NHL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Rangers push lead over Devils to 2-0 as Leafs top Lighting to even series

The New York Rangers return to Madison Square Garden with a 2-0 first-round lead over the rival New Jersey Devils, thanks to an impressive performance in Thursday night’s Game 2 victory in Newark.

Chris Kreider scored two power play goals in a three-goal second period and the Rangers stunned the Devils. Meanwhile, Patrick Kane added a goal and two assists and fellow trade deadline Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the second game in a row as the Rangers once again got their way with the young Devils.

Kaapo Kakko also scored and Adam Fox added two more assists to give him six in two games. Igor Shesterkin had a relatively easy night with 21 saves.

Erik Haula scored for New Jersey, who were beaten 10-2 after a 3-0-1 win in the regular season against New York. Vitek Vanecek finished with 26 saves in a game that turned one-sided and volatile late on.

Referee Wes McCauley and Frederick L’Ecuyer sent five players from each team to the locker room with 6:40 left.

The best-of-seven series shifts across the Hudson River to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday, respectively.

Special teams and Kreider were again the difference. The Rangers were 2 of 7 with the extra man and Kreider scored both, giving him four in two games, all on tip-ins.

Haula put New Jersey first on the board with a rebound in the crease in the waning seconds of a power play. The Devils were 1 of 4 with the extra man.

Tarasenko got the Rangers going with 5:53 into the second period, taking a pass from Fox and beating Vanecek with a shot from the top of the circles.

Just over four minutes later, Kreider tapped Kane’s shot past the Devils’ goalkeeper. He extended the lead to 3-1, blasting a soft pass from Kane over Vanecek’s shoulder into the net with great hand-eye coordination.

Kane scored on a breakaway at 6:34 of the third period after sustained pressure from the Devil. Kakko scored from close range shortly after a New Jersey penalty ended.

Kreider (left, far right) and Kane (near right) helped the Rangers to an easy 5-1 win

MAPLE LEAVES 7, LIGHTNING 2

John Tavares had his first hat trick in the playoffs and the Toronto Maple Leafs bounced back from a poor start to the playoffs with a lopsided 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night to clinch the first round of the playoff series of the teams to balance at one game apiece.

Mitch Marner had two goals and an assist, William Nylander added a goal and an assist, and Zach Aston-Reese also scored for Toronto.

Morgan Rielly tied a franchise record with four assists. Auston Matthews also had two assists for the Maple Leafs, whose stars were rising.

Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves for Toronto after being drawn in Tuesday’s 7-3 defeat.

Ian Cole and Corey Perry scored for the Lightning, who were without injured defenders Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has played every minute of Lightning postseason action since 2020, allowed seven goals on 35 shots.

The series will shift to Florida, where Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series are scheduled for Saturday and Monday.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning

AVALANCHE 3, CRACK 2

The Colorado Avalanche came from a 2-0 deficit in the first period to take their first round series with the Seattle Kraken at 1-1 with a 3-2 victory in Denver on Thursday night.

Devon Toews scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third inning after Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin registered second-period goals for the defending champion Avalanche.

Seattle’s Justin Schultz and Brandon Tanev each scored in the first inning. Tanev’s goal was underserved and appeared to put Colorado in an insurmountable hole before the avalanche came to life in the second frame.

Alexandrar Georgiev was tested all night and finished with 27 saves. One of his top stops was in the closing seconds of the second period with Seattle on a 3-to-1 break. A pass was sent to Jordan Eberle, but a stretched out Georgiev prevented the score with his stretched right leg.

Philipp Grubauer stopped 38 shots against his former team. He spent three seasons in Colorado before signing with Seattle ahead of the 2021-2022 season.

The series will return to Seattle for Game 3 on Saturday.

The Avalanche vowed to play with more intensity and determination. But it was the Kraken who controlled the early pace. Seattle’s defense found a way to contain Nathan MacKinnon and his fast-paced cast – until the second period.

That’s when Colorado hit its stride. Lehkonen and Nichushkin energized the packed crowd by scoring 48 seconds apart. Last season, Lehkonen played a part in a two-goal streak in a 15-second span when he and Josh Manson scored in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Kraken right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand skates against Avalanche defender Devon Toews

MacKinnon almost scored a go-ahead goal on a mini breakaway midway through the third. Grubauer stopped his shot and tumbled into goal as the puck trickled to the side of the net.

For the second game in a row, the Kraken scored early. This time it was the result of a 2-on-1 break with Schultz sending the puck through Georgiev’s pads. The Kraken were 32-7-3 in the regular season when they scored first.

Tanev added a short-handed goal to make it 2-0 and then blew a kiss to the audience.

Injuries continue to pile up for the Avalanche with defenseman Jack Johnson and forward Andrew Cogliano sidelined for a second game in a row. Midway through the third period, Lars Eller hit the boards and struggled to get to the bench.

Colorado used 43 different players in the regular season, the most in a season since the Avalanche moved to the city before the 1995–96 season. One of the biggest absentees was captain Gabriel Landeskog, who has not played all year due to a knee injury.

Alexandar Georgiev was tested all night and finished with 27 saves for the Avalanche