• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Shanahan, Lundqvist lead Rangers to shootout victory

Dec 8, 2006 - 3:23 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- It took a shootout, but Brendan Shanahan helped the New York Rangers finally end their losing streak.

Shanahan scored the tying goal in regulation and netted the lone tally in the shootout as the Rangers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Shanahan, who is tied with Atlanta's Marian Hossa for the league lead with 21 goals, scored in the first round of the shootout. After Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin failed to score on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Shanahan skated in and slapped the puck past the glove of netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.

"For me, it's about a short windup and getting as much power and strength behind the shot," Shanahan said. "I usually just try to pick a corner of the net. I don't ever think about getting specific. You pick a corner of the net and hope it doesn't miss the goalie."

Lundqvist then denied Nils Ekman and Sidney Crosby to remain unbeaten in the bonus format.

"I was a little bit nervous," Lundqvist said. "Two guys that scored on me were on breakaways. It was important for me to get back in there. Shanny scored some big goals for us."

The Penguins carried a 2-0 lead into the third period on a penalty-shot tally by Ekman in the first and a highlight-reel, power-play goal by Crosby in the second.

On the penalty shot, Ekman went directly at Lundqvist and deked to his left before coming back and sliding the puck past the netminder's left pad.

"I think I caught him a little bit too far out of the net and just pulled it back to the back end," Ekman said.

"I was a little bit mad at myself for the penalty-shot goal," Lundqvist said. "It bothered me the whole game."

Crosby, who had an acrobatic tally in the Penguins's loss to Florida on Tuesday, netted another when he received a pass from Mark Recchi at his own blue line and headed up the ice.

The 19-year-old superstar slipped past three defenders and faked to his right before wristing the puck between the pads of Lundqvist for his 12th goal of the season.

"I just tried to use my speed," Crosby said. "I tried to hit the opening and get the puck in the net."

However, Blair Betts halved the lead when he deflected Jason Ward's shot past Fleury at 8:43 of the third period.

Shanahan tied the game midway through the session. While on a power play, he received a pass from Jaromir Jagr and blasted a 25-foot shot that beat Fleury high to the glove side.

"I wasn't sure we were going to win tonight after 40 minutes," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "Wins are important. We are in a very, very tight race in the Eastern Conference."

Lundqvist made 28 saves for the Rangers, while Fleury stopped 20 shots for the Penguins, who have lost four straight games.

"I thought we were playing pretty good, but the Rangers are one of the top teams in the league," Penguins left wing Ryan Malone said. "That's what good teams do, they find a way to win."

"Losing stinks," Crosby added. "When you do things right for the most part, you can look at that as a positive, but also at the end of the day, it's not a win."

The Rangers were without Michael Nylander for the majority of the game as the center left after the first period to be with his wife, who was in labor. Near the end of the third session, word came down that the Nylanders were proud parents of a baby girl.

"It was important for us to go out and get a win for Michael Nylander, who wanted to stay," Shanahan said. "He was torn. He wanted to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter."