Rangers still standing; Panthers, Flames in control
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Rangers are still alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs, while the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames are in control.
The Rangers have forced a Game 6 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by rallying for a 5-3 win over the Penguins.
Filip Chytil broke a 3-3 tie with a power-play goal 2:53 into the third period, pushing the series back to Pittsburgh on Friday.
The Blueshirts trailed 2-0 late in the second period until Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba scored during a 2:42 span.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 28 shots for the Rangers, who allowed seven goals in losing each of the previous two games.
Jake Guentzel had two goals for the Pens.
Game 6 is Friday in Pittsburgh.
The Panthers earned a 5-3 victory over the Capitals to grab a 3-2 lead in their opening-round series.
Carter Verhaeghe collected points on five straight goals after Washington took a 3-0 lead on TJ Oshie’s second goal of the night. Verhaeghe’s first goal of the game opened the comeback, and his second put the Panthers ahead, 4-3 just over three minutes into the third period. He also set up goals by Patric Hornqvist, Sam Reinhart and Claude Giroux.
Hornqvist and Reinhart scored 2:14 apart in the second period, tying the game.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots and was perfect after the 3:38 mark of the middle period.
Game 6 is Friday in Washington.
The Flames went up 3-2 in their series by scoring three times in the third period of a 3-1 downing of the Stars.
Mikael Backlund tied the game 6:49 into the final period and set up Andrew Mangiapane’s game-winner less than four minutes later. Trevor Lewis added an empty-netter for Calgary, which can wrap up the series in Dallas on Friday.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots and was perfect after Jason Robertson opened the scoring late in the second period.
Oilers’ Nurse suspended 1 game for head-butting Danault
NEW YORK (AP) — Defenseman Darnell Nurse will serve a one-game suspension while the Edmonton Oilers play the Kings in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Nurse has been punished for head-butting Kings forward Phillip Danault late in the second period of the Oilers’ 5-4 overtime loss.
The suspension leaves the Oilers without their top defenseman heading into an elimination game Thursday in Los Angeles.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The growing number of women getting hired for management and development roles across the NHL suggests it won’t be long before the league sees its first female coach. The NHL Coaches’ Association is helping lead the way. It established a developmental program in having women at various hockey levels working directly with NHL coaches in advanced training sessions.
