In battle of the backups, Penguins handle Rangers to take Game 1

PITTSBURGH – Sixty minutes into Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, it’s already become a battle of attrition.

The Penguins defeated the Rangers 5-2 in Game 1 in what turned out to be a duel between backup goalies.

Third-stringer Jeff Zatkoff, who played 14 games this season and hadn’t started since Feb. 20, was in goal for the Penguins because No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is still not ready to return from his concussion. The Rangers, meanwhile, had to replace starter Henrik Lundqvist with backup Antti Raanta after the first period because Lundqvist took an errant stick to the eye late in the first period.

As New York defenseman Marc Staal battled in front of the net, his stick came up under Lundqvist’s mask with 48.2 seconds left in the first period.
After receiving medical attention, Lundqvist returned to the net and then gave up a rebound goal to Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist with 18 seconds remaining in the period.

During an in-game interview with NBC analyst Brian Boucher, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Lundqvist was “day-to-day.”

It’s hard to guess who will be goal for either team Saturday when the Rangers and Penguins play Game 2 in Pittsburgh. The loss of Lundqvist for an extended period would be a devastating loss for the Rangers. Lundqvist has the ability to steal a series.

Fleury’s status is also unknown. He practiced for three days and then determined he wasn’t quite ready.  Matt Murray, Pittsburgh’s much-heralded top young goalie, is also out with an injury.

Zatkoff was strong, particularly early when the Rangers carried play. He made 12 stops in the first period. The Rangers weren’t able to beat him until Derek Stepan scored on a 5-on-3 power play 3:10 into the third period.  Stepan scored again in the third period.

Hornqvist was the Penguins’ offensive catalyst in the game, producing three goals (one in an empty net) and an assist.

Hornqvist created the Penguins’ second goal when he threaded a perfect up-ice pass through defenders to put Sidney Crosby on a breakaway. Roaring into the zone, Crosby beat Raanta with a shot under the crossbar with 1:04 left in the second period.

Tom Kuhnhackl scored a short-handed goal in the third period to restore the Penguins’ two-goal cushion after Stepan scored.

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