THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2009
SPORTS
5B
NHL
Ovechkin's quick goals smash rivals
ASSOCIATED PRESS
His two goals in less than three minutes carry the Capitals to victory over the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) scores past Washington Capitals goalie Simeon Varlamov (40) and defenseman Mike Green (52) during the second period of Game 2 Monday's second-round playoff game in Washington. The Capitals won 4-3 and lead the best-of-seven games series 2-0.
BY JOSEPH WHITE
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin got his first playoff hit trick. Sidney Crosby matched him, but his was too little, too late.
Ovechkin broke open a tie game with a pair of goals less than 3 minutes apart in the third period Monday night, leading the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Ovechkin followed a one-timer from the left circle on a power-play with 7.07 to play with a slap shot from between the circles with 4:38 remaining. Both times he celebrated by launching his body into the glass, the second time as red hats flooded the Verizon Center rink.
Crosby did all the scoring for the Penguins to claim the NHL's postseason lead with eight, but it was Ovechkin who had the winning hand in the match of the league's marquee rivals with his fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the playoffs.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
Although they're in a two-game hole, historians of the Pittsburgh-Washington rivalry will say the Penguins have the Capitals right where they want them. From 1991-2001, the Capitals lost five series in which they led the Penguins, including 2-0 leads in 1992 and 1996.
David Steckel, who had only eight goals in the regular season, got his second of the series and was the only goal-scorer not named Ovechkin or Crosby. Rookie playoff phenom Simeon Varlamov made 33 saves for the Capitals, including a pair of impressive stops during a 5-on-3 power play in the first period.
Evgeni Malkin, who won the league's regular-season points title, failed to score a goal for the fifth straight game and committed the penalty that turned the momentum. At the very second the Capitals finished killing a penalty in the third period, Malkin was whistled for tripping with 7:11 remaining.
Nicklas Backstrom won the ensuing faceoff, and the puck went from Mike Green to Ovechkin, who beat Marc-Andre Fleury to the stick side.
Ovechkin's third goal made it 4-2. Crosby scored a power-play goal in the game's final minute after Fleury was pulled for an extra attacker. Only three hats sailed to the rink to celebrate his three-goal feat.
There was no pretense of a loving relationship between the rivals.
A physical first period included nine penalties and plenty of minitussles. Crosby bowled over Green while advancing with the puck in the first minute. The Capitals wasted a chance at a power play when Chris Clark decided to punch Kris Letang in the face after the whistle had stopped play for a Pittsburgh penalty. Ovechkin got sandwiched along the boards and was shoved around whenever possible; he and Chris Kunitz traded blows in period's final minute.
An exchange between Washington's Alexander Semin and Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpk resulted in three penalties — two of them on Semin. The resulting power play produced the game's first goal, when Crosby poked in a rebound
under Varlamov's left pad following Sergei Gonchar's shot from the blue line.
The goal broke a four-game, 0-for-17 drought for the Penguins' power play.
More rough stuff! Letang tackled Steckel from behind during a breakaway, giving the Capitals a power play. They didn't score, but Letang nearly did when he popped out of the box and pounced on a long rebound for a breakaway that was denied by Varlamov.
The Penguins had 46 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play late in the period, but Varlamov, whose dexterous, how-did-he-do that save on Crosby was the highlight of Game 1, made big back-to-back stops. He got his left pad on Crosby's shot.
then punched his glove straight up to knock away Gonchar's rebound attempt.
The game was more disciplined in the second and third periods, with fewer penalties and more goals.
The Capitals tied the game early in the second on a Russian right-to-middle-to-left sequence. Sergei Fedorov spun and fed Viktor Kozlov, who moved the puck over to Ovechkin, one time-led his shot from the left circle.
The Penguins grabbed the lead back when Crosby, again perched to the crease, got his stick to a multi-deflected pass from Kunitz. The puck ping-ponged off Green and Varlamov before Crosby knocked it in.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird shows the ball to the home plate umpire after tagging out Minnesota Twins' Michael Cuddyer (5) in the seventh inning Monday in Detroit. The Twins beat the Tigers 7-2.
After six losses Orioles emerge with 8-4 victory
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.,—Nick Markakis hit a three-run-homer and Brian Roberts added a two-run shot to help the Orioles stop a six-game loss streak with a victory over the Rays.
Markakis, after the first two Baltimore batters walked, made it 3-0 with his three-run shot off Scott Kazmir (3-3) in the first. He has a hit in 19 of his last 20 games, and has reached base safely in 35 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the majors.
After Aubrey Huff had a sacrifice fly and Ty Wigginton hit an RBI double off reliever Joe Nelson in the seventh, Roberts extended the Orioles' advantage to 8-4 on his eighth-inning homer. Reliever Danys Baez (2-1) threw two scoreless innings for the win.
TWINS 7, TIGERS 2
DETROIT—Francisco Liriano had a season-high nine strikeouts and Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run triple in a five-run seventh, leading the Twins to a win over the Tigers.
Liriano (1-4) allowed four hits, matching a season low, and two runs over 7 1-3 innings to snap his five-game skid dating to last season.
Liriano's outing was reminiscent of his outstanding rookie year. He was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 2006 before pain in his left elbow ended his season, led to Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for 2007 and limited him to 14 games last year.
Edwin Jackson (1-2) worked six-plus innings for Detroit, setting season highs with five earned runs and seven strikeouts.
Miguel Cabrera homered for the Tigers.
NBA
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Celtics' late surge was not enough Orlando's early commanding lead saves team in lethargic second half
BY JIMMY GOLEN Associated Press
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, left, works the ball against Boston Celtics' Kendrick Perkins during the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series in Boston on Monday. Howard scored 16 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in the 95-90 victory, which gave Orlando an early 1-0 lead in the series.
BOSTON — Dwight Howard returned from his one-game suspension to get 16 points and 22 rebounds Monday night and help the Orlando Magic hold off the late-charging Boston Celtics 95-90 in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Magic opened a 28-point lead early in the second half before Boston cut the deficit to 91-87 in the final two minutes. The Celtics had several chances to come within one possession — the best Ray Allen's three-pointer that rimmed out with 43 seconds left.
"We got complacent as a team, stopped doing what we did to get the lead and against a good Celtics team you can't do that," Howard said. "I'm not happy with the way we ended the game."
Paul Pierce made a three-pointer with 6.6 seconds left to make it a three-point game, but J.J. Redick went 4-for-4 from the line in the last 14 seconds to ice it.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pierce scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Celtics used a 15-4 run to get the lead within 20 points and came as close as 74-60 near the end of the third quarter. Mickael
Pietrus hit a three-pointer to make it 81-64, then Boston scored seven straight points, getting a jumper from Pierce, a three-pointer off a jump ball from Eddie House and then Rondo's steal and dunk to
It was the first time the crowd got back into it since the opening quarter.
make it a 10-point game.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.
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