GLENDALE, Ariz. — Derek Morris broke a tie early in the third period and assisted on two other power-play goals as the Coyotes defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference series Wednesday night.
Keith Yandle and Wojtek Wolski also scored, and Ilya Bryzgalov made 38 saves to help the Coyotes win a playoff game for the first time since April 20, 2002, when the team was the Winnipeg Jets.
Morris scored the winner and gave Phoenix its first lead at 2:19 of the third period when he walked into the slot and blasted a shot off goalie Jimmy Howard’s shoulder and into the net. The goal was the defenseman’s first in the postseason.
Wolski, who has been a point-per-game player since being acquired from Colorado at the trade deadline, made it 2-2 at 6:15 of the second with a one-timer set up by Yandle.
Senators 5, Penguins 4
PITTSBURGH — Erik Karlsson and Chris Kelly scored on power plays in the second period and Ottawa surprised the Stanley Cup champions in Game 1.
Evgeni Malkin scored twice following penalties on Peter Regin, the first barely three minutes into the game, but the fourth-seeded Penguins looked mostly flat and uninspired for long periods in beginning their bid to become the NHL’s first repeat champion since Detroit in 1998.
Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, who piled up 15 points in his final five regular-season games, had three assists but was held without a shot until getting two in the third period. Ottawa constantly matched shutdown defensemen Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips against the Crosby line.
With their star tightly covered, the Penguins — seemingly unsettled by Ottawa’s defensive pressure — were held to a single shot during a stretch lasting 21 minutes, 53 seconds following Malkin’s first goal.
The Senators went from being down a goal to being up 3-1 during that period as Regin, Chris Neil and Kelly scored — quieting a standing-room crowd of 17,132.
Flyers 2, Devils 1
NEWARK, N.J. — Brian Boucher had 23 saves in his first playoff start in eight years and Chris Pronger and Mike Richards scored second-period goals for Philadelphia.
New Jersey gave its unhappy fans some hope when Travis Zajac scored on a somewhat flubbed slap shot that seemed to bounce in front of Boucher with 2:43 to play. Boucher, however, stopped Patrik Elias in close with about 10 seconds to go and the Flyers cleared the puck out of the zone on the ensuing faceoff.
Pronger provided the go-ahead goal at 9:25 of the second period, scoring in front on a power play. Richards fired a bad angle shot at Martin Brodeur. Simon Gagne nudged the rebound in the crease and Pronger, who was acquired in a major trade with Anaheim last June, backhanded a shot off the skate of Devils forward Brian Rolston into the net.
The Associated Press
