got to learn to play with a lead," Arnott said. "It hasnt been our positive suit this year, but were getting better at it. Hopefully it continues, we learn from this and move on." Early pressure by the Canucks led to Burrows first goal off assists from both Sedins, which snapped St. Louis shutout streak at 148 minutes, 54 seconds. The Blues beat Montreal 3-0 and Colorado 4-0 in their two previous games, with Elliott and Jaroslav Halak both having shutouts. The Blues tied it a minute later when Arnott tapped the puck into an empty net off a pass from Jamie Langenbrunner. St. Louis then took the lead early in the second after Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo made a mistake. After stopping Arnotts drive, Luongo whirled as if uncertain of the pucks location, and dropped it into the net. "As I turned around to try to find it I saw it behind the goal line," Luongo said. "I think it might have gotten caught in my jersey or trickled down my back, Im not sure exactly." Burrows scored his 18th goal on a deflection of Edlers shot from the point at 17:52, and Luongo kept it tied, stopping short-handed breakaways by Backes and T.J. Oshie near the end of the second. NOTES: Wayne Gretzky, who played for the Blues at the end of the 1995-96 season, watched the first period from the third row just behind the St. Louis net. He was in town to visit family. ... Blues D Alex Pietrangelo has eight points during a career-best, five-game point streak. ... Blues F Alex Steen missed his seventh game because of concussion-like symptoms but is expected back in the lineup Saturday against Minnesota. ... The Canucks lead the NHL with 50 first-period goals. cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
