Rangers Notch First Playoff Win Since 1997

ATLANTA —The Rangers scored the first two goals and never trailed in holding off the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 in last night's playoff opener.

The Thrashers, in their seventh NHL season, were playing their first postseason game. They desperately tried for a tying goal in the final minute with a power play, but were denied.

With the tight victory in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal game, the Rangers won for the first time since the 1997 playoffs. They were swept by New Jersey in the first round last year, but Jaromir Jagr helped make sure New York enjoyed a better start in this series. The Rangers outshot the Thrashers 38–24.

The Rangers drew only two penalties in the game, including one against Thomas Pock for holding the stick with 1:11 to play. Atlanta pulled goalie Kari Lehtonen after the penalty, but was stymied by Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 35 shots.

Jagr got his 68th postseason goal. Michael Nylander had a goal and two assists, and Michal Rozsival and Marcel Hossa also scored for the Rangers.

Eric Belanger, Shane Hnidy, and Pascal Dupuis scored for Atlanta.

The Thrashers cut New York's lead to 4–3 about six minutes into the third period when Dupuis scored from in front of the net. But the Rangers held on.

Nylander set up the first goal of the series with a cross-ice pass to Jagr, who was waiting in the right circle for his one-timer past Lehtonen.

There were no penalties until late in the opening period, and each team scored quickly on its first power-play opportunity.

Rozsival scored only 16 seconds after a holding penalty on Andy Sutton to push the Rangers' lead to 2–0. But Rozsival was called for hooking late in the period for the Rangers' only penalty until the final moments. Belanger scored only 19 seconds later on a tip-in from Niclas Havelid's shot.

Hossa, often working against his brother, Atlanta's Marian Hossa, pushed the lead to 3–1 with a goal midway through the second period.

Hnidy answered for Atlanta, but the Rangers quickly took another two-goal lead. Lehtonen blocked a shot on a two-on-one break, but Nylander was waiting to score on the deflection off Lehtonen's glove for a 4–2 lead.

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DEVILS 5, LIGHTNING 3 Zach Parise scored his second goal on a give-and-go with Jamie Langenbrunner early in the third period, leading the Devils to a 5–3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in their opening playoff game last night.

Scott Gomez set up power-play goals by Patrik Elias and Brian Rafalski, and the clinching goal by Brian Gionta with 1:22 to play for New Jersey.

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who set a single-season record with 48 wins, looked ordinary in making 23 saves in the game determined by power plays and turnovers.

Vincent Lecavalier scored twice to rally the Lightning from a 3-1 deficit, and Martin St. Louis had the other for Tampa Bay.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference matchup will be Saturday night at the Continental Airlines Arena.