BOSTON - Pavel Datsyuk scored at 16:59 of the third period, moments after Jimmy Howard’s best save of the game, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the top-seeded Boston Bruins 1-0 in the opener of their NHL Eastern Conference playoff series Friday night.
The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in the regular season but were locked in a tight game in which neither team had many solid scoring opportunities.
The winning goal came when Datsyuk carried the puck from the right side to the left in Boston’s zone and put a 30-footer from near the left circle past goalie Tuukka Rask’s left glove.
Right before Datsyuk’s 37th career playoff goal, Howard made a brilliant save when Jarome Iginla’s shot from the right point was deflected by Milan Lucic in front of the net. But Howard knocked the puck aside with his glove.
Game 2 of the best-ofseven series, the first playoff matchup between the Original Six teams in 57 years, is set for Sunday night in Boston.
The opening loss was the Bruins’ first playoff game since they dropped the deciding Game 6 of last season’s Stanley Cup final. They lost 3-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks after allowing the tying and winning goals in the last 76 seconds.
Datsyuk, who missed 16 games with a knee injury before returning April 4, got his first playoff goal since Game 3 of Detroit’s second-round playoff series against Chicago last year. The Red Wings had a 3-1 lead in that series against the Blackhawks, and then lost three in a row.
Boston had a decent scoring opportunity in the first minute of the third period when Brad Marchand stole the puck in the Detroit zone and fired a 20-footer from Howard’s right. But the goalie stopped the shot with his pad.
The Red Wings had a better chance two minutes later when Rask made a save, and then stuck his right pad out to kick aside Darren Helm’s shot on the rebound.
There were few good scoring opportunities in the first two periods and Boston killed off the only two penalties, boarding against Zdeno Chara at 16:08 of the first and holding against Torey Krug at 15:58 of the second.
CANADIENS 4, LIGHTNING 1
TAMPA, Fla. - Rene Bourque had two goals and David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher also scored, helping the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Carey Price stopped 26 shots for Montreal, redeeming himself following a less than stellar performance during a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 1.
A second road victory in three nights sends the Canadiens home with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Game 3 is set for Sunday.
Bourque and Desharnais scored in the second period after defensive breakdowns left Tampa Bay goaltender Anders Lindback in tough situations. Gallagher made it 3-0 with an unassisted goal in the third period.
NHL playoffs glance
FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7)
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Montreal 4, Tampa Bay 1
Montreal leads series 2-0 Detroit 1, Boston 0
Detroit leads series 1-0 Dallas at Anaheim, (n)
Anaheim leads series 1-0
TODAY’S GAMES - All times Central
Chicago at St. Louis, 2 p.m.
St. Louis leads series 1-0 Columbus at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
Pittsburgh leads series 1-0 Minnesota at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
Colorado leads series 1-0
Sports, Pages 28 on 04/19/2014