THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY APRIL 19 THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007 SPORTS 9B NHL Rangers sweep Thrashers in first round series Atlanta leaves first-ever playoffs without a peep Julie Jacobson/ASSOCIATED PRESS Atlanta Thrashers' Garnet Exelby, left, dives to knock the puck away from New York Rangers' Petr Prucha during the second period in NHL hockey action Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. BY IRA PODELL ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Matt Cullen banged in a shot off the crossbar and bounced the New York Rangers into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Cullen fired a rolling puck from just inside the blue line that smacked the iron and dropped on its side just over the goal line 2:06 into the third period Wednesday night. It withstood a lengthy video review and snapped a tie, and the Rangers completed a four-game sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers with a 4-2 victory. New York, which earned its first home playoff victory since 1997 a night earlier, won a postseason series for the first time since that year. It was the Rangers' first sweep since the opening round of the 1994 playoffs — the year the Rangers last won the Stanley Cup — and quickly ended the Thrashers' initial venture into the postseason. Fresh off a 7-0 victory in Game 3 on Tuesday, the Rangers had a much tougher time with goalie Johan Hedberg than Karl Lehtonen. Hedberg stopped 37 shots in a 2-1 loss in Game 2 but Thrashers coach Bob Hartley made the curious decision to go back to Lehtonen, the 4-3 loser in the opener, at Madison Square Garden. Michal Rozsival and Brendan Shanahan wiped out one-goal advantages and put Cullen in position for the game-winner. Jaramir Jagr sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 1:33 remaining. Cullen stepped into his series- winning shot, meeting the puck as to teammate Petr Prucha, while Hedberg strolled during the 5-minute video review. Finally, referee Mike Hasenfratz hung up the phone with the NHL office in Toronto and pointed to center ice. Cullen was it rolled on edge. It smacked the bar and landed as it was when Cullen let it go. Play continued for another 16 seconds until Hedberg stopped another scoring chance. Cullen stretched and talked mbosed by teammates at the bench as Hedberg shook his head in the crease. "They can take all night as long as they get it right," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. Hedberg stopped 27 shots. Keith Tkachuk and Greg de Vries scored for the Southeast Division champions, who will have to wait at least a year for their first playoff win. Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves for the Rangers, who held a 17-6 scoring edge and 143-99 shots advantage in the series. New York will have about a week off before facing either Buffalo, Ottawa, Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay in the next round. The Rangers are the first team this year to advance. De Vries gave the Thrashers their second short-lived lead of the series with 7:34 left in the middle period, when he ripped a pass from Pascal Dupuis past Lundqvist during a delayed penalty. New York tied it 5:52 later on Shanahan's 56th NHL playoff goal, fifth among active players and his third of the series. Marian Hossa, who scored a career-high 100 points this season, assisted for his only point of the series. It was a shot Hedberg, who was sharp throughout the second period, would want back. Sean Avery made a stellar clear from the Rangers' zone by wrapping the puck around the boards out to Shanahan. NBA Nets beat Bulls, qualify for No. 6 seat; Bulls lose No.2 seat BY BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS Vince Carter is headed back to Toronto. Chicago was left with an unwanted rematch against Miami. The New Jersey Nets beat the Bulls 106-97 Wednesday night, clinching the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and preventing Chicago from finishing second. New Jersey will open the post. season against the Atlantic Division champion Raptors in Toronto, where Carter is likely to hear boos every time he touches the ball. He starred for the Raptors for more than six seasons before his unhappiness forced Toronto to trade Carter to the Nets in December 2004. A Chicago victory would have set up a Bulls-Nets series in the first round. Instead, the Bulls fell to the No. 5 seed and will open the postseason against the defending champion Heat. Miami took the first step toward its title last year by beating Chicago in six games in the first round. But the Bulls had the better overall record, so they get the extra home game against the Heat. The Cleveland Cavaliers captured the No. 2 spot after beating Milwaukee on Wednesday. The playoffs open Saturday. MLB White Sox lefty pitches no-hitter; Rangers defeated 6-0 in Chicago BY RICK GANO ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO — Mark· Buehrle pitched the first no-hitter of the season Wednesday night — and he was nearly perfect, too. Nam Y. Huh/ASSOCIATED PRESS The Chicago White Sox left-hander faced the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers, picking off the only hitter he walked and throwing his team's first no-hitter since 1991. Working quickly and efficiently in a dominant performance, Buehrle allowed only one baserunner. Texas Rangers' Mark Teixeira leaves the batter's box after striking out against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning Wednesday. He walked Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth inning, then promptly picked him off first base. "I can't believe I did it," Buehrle said. "Perfect game would have been nice, too." On a chilly 40-degree night, Buehle threw 105 pitches. His previous low-hit game was a one-hitter against Tampa Bay on Aug. 3,2001. It was Chicago's first no-hitter since Wilson Alvarez threw one at Baltimore on Aug. 11, 1991. before a crowd of 25,390 at U.S. Cellular Field. Buehrle, who retired 20 of the final 22 batters he faced in his previous start against Oakland, had some stellar defensive plays behind him Three of the closest plays came on grounders. Jerry Hairston hit one to Joe Crede at third in the third inning and was called out at first after a headlong slide. Replays showed Hairston was out, but he was ejected by first base bumpire James Hoye for arguing and had to be restrained by first base coach Gary Pettis when he returned to the field. Tadahito Iguchi made a diving stop of Hank Blalock's grounder in the hole, got up and threw him out to end the fifth. That came one batter after Sosa spoiled the perfect game bid by drawing the walk. 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