The New York Rangers used Carl Hagelin's overtime goal and spectacular goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist for a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday night in New York to advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Hagelin skated out from behind the net and put a wrist shot on the short side behind Marc-Andre Fleury, who was equally brilliant as Lundqvist. Hagelin's teammates stormed off the bench, while Fleury lay on the ice, despondent.
The Rangers, who got all four wins in the series by the same score, will play the winner of the Washington-New York Islanders series, which the Capitals lead 3-2.
New York also won Game 4 in Pittsburgh by the same score on Kevin Hayes' OT goal, on which Hagelin assisted.
Lundqvist made 37 saves in Game 5, including a nifty stop on Brandon Sutter in the extra session that was wide open, a bit sloppy, but very entertaining.
The Rangers had the NHL's best record, finishing 15 points ahead of the Penguins in winning the Presidents' Trophy. But they were pushed all series by Pittsburgh, a team they had never beaten in the playoffs until storming back from a 3-1 deficit last year in the second round.
New York's problematic power play opened the scoring. Dan Boyle's weak shot from the point fooled Fleury, who knocked it down — directly to Derek Stepan in front of him. Stepan put home a tap-in just 3:23 in.
Moments later, on Pittsburgh power play, Lundqvist made a brilliant save on Evgeni Malkin. Lundqvist also was fortunate that Nick Spaling's deflection that got through the goalie trickled wide.
