Dein erstes Forum » lower-seeded teams. Not exactly the expected

PITTSBURGH -- New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault had trouble finding the words to describe goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. "Hes OK," Vigneault said finally with a small shake of his head. Except that is, in Game 7s. In Game 7s, Lundqvist is unbeatable. And so are the Rangers. Frustrating Sidney Crosby and the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins one final time, Lundqvist made 35 saves to lift New York to a 2-1 win on Tuesday night and give his resilient team an unlikely spot in the Eastern Conference finals. "I was so tired at the end," Lundqvist said after setting an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 triumph. "But it was just a great feeling when you know its a done deal and we did it." Brian Boyle and Brad Richards scored for New York, which rallied from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchises 88-year history. The Rangers did it behind Lundqvist, who stopped 102 of the final 105 shots he faced over the final three games as New York advanced to the conference finals for the second time in three years. The three-time All-Star is 10-2 when facing elimination. He was at his best during a mad scramble in front of the Rangers net with just over 5 minutes left, when he turned aside three shots from three different angles in a matter of seconds to preserve a one-goal lead. "He was OK with guys being on top of him as long as we didnt take penalties," New York defenceman Ryan McDonagh said. "He fought through screens, fought for loose pucks. He was incredible." The Rangers will play the winner of the Bruins-Canadiens series in the conference finals. That series is tied 3-3 and Game 7 is Wednesday night in Boston. Jussi Jokinen scored his team-high seventh goal of the post-season for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves for the Penguins, who outshot New York 36-20, but were outscored 10-3 over the final three games. Pittsburgh fell to 2-7 all time at home in Game 7s, including three such losses in the past five seasons. This one might have been the most painful for the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and coach Dan Bylsma that seemed pointed toward a dynasty after winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. Crosby, who led the league in scoring and is an MVP finalist, managed just one goal in 13 playoffs games. Just as importantly, five springs have now come and gone without Pittsburgh getting a Cup to bookend the one they hoisted that giddy night in Detroit and changes could be on the way. The Penguins are just 4-5 in playoff series over the past five seasons, with each loss coming to lower-seeded teams. Not exactly the expected outcome for a roster scattered with top-end talent that hasnt met expectations. While Bylsma declined to take the wide-angle view, his captain understood the dressing room could have a very different look next fall. "I think theres always questions," Crosby said. "When expectations are high and you dont win thats normal. Im sure there will be a lot of questions." There are none at the moment for the Rangers, who seem to thrive when their season boils down to three periods of hockey. Faced with their fifth Game 7 in the past three years, they did what they always do and took control early. Boyle quieted a raucous crowd 5:25 into the game at the end of a pretty breakout. Derek Dorsett hit Boyle streaking across the Pittsburgh blue line and Boyle tapped it between his legs to Dominic Moore, who waited a split second before sending it back to Boyle. The veteran forwards shot went between Fleurys legs for his second goal of the post-season. The Penguins responded by briefly taking over the game, their momentum cresting 4:15 into the second period when Jokinen pounded home a rebound off an Olli Maatta shot to tie the game. The goal seemed to get the Penguins almost too keyed up. Matt Niskanen went to the box for tripping and New Yorks power play, which was laughable when the series began, provided the clincher. Pittsburghs Brian Gibbons failed to get his stick down on a crossing pass from Brandon Sutter, nullifying a short-handed chance. The Rangers took off the other way, and with the Penguins still scrambling to get back into position, Richards took a pass from Martin St. Louis and flipped it into a wide-open net to make it 2-1 before the games midway point. Lundqvist did the rest. He robbed Pittsburghs James Neal at the doorstep late in the second period and fought off swarm after swarm over the final 20 minutes as the Rangers beat the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time in five post-season meetings. The first four series werent close. This one didnt appear to be either until the Rangers rallied behind St. Louis. The veteran forward, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay, lost his mother suddenly last week. He raced home to Montreal to be with his family only to return for Game 5. New York responded with a 5-1 win that signalled a sea change in the series. The Rangers controlled Game 6 -- with St. Louis scoring the first goal on Mothers Day -- and Game 7 was more of the same. NOTES: Pittsburghs power play, which tied with Washington for tops in the league in the regular season, finished the series 1 for 20. ... The Rangers are 8-1 in their past eight Game 7s. ... Richards remained unbeaten (7-0) in Game 7s in his career. Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys China . The Toronto Argonauts signed the veteran linebacker to a three-year deal Tuesday, hours after the start of CFL free agency. 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"Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said.COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Lindsey Vonn eased into her first day of downhill training, holding back on her opening run just so she could get accustomed to cruising at that rate of speed again. By her fifth and final pass at the U.S. Ski Teams speed centre on Wednesday, Vonn was charging so hard through the two-mile course that she bent over in exhaustion soon after finishing, trying to catch her breath. More and more, the four-time overall World Cup champion is feeling like her old self again as her surgically repaired right knee gets stronger. The knee felt "really good," Vonn said as she scrambled for the warmth of the lodge following the bitterly cold workout session. "Everything is good," said Vonn, whos preparing to defend her downhill title at the Sochi Olympic in three months. "I feel fresh and training hard. Everything is perfect." The 29-year-old Vonn shredded her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in a crash at the world championships in Schladming last February, but has progressed much faster than anticipated. She even thought about competing at the season-opening race in Soelden, Austria, on Oct. 26, only to skip it to give her knee more time to recover. Asked if there were any regrets about sitting out that competition, Vonn said: "I was definitely disappointed. Its hard to say no for me. But I felt like I needed more time." These days, all of her decisions are based on one thing: Being in the startinng gate at full strength for Sochi.dddddddddddd. Vonn will make her return to the World Cup circuit in Beaver Creek later this month, with boyfriend and pro golfer Tiger Woods possibly even showing up to cheer her on. "Well see," Vonn said, laughing. For the next few weeks, Vonn will be working on her speed events. She feels like she has her super-G dialed in and now turns her full attention toward the downhill. "My skiing in general is really, really good right now, especially in super-G," said Vonn, who captured an Olympic bronze medal in the super-G in Vancouver four years ago to go with her downhill title. "I just need to get a couple of more miles on the downhill." On her first run Wednesday, Vonn was caught off guard by how much velocity she was picking up on the hill, saying it took her a moment to adjust. She quickly got the hang of it, though, cruising through the course at about 75 per cent of her typical race speed. Vonn treated the morning workout almost like she would a training session at a World Cup stop. Run after run, she pulled a journal out of her bag and jotted down notes about her equipment. Once finished, she slipped into a different set of skis and headed back up the lift for another pass. "I just felt good ... for my first day of downhill," said Vonn, who lives in nearby Vail. "Yeah, it was good." The goal now? "Get faster," she said. "I need more miles." ' ' '