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.
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 winninggoals 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 periodwhen 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 Bostonkilled 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.
With both teams playing a tight checking game, the shots on goal were even at 16-16 heading into the third period.
Boston played without four regulars, including defensemen Matt Bartkowski and Kevan Miller, both sidelined with the flu. Center Chris Kelly satout with a back injury and left wing Daniel Paille had a head injury suffered in a collision in the next-to-last game of the regular season.
For Detroit, center Henrik Zetterberg has been out since Feb. 8 after back surgery and Jonathan Ericsson hasn’t played since March 14 because of a broken finger.
CANADIENS 4, LIGHTNING 1
TAMPA, Fla. - Rene Bourque had two goals and David Desharnais and BrendanGallagher 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.
Bourque and Desharnais scored in the second period on Tampa Bay goaltender Anders Lindback. Gallagher made it 3-0 with an unassisted goal in the third period.NHL playoffs glance FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7) WEDNESDAY’S GAMES Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 4, OT Pittsburgh 4, Columbus 3
Pittsburgh leads series 1-0 Anaheim 4, Dallas 3 THURSDAY’S GAMES N.Y. Rangers 4, Philadelphia 1
N.Y. Rangers lead series 1-0 St. Louis 4, Chicago 3, 3OT
St. Louis leads series 1-0 Colorado 5, Minnesota 4, OT
Colorado leads series 1-0 San Jose 6, Los Angeles 3
San Jose leads series 1-0 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.
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 24 on 04/19/2014