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Jagr nets game-winner against Penguins

Mar 20, 2007 - 4:01 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Jaromir Jagr picked the right time to end an eight-game goalless streak.

Jagr scored the game-winner with 33 seconds left in the third period to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 win over Atlantic division rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

The All-Star right wing took the puck behind the net and tried to force a pass to Michael Nylander, only to have the pass glance off the stick of Penguin's defenseman Rob Scuderi and into the goal.

"I was just trying to close down the lane," Scuderi said. "It's something I do a bunch of times a game. It just happened to take a bad bounce right off my stick and into the net."

"I'm sure it means a lot to him," Rangers coach Tom Renney said about Jagr. "He's a proud guy and he understands fully he needs to contribute offensively for us to have success. The big thing for me with Jagr and as much as those things have to show up on the scoresheet for him to feel good, the big thing for me is him creating offense."

The referees awarded the goal after several minutes of video review. Jagr avoided his first nine-game goalless streak since the 2001-2002 season, and has now scored 25 or more goals in 16 straight seasons.

"You are never sure (when they review it)," Jagr said. "I thought it was in but I wasn't 100 percent sure. I got the puck and tried to drive wide and go underneath. Before I got the puck to Nylander, they accidentally put the puck in.

"It was a lucky play. But hey we'll take it any way we can."

The game-winner marred a strong game from Pittsburgh goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who stopped 40 shots before being pulled following Jagr's goal.

"He did a great job," All-Star center Sidney Crosby said about Thibault. "Usually if you allow one or two goals you give your team a chance to win. Unfortunately we weren't able to get enough offense going tonight but he did his job."

New York had a 1-0 lead with 5:42 remaining when Evgeni Malkin tipped a pass to Erik Christensen who unloaded a slap shot which glanced off Rangers' defenseman Thomas Pock's stick. Michel Ouellet sent the deflection past Lundqvist's left skate for his 16th goal of the season.

"If you look at the picture you got to be satisfied," Penguins coach Michel Therrien. "What makes it tough is that we were about 30 seconds from picking up at least another point. It would have been great, especially in the position that we are in. The Rangers played well and deserved to win."

The Rangers took a one-point lead over the idle Carolina Hurricanes for seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race with the win.

Crosby had a six-game point streak snapped.

Monday's game was the 16th time in their last 17 games that the Penguins and Rangers have been involved in a one-goal contest.