In New York, the Rangers returned to the playoffs on Tuesday night, in a triple overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Evgeni Malkin scored at 5:58 of the third overtime for the winner.
“It’s not easy for everyone,” Malkin said. “… It’s a hard, physical game and is like, who is stronger right now? Both teams tried to win. I hope we rest tomorrow. We know it will be a physical and tough series.”
Igor Shesterkin made 79 saves in the loss.
“I mean, he made like 80 saves or whatever it was, so obviously he was good,” New York’ Ryan Strome said. “He’s done it all year. Our best player, and he showed it tonight. He [did] everything he had to do, and we couldn’t get one for him obviously.”
Casey DeSmith got the start for the Pens, and made 48 saves before leaving the crease in the second OT session with an apparent lower body injury.
“It’s a character win,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “I just think so highly of our players and our leadership. I just think believe these guys are capable of so much and we have a high-character group, and I think that was on display on a game like tonight.”
Louis Domingue made 17 saves in relief.
“It’s something you prepare for as a backup,” Domingue said. “You have to be ready at all times, and the guys played super well in front of me for the time I was in there and I thought Casey gave us a [heck] of a chance to win that game or put us in a position to actually go to overtime.”
Jake Guentzel scored twice for Pittsburgh, and Bryan Rust added a single marker.
“That one was pretty fun, especially because we got the win there,” Rust said. “There was a lot of things going on between trying to make a comeback and three overtimes and Louis goes in the net. Just a lot of fun.”
Adam Fox and Andrew Copp scored to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
“Great game by two teams,” New York coach Gerard Gallant said. “Thought the first 25 minutes we were real good, dominated that part of the game and then they come back in the second and they played really well after that. It was one of those games, three overtime periods, it’s tough to lose like that, but you get back on the horse and get ready for the next game.”
New York’s Chris Kreider scored a shorthanded goal to them a 3-2 lead.
A goal by Rangers Filip Chytil late in the third period of regulation was overturned for goalie interference.
“Tough, you want those calls to go your way,” Strome said. “Game happens so fast. … I thought it was a call that could go either way. To look back on something like that now, I mean, it was a three-overtime game, so you could look back on many small plays in the game.”
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