Rangers blank Devils in Eastern Conference opener

NEW YORK: The New York Rangers, battling sheer exhaustion as much as their opponents, drew first blood in their National Hockey League playoff against the New Jersey Devils on Monday.
Back at Madison Square Garden just two days after winning their second straight seven-game series, the battle-hardened Rangers drew on all their reserves of stamina to win the opening game of the Eastern Conference final 3-0.
After two scoreless periods, defenseman Dan Girardi broke the stalemate less than a minute into the third then forward Chris Kreider blasted a second goal eight minutes from the end.
Russian center Artem Anisimov wrapped up the scoring by putting the puck into an empty net to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Devils were the fresher of the two teams after wrapping up their semi-final against the Philadelphia Flyers in five games almost a week ago but could not find a way past Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
The Swede, one of three players shortlisted for this season’s MVP award, was an impenetrable force at the back, saving all 21 shots fired at his goal.
New Jersey netminder Martin Brodeur turned away 25 shots but was helpless to stop Girardi’s blast after Kreider tracked down a bouncing puck.
Revitalized by the goal, the Rangers sealed their victory when Kreider scored on a power play and Anisimov guided the puck into the empty net after Brodeur was pulled.
Game two will be back at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday before the series moves over the Hudson River to New Jersey for games three and four.
The winner will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup final against either Los Angeles or Phoenix.
Hunter steps down as Capitals coach
Meantime, Dale Hunter has stepped down as head coach of the Washington Capitals after salvaging the season with a late playoff berth and getting to within one win of the Eastern Conference final, the team said on Monday.
Hunter, who was hired to replace Bruce Boudreau in November after the Capitals went on a 3-7-1 stretch, went 30-23-7 the rest of the way and helped Washington clinch a playoff berth in their penultimate game of the regular season.
“I thought he did a great job of coming in and helping us out,” Capitals General Manager George McPhee said.
“Trying to hire a coach in the middle of the season is a difficult process. ... So to have Dale available to come in, even if on a temporary basis, was something we liked a lot.”
Hunter, 51, will return to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, where he coached for 11 seasons before taking the Capitals job last year, according to McPhee.
Under Hunter, the Capitals stunned the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the top-seeded New York Rangers in a decisive seventh game of the Eastern Conference semifinal.