UNDATED (AP) — The Nashville Predators’ No. 3 goaltender almost stole a game from the Colorado Avalanche in his first postseason start. Instead, the top-seeded Avs were able to take a two-games-to-none lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Cale Makar beat Connor Ingram on Colorado’s 51st shot to give the Avalanche a 2-1 win over the Predators. Before the goal, the rookie netminder hadn’t allowed a goal since Nathan MacKinnon beat him 5:25 into the game. Makar ended it at 8:31 of the extra session.
Yakov Trenin had the lone goal for Nashville, tying the game in the first period.
Meanwhile, it was time for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars to get even. The Blueshirts, Cats and Stars knotted their respective Stanley Cup first-round series at a game apiece.
Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over Pittsburgh, helping the Blueshirts bounce back from Tuesday’s triple-overtime loss. The Rangers led 3-2 until Panarin and Vatrano scored 1:47 apart midway through the third period.
Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp provided New York’s other goals.
Igor Shesterkin turned back 39 shots and looked no worse for wear after making 79 saves in Game 1.
Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby scored for the Penguins, who host Game 3 on Saturday.
The Panthers got back on track by whipping the Capitals, 5-1.
The game was scoreless until Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov tallied 1:38 apart late in the opening period. Mason Marchment restored Florida’s two-goal lead, just 27 seconds after Nicklas Backstrom put the Caps on the board 2:44 into the second.
Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe added second-period goals and Sergei Bobrovsky handled 26 shots. Verhaeghe and Barkov also had one assist apiece.
The series shifts to Washington for Game 3 on Saturday.
Jake Oettinger made 29 saves in his first postseason shutout and second career playoff start, guiding the Stars past the Flames, 2-0 in Calgary. Oettinger stopped 23 shots over the last two periods, allowing the Stars to even the Stanley Cup first-round series at a game apiece.
Joe Pavelski opened the scoring 7:47 into the first period and Michael Raffl secured the win with an empty-netter.
Johnny Gaudreau beat Oettinger 43 seconds into the game, but the goal was waved off for offside.
Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.
Predators to start Ingram in goal for Game 2
UNDATED (AP) — New Jersey Devils coach Lindy Ruff is returning for a third straight season despite seeing his team miss the NHL playoffs yet again. General manager Tom Fitzgerald said Thursday that he hired Ruff to take a group of talented young players and make them better, and that has happened for guys like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. But Fitzgerald says he now wants to see the team improve.
