European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 stars and stripes monday april 16 2007 Dipietroi return fuels islanders Victory by John Wawrow the associated press Buffalo by kick Dipietro has the Buffalo sabres to thank for his most intense work out in three weeks nothing could shake off the rust better or be any sweeter than the 32save Effort that produced a 32 playoff Victory for Dipietro and the new York islanders on saturday night i Coul Dve used a Little wd40 on the joints Here and there the islanders top goalie said with a Wink Dipietro was Limber enough bouncing Back from a pair of concussions 12 Days apart and the is Landers showed renewed Confidence with their stars return in evening the Eastern conference first round series at 1 Marcandre Bergeron secured the Victory scoring the godhead goal into the third period but much of the kudos were directed at Dipietro when Ricky Back there Mak ing key saves at the right times that gives us a boost of Confidence and extra life Forward Ryan Smyth said your no 1 player has to be your goaltender and he was that tonight two Days after being cleared to practice and playing his first game since March 25 Dipietro started off hot and stayed that Way he made his first save in the first minute by getting his Shoul Der up to Stop Toni Lydman snap shot from the right Circle Dipietroi Best save came later in the first period when lying on the ice he reached Back to foil Thomas vanes Backhander from in close that was a Confidence build or absolutely Dipietro said i was Lucky to get my Glove on it game 3 of the Besto seven series will be monday night on Long Island Lydman and Dmitri Kalinin scored for the sabres both goals coming on scrambles in front otherwise the sabres started Flat falling behind 20 when Bruno Gervais scored 11 minutes Don new York islanders goalie Rick Dipietro makes a save against Buffalo during the first period of saturdays first round playoff game at the Hsc Arena in Buffalo by new York won 32 to tie the Besto seven series at one game apiece the series shifts to Long Island for game 3 in and they didst have enough to rally even though Kalinin tied it Early in the third we we rent moving our feet sabres coach Lindy Ruff said obviously we want to clean up the first 10 minutes of the game the sabres didst play with the same efficiency As in their 41 Vic tory on thursday and they didst resemble the team that led the nil with 53 victories and 308 goals hey they want to win too sabres goalie Ryan Miller said of the islanders we have to forget about that first period and use it As motivation Trent Hunter also scored for the islanders and Tom Poti added two assists Bergeronn goal came As the sabres appeared to have gained momentum and came on the Island ers first shot of the period with Smyth providing traffic in front Bergeron slapped a shot in from the right Point that beat Miller just inside the far Post i saw it go in and it was a great shot a great play Smyth said we needed that boost Holmqvist shuts Down devils to help lightning even series the associated press East Rutherford n j the Tampa Bay lightning expect Vincent Lecavalier to score hav ing Johan Holmqvist outplay mar tin Brodeur was an unexpected Bonus Lecavalier the Nils top goal scorer this season netted one Early in the third period to break a tie and Holmqvist made 34 saves to Lead the lightning to a 32 Victory saturday night evening the first round Eastern conference series at 1all Holmqvist was the big question Mark for the lightning after he gave up five goals on 24 shots in game 1 including three relatively bad ones Homer made some unbelievable saves and kept us in the game Lecavalier said after the lightning avoided going Down 20 a deficit no team has recovered from against the devils that gave us a lot of Confidence we knew hed do it Hes a very determined Guy we knew he was focused in the room he came Back Strong mentally the lightning who will Host game 3 on monday also showed a lot of resilience in rallying from a 21 deficit late in the second period with a Little help from Bro Deur Martin St Louis tied the game with less than a minute left in the Frame with a bad Angle goal from along the goal line i was just trying to put it on net and get some air underneath it St Louis said i dont know where it went but it found its Way in Brodeur took the blame i was there it just went through me he said i would love to have it Back but it Doest work like that in hockey he had nothing to lose and he hammered it As hard As he could and it went through me Lecavalier got the Winner his third goal of the series by getting behind the devils de sense and deflecting a shot from the Point by Paul Ranger at of the third period it was then up to Holmqvist to make the Lead stand and he did playing in his second career playoff game the swede pre served the Victory with a Stop on a close in whack by Brian Gionta at the right Post in the final 2 seconds Filip Kuba also scored for the lightning who will be Home for the next two games of the Besto seven matchup Zach Parise and Jamie Langen Brunner scored for the devils who Are 100 when they take a 20 series Lead rangers 2 Thrashers 1 at at Lanta Sean Avery ricocheted a Fluke goal off the boards from Cen Ter ice and Brendan Shanahan scored the Winner with remaining lifting new York Over at Lanta and giving the rangers a commanding 20 Lead in the Besto seven Eastern Confer ence playoff series Shana Hans 54th career playoff goal came after Ilya Kovalchuk tied the game at 1 for the thrash ers with remaining the series now moves to Madi son Square Garden for game 3 on tuesday night the next two games Are in new York giving the rangers a Chance to Clinch the series without coming Back to Atlanta Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves for the Victory Atlanta Johan Hedberg who replaced Kari Lehtonen in the nets after game 1 was Sharp in stopping 37 shots penguins 4 senators 3 at Ottawa Sidney Crosby scored his second goal in two career playoff games into the third period to lift Pittsburgh Over Ottawa evening the first round Eastern conference series at one Victory apiece Crosby who scored a late Power play goal in wednesdays series opening 63 loss scored Pittsburgh third goal of the third period at the pen Guins tied it twice in the final Frame before the 19yearold nil scoring Champion gave them their second and final Lead Marcandre Fleury stopped Mike Fishers shot from the Slot with 131 seconds remaining to Seal the Victory Fleury who left after allowing All six goals wednesday made 34 saves As Ottawa out shot Pittsburgh 3721 Overall including 205 in the Sec Ond period Gary Roberts and Jordan Staal scored tying goals earlier in the period and Crosby assisted on Ryan Whitney Power play goal Early in the first Daniel Alfredson and Jason Spezza each had a goal and an As Sist in the second to give Ottawa a 21 Lead Chris Kelly put Ottawa up 32 when he scored for the Sec Ond straight game into the third the senators have never led a playoff series 20 Ottawa lost for the seventh straight time after winning the opener and now Heads to Pittsburgh for two begin Ning with game 3 on sunday night nil scoreboard Eastern conference Buffalo is by islanders thursday Buffalo 4 by islanders 1 saturday by islanders 3 Buffalo 2 series tied 11 monday Buffalo at by islanders wednesday Buffalo at by islanders Friday april 20 by islanders at Buffalo sunday april 22 Buffalo at by islanders if necessary tuesday april 24 by islanders at Buffalo if necessary new Jersey is Tampa Bay thursday new Jersey 5 Tampa Bay 3 saturday Tampa Bay 3 new Jersey 2 series tied 11 monday new Jersey at Tampa Bay wednesday new Jersey at Tampa Bay Friday april 20 Tampa Bay at new Jersey sunday april 22 new Jersey at Tampa Bay if necessary tuesday april 24 Tampa Bay at new Jer sey if necessary Atlanta is by rangers thursday by rangers 4 Atlanta 3 saturday by rangers 2 Atlanta 1 by rangers Lead series 20 tuesday Atlanta at by rangers wednesday Atlanta at by rangers Friday april 20 by rangers at Atlanta if necessary sunday april 22 Atlanta at by rangers if necessary monday april 23 by rangers at Atlanta if necessary Ottawa is Pittsburgh wednesday Ottawa 6 Pittsburgh 3 saturday Pittsburgh 4 Ottawa 3 series tied 11 sunday Ottawa at Pittsburgh at Ottawa Pittsburgh if necessary tuesday april 24 Pittsburgh at Ottawa if necessary Western conference Detroit is Calgary thursday Detroit 4 Calgary 1 Detroit leads series 10 sunday Calgary at Detroit tuesday Detroit at Calgary thursday april 19 Detroit at Calgary saturday april 21 Calgary at Detroit if necessary sunday april 22 Detroit at Calgary if Nec Essary tuesday april 24 Calgary at Detroit if Nec Essary Anaheim is Minnesota wednesday Anaheim 2 Minnesota 1 Friday Anaheim 3 Minnesota 2 Anaheim leads series 20 sunday Anaheim at Minnesota tuesday Anaheim at Minnesota thursday april 19 Minnesota at Anaheim if necessary saturday april 21 Anaheim at Minnesota if necessary monday april 23 Minnesota at Anaheim if necessary Vancouver is Dallas wednesday Vancouver 5 Dallas 440t Friday Dallas 2 Vancouver 0 series tied 11 sunday Vancouver at Dallas tuesday Vancouver at Dallas thursday april 19 Dallas at Vancouver saturday april 21 Vancouver at Dallas if necessary monday april 23 Dallas at Vancouver if necessary Nashville is san Jose wednesday san Jose 5 Nashville 42ot Friday Nashville 5 san Jose 2 series tied monday Nashville at san Jose wednesday april 18 Nashville at san Jose Friday april 20 san Jose at Nashville sunday april 22 Nashville at san Jose if necessary tuesday april 24 san Jose at Nashville if necessary saturday rangers 2 Thrashers 1 by rangers 1 0 12 Atlanta 00 11 first period1 by rangers Avery 1 Stra period2 Atlanta Kovalchuk 1 Tea 3 by rangers Shanahan 1 Avery 1559 shots on 6oalny rangers 10141539 Atlanta 88122a Power play opportunities by rangers 0 of 6 Atlanta oot6 goalie Sny rangers Lundqvist 20 28 shots27 Atlanta Hedberg 01 a18803 penguins 4 senators 3 Pittsburgh 10 34 Ottawa 0 2 13 first period1 Pittsburgh Whitney 1 con Char second penod2 Ottawa Spezza 1 Al Fredston 3 Ottawa Al Fredston 1 Heatley third Pittsburgh Roberts 1 Gonchar 5 Ottawa Kelly 2 Mcammond 6 Pitts Burgh Staal 2 Ouellet 7 Pittsburgh Crosby 2 Recchi shots on Goa Pittsburgh 551121 Ottawa 6191237 Power play 2 of 3 Ottawa 1 of Fleury 11 37 shots34 Ottawa Emery 11 a20133 lightning 3 devils 2 Tampa Bay l 1 13 new Jersey 1 1 02 first penod1 Tampa Bay Kuba 1 Perrin 2 new Jersey Parise 3 Rafalski Lault Jului i Micky 4oll second new Jersey Langen runner 1 Gionta 4 Tampa Bay St Louis 2 Richards third Tampa Bay Lecavalier 3 Ranger shots on Bay new Jersey 7181136 Power play opportunities Tampa Bay 0 of 3 new Jersey 2 of 5 goalies Tampa Bay Holmqvist 11 36 shots34 new Jersey Brodeur 11 j a18231 islanders 3 sabres 2 by islanders 2 13 Buffalo 1 0 12 first period1 by islanders Hunter 1 Sii linger by islanders Gervais 1 Buffalo Lydman 1 Vanek third penod4 Buffalo Kalinin 1 Pomin Buffalo 10141034 Power play islanders 1 of 4 Buffalo oof 5 goalie Sny islanders Dipietro 10 34 shots32 Buffalo Miller 11 a18690