Rangers 2, Penguins 1
NEW YORK -- Center Derick Brassard scored 27 seconds into the first period as the New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Rangers lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday night at MSG.
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh also scored for the Rangers, who received 24 saves from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Right winger Blake Comeau scored for the Penguins. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury allowed two dubious goals but was otherwise solid in stopping 36 shots.
The Rangers took the early lead after left winger Rick Nash fired a long, seemingly harmlessly slap shot that led to a fat rebound off the pads of Fleury. Brassard stepped into the loose puck and buried it to put the Rangers ahead 1-0.
The Penguins took four minor penalties during an undisciplined first period and McDonagh made them pay. Defenseman Keith Yandle made a nice drop pass for McDonagh, who unleashed a shot from the blue line that skipped past Fleury to make it 2-0 with 4:44 left in the period.
The Penguins stayed out of the penalty box during the second period and pulled to within 2-1 on Comeau's goal at 6:15. There was traffic in front of the net with Penguins center Max Lapierre tangling with Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle. A shot by defenseman Ben Lovejoy was stopped by Lundqvist, but Comeau fired the rebound home.
Over the final two periods, with the Penguins no longer on a mission to take penalties, the game was much more closely contested. After holding a 13-5 edge in shots in the first period, the Rangers outshot the Penguins 25-20 over the final 40 minutes.
Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi left the game midway through the third period after taking a wrist shot by left winger Chris Kunitz in the jaw.
The Penguins pulled Fleury for an extra skater with 1:15 remaining in regulation, but did not generate a dangerous scoring chance.
NOTES: The Penguins were missing three key players in Game 1 -- D Kris Letang (concussion), D Christian Ehrhoff (concussion) and D Derrick Pouliot (upper body). It has been reported that Letang is out of the season, but Ehrhoff and Pouliot could return during this series. ... The Rangers expected D Kevin Klein (arm) to return for the playoffs, but he is instead day-to-day. ... Rangers LW James Sheppard was a healthy scratch, although he could replace LW Tanner Glass during the series. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash was in the lineup after missing practice Wednesday with the flu.