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Rangers rally for shootout win over Penguins

Oct 26, 2008 - 6:16 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Fredrik Sjostrom scored the only goal of the shootout in the third round to complete the comeback as the New York Rangers posted a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

Markus Naslund recorded a power-play goal just over five minutes into the third period and Nikolai Zherdev netted the tying tally with nine seconds remaining to erase a 2-0 deficit for the Rangers, who have won two straight following a two-game skid.

Defenseman Darryl Sydor and captain Sidney Crosby scored for Pittsburgh, which missed an empty net moments before Zherdev forged the tie.

Following a scoreless overtime, neither team was able to break through after two rounds of the shootout. But on New York's third attempt, Sjostrom deked goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury before sliding a backhander into the net for a 1-0 edge.

"That was a little bit lucky," Sjostrom said. "I wanted to do the move, cut back, go to my backhand. My intention was to get it upstairs. I missed it a little bit, but it went in."

Henrik Lundqvist, who made 27 saves, denied Crosby on Pittsburgh's final chance, securing the victory.

"I take the same approach as everyone," Lundqvist said. "I just try to be patient and let him make the first move. It's a game for me. As a goalie, you don't want to make the first move. If you do, he will beat you if you give him anything."

The Penguins, who had their three-game winning streak snapped, had allowed just three goals during the run. Pittsburgh was outshot, 18-2, in the third period of this one and was unable to solve Lundqvist in overtime and the shootout.

"It's a statement. We wanted to beat them," Lundqvist said. "They're a good team. Coming from a big road game, it's kind of tough sometimes to come back home and stay focused. I think especially in the third, we showed what kind of team we are."

The Rangers were facing the Penguins for the first time since being eliminated in five games during the Eastern Conference semifinals in May. Although their roster has changed drastically since then, they have not forgotten.

"We have some payback to do," Sjostrom said. "It was great for us to get the two points."

"It can be a momentum-builder for us," Naslund added. "It just shows the character in this room, and it's great."

For two periods, it looked like another Pittsburgh win in the cards. Fleury made 16 saves in the second period, including seven during a late 5-on-3, but the Rangers kept coming and tied it in the third.

"Things weren't going our way the whole time in the game," Sjostrom said. "We talked about it in the second intermission. If we get 20 shots on net and grind them down, we're going to have a good chance to win."

With the Penguins holding a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes, the Rangers finally broke through against Fleury at 5:09 of the third.

Scott Gomez won an offensive-zone faceoff from Mike Zigomanis as Jordan Staal was serving a hooking penalty and dished the puck to Chris Drury. The captain made a return pass to Gomez, who was behind the end line.

From behind the net, Gomez found Naslund, who lifted the puck over Fleury's left pad from the doorstep for a man-advantage goal.

Shortly after the Penguins missed a chance to seal the game with an empty-netter, the Rangers got the equalizer. After receiving a pass at the blue line, Zherdev carried down the right side before putting a wrist shot from the faceoff circle past Fleury for his fourth tally of the season.

"It was just a great shot, a great shot," said Rangers coach Tom Renney, who suffered a concussion when hit in the head by a stick during Friday's game in Columbus. "It should help develop the fiber of our team."

"We were winning all game long," Fleury said. "A goal with eight seconds left, it's always a bad break."

Given new momentum, Lundqvist kept it tied in overtime with sensational glove saves on Crosby and defenseman Rob Scuderi.

The comeback by the Rangers capped a disappointing night for the Penguins, who began a four-game road trip by dropping their sixth straight regular-season visit to Madison Square Garden.

"We've got to find a way to hold that lead," Crosby said. "They outshot us by a lot and we didn't do our job."

"Everything was under control after two periods," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien added. "Then after that, some guys start cheating, not following the system. Some guys don't have confidence in their game, so when you don't have confidence, you are backing up. In this league, when you give time and space, the players will find plays."

Pittsburgh opened the scoring at 9:04 of the first period. Three seconds after a power play ended, Tyler Kennedy dished to Sydor, whose slap shot from the left point deflected off New York defenseman Michal Rozsival and past a screened Lundqvist.

It was Sydor's first goal in 47 games dating to December 27.

Crosby doubled the lead with 4:01 remaining in the second, burying his own rebound from the doorstep for his 10th goal in 23 games against the Rangers.

"Definitely, (we had momentum) going into the third. With a 2-0 lead, we felt pretty comfortable," Pittsburgh's Miroslav Satan said. "We just didn't handle the end."