GAME THREAD: NHL: NY RANGERS (8-8) at TORONTO (7-10)

NHL: NY RANGERS at TORONTO

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------------------
NY RANGERS 0 2 0 0 (2) --3
TORONTO 0 2 0 0 (0) --2
-----------------------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: S Avery, Nyr (unsportsmanlike cond), 11:04;
D Tucker, Tor (unsportsmanlike cond), 11:04; D Tucker, Tor (major
fighting), 13:12; S Avery, Nyr (major fighting), 13:12; M Staal, Nyr
(tripping), 14:18.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Ny Rangers, Brendan Shanahan 5 (Sean Avery,
Scott Gomez),1:43. 2, Ny Rangers, Sean Avery 2 (Brendan Shanahan, Dan
Girardi),2:25. 3, Toronto, Alexei Ponikarovsky 5 (Nik Antropov, Ian
White),16:54. 4, Toronto, Alexei Ponikarovsky 6 (Andy Wozniewski, Mats
Sundin),18:54. Penalties: M Bell, Tor (slashing), 4:29; J Jagr, Nyr
(hooking), 5:03; J Strudwick, Nyr (holding), 8:28; S Gomez, Nyr
(roughing), 14:53.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: D Tucker, Tor (hooking), 0:00; M Stajan,
Tor (holding), 4:18; B Devereaux, Tor (hooking), 16:43.

OVERTIME -- Scoring: None.

SHOOTOUT -- Toronto, Nik Antropov (missed), Mats Sundin
(missed). Ny Rangers, Brendan Shanahan (goal), Marcel Hossa
(goal).

Shots on goal:
---------------------------------------------
NY RANGERS 9 9 6 3 --27
TORONTO 11 9 10 4 --34
---------------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: NYR - 0 of 4, TOR - 0 of 4. Goalies : Ny
Rangers, Stephen Valiquette (34 shots, 32 saves; record: 1-0-0).
Toronto, Vesa Toskala (27 shots, 25 saves; record: 5-7-1). A: 19,503.
Referees: Don Van Massenhoven, Greg Kimmerly. Linesmen: Lonnie
Cameron, Scott Driscoll.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

NY RANGERS TORONTO
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
B Shanahan 1 1 even 4 A Steen 0 0 -2 2
B Betts 0 0 even 1 M Sundin 0 1 +1 3
S Avery 1 1 +1 3 M Stajan 0 0 -2 1
B Dubinsky 0 0 -1 0 T Kaberle 0 0 -2 2
M Staal 0 0 even 1 D Tucker 0 0 +1 0
S Gomez 0 1 +1 2 C Kilger 0 0 even 0
C Drury 0 0 -1 2 B Devereaux 0 0 -2 4
P Prucha 0 0 even 0 A Ponikarovsky 2 0 +2 4
P Mara 0 0 +1 1 B McCabe 0 0 +1 0
C Orr 0 0 even 0 H Gill 0 0 even 2
M Rozsival 0 0 -1 0 P Kubina 0 0 -1 0
J Strudwick 0 0 +1 0 K Wellwood 0 0 even 1
R Hollweg 0 0 even 1 J Blake 0 0 +1 4
D Girardi 0 1 even 5 A Wozniewski 0 1 +1 1
F Tyutin 0 0 -1 1 I White 0 1 +1 3
J Jagr 0 0 even 1 N Antropov 0 1 +1 5
M Hossa 0 0 even 4 M Bell 0 0 even 1
N Dawes 0 0 even 1 J Tlusty 0 0 even 1
M Malik RIB INJURY W Belak HEALTHY
B Battaglia HEALTHY
J Pohl HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: NY RANGERS at TORONTO

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NHL
NY RANGERS 3
TORONTO 2</div>

 

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Brendan Shanahan had quite the impressiveshowing during the NHL's annual "Hall of Fame" game.

Shanahan had a goal in regulation and joined Marcel Hossa inscoring in the shootout as the New York Rangers defeated theToronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, on Saturday in a battle of "OriginalSix" teams.


On Monday, the Hall of Fame officially will welcome MarkMessier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens in theplayers category, while Jim Gregory will be added in thebuilders category.


"We talked a bit about having a big win on Mark Messier's bigweekend," Shanahan said. "He was in the dressing room beforethe game, and with him here, we wanted to have a proud showingfor the New York Rangers on this weekend."


Steve Valiquette, who was making his first start of the season,stopped Nik Antropov and Mats Sundin in the bonus format topreserve the victory. Valiquette, a Toronto native, finishedthe game with 32 saves.


"Considering the magnitude of the game, I was as calm as I couldbe," Valiquette said of playing in Toronto. "With the openingceremony and everyone famous out for the game, I was just tryingto focus on what I should do, which is be square to the puck,beat the pass and play an east-to-west game."


Shanahan, also a Toronto native, was proud of Valiquette.

"For Steve Valiquette to get a win, in a shootout, in hishometown was great," Shanahan said.


Henrik Lundqvist started the first 16 games of the season forthe Rangers, who earned their first victory on the road in seventries this campaign.


Valiquette's last victory, ironically, came in a shootoutagainst the St. Louis Blues in March at Madison Square Garden.

"I've had some experience in shootouts in the ECHL and the AHL,"Valiquette said. "I try and not think of the shooters'tendencies and simply play them as they come down. It was greatto get this win, in this fashion, with my family and friends inthe stands."


Shanahan opened the scoring at 1:43 of the second period.

The future Hall of Famer scored his fifth goal of the seasonafter finishing off a perfect behind-the-back pass from SeanAvery to beat netminder Vesa Toskala.


Shanahan returned the favor to Avery just 42 seconds later.

Scott Gomez's blast produced a rebound, which Shanahan hit outof mid-air right onto the stick of Avery at the side of the net.The agitator simply tapped in the puck for his second goal ofthe campaign.


With New York leading, 2-0, Alexei Ponikarovsky scored goalsexactly two minutes apart to level the game.


Ponikarovsky halved the deficit for the Maple Leafs with threeminutes remaining in the second period. After accepting a feedfrom fellow Russian Antropov, Ponikarovsky blasted the puck fromthe right faceoff circle that sailed over Valiquette's leftshoulder and just under the crossbar.


Ponikarovsky tied it with 66 seconds remaining in the secondperiod.


Toronto captain Mats Sundin skated in on net, but after he wasunable to register a shot, teammate Jason Blake weakly put thepuck on goal. Valiquette made the save but unwittingly left therebound in front for Ponikarovsky, who wristed it in to tie thegame at 2-2.


"Everyone played hard tonight, it was the second game in twonights for us," Ponikarovsky said. "We tried hard to get it inregulation. A shootout is what I call the same as 'RussianRoulette.' It's kind of a 1-on-1 battle - who has the moreskill or luck wins it."


Toskala finished with 25 saves for Toronto.