NEW YORK — The New York Rangers used Carl Hagelin’s overtime goal and spectacular goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night to advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Hagelin skated out from behind the net and put a wrist shot on the short side behind Marc-Andre Fleury, who was equally as brilliant as Lundqvist. Hagelin’s teammates stormed off the bench, while Fleury lay on the ice, despondent.
The Rangers, who got all four wins in the series by the same score, will play the winner of the Washington-New York Islanders series, which the Capitals lead 3-2.
New York also won Game 4 in Pittsburgh by the same score on Kevin Hayes’ OT goal, on which Hagelin assisted. Lundqvist made 37 saves in Game 5, including a nifty stop on Brandon Sutter in the extra session that was wide open and a bit sloppy, but very entertaining.
The Rangers had the NHL’s best record, finishing 15 points ahead of the Penguins in winning the Presidents’ Trophy. But they were pushed all series by Pittsburgh, a team they had never beaten in the playoffs until storming back from a 3-1 deficit last year in the second round.
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
