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PITTSBURGH (AP) – It almost didn't seem fair: A rookie
goaltender is asked to face Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Alexei
Kovalev in only his second NHL career start.
And it wasn't.
|  | | Alexei Kovalev, left, notched his third three-goal game this month for the Penguins on Friday. |
Kovalev had his third three-goal game this month during a
five-point night and the Pittsburgh Penguins, enjoying the kind of
wide-open game in which they thrive, beat the New York Rangers 6-4
Friday night.
Kovalev – traded by the Rangers in November 1998 – twice tied
the game in the first period, then completed his third hat trick
since Feb. 7 during a three-goal Pittsburgh second period against
rookie goaltender Vitali Yeremeyev.
Martin Straka had a goal and three assists and Lemieux, staying
in the lineup despite his ongoing bout with back pain, scored for
the second consecutive game. The Penguins improved to 10-3-1 in
their last 14 games.
"Basically, Kovalev had a great night," Rangers coach Ron Low
said. "A couple of great plays were made by their great players.
When you play this team, you just can't shut down one line (the
Lemieux line), you have to shut down two lines."
The Rangers didn't shut down either line. With Mike Richter out
for the season with a torn knee ligament and backup Kirk McLean
winless in his last eight games in Pittsburgh, Yeremeyev played
only his third NHL game.
The result, and the ensuing wide-open play uncharacteristic of
late in a game involving the Penguins, was almost predictable as
Kovalev had his sixth career hat trick barely halfway through the
game and Straka had a four-point night.
Kovalev, once criticized by former Rangers general manager Neil
Smith for not shooting enough, insisted it didn't feel any better
to have a big night against his former team. Really.
"I get asked about it a lot, and I'm kind of sick of it,"
Kovalev said. "Neil Smith and the Rangers are in the past. ... I
said when I was traded to Pittsburgh it was a new start for me."
Kovalev, second in the league with 39 goals to Florida's Pavel
Bure (40), got his 37th of the season after Straka intercepted a
pass and set him up in front of the net. Kovalev's 38th came later
in the first period on a power play resulting from Eric Lacroix's
tripping penalty.
The Rangers also scored short-handed on the same penalty, with
Straka's giveaway setting up Mark Messier's breakaway for his 19th.
Kovalev scored just over a minute later.
Despite Yeremeyev's rough introduction to the Penguins, teammate
Rich Pilon said, "He didn't hurt us, we hurt ourselves by giving
them too much room, backing off and letting them shoot."
The Penguins were 2-for-27 on the power play in their last six
games before scoring on their first two opportunities, with Lemieux
getting his 22nd in 25 games to make it 3-2. Lemieux scored almost
exactly as he did to win Wednesday's 3-2 overtime decision over
Florida, on a one-timer from the left circle, this time off
Kovalev's pass.
After Josef Beranek got his eighth for Pittsburgh and Brian
Leetch scored on a Rangers power play, Kovalev restored the
Penguins' two-goal lead at 12:28 of the second with his 12th goal
in nine games this month. He also had hat tricks in consecutive
home games against Philadelphia on Feb. 7 and New Jersey on Feb.
10.
"Just to get a hat trick was special for me, I don't care who
it was against," Kovalev said. "It took me four years to get my
second (career) hat trick, and now I have four this year. I almost
can't find words for it. This is one of those times when everything
goes in."
The offense was just what the Penguins needed on a night when
they played without four of their top six defensemen. Three
defensemen called up from the minors since Monday all played at
least 16 minutes: Andrew Ference, Sven Butenschon and Josef
Melichar. Butenschon assisted on Straka's goal.
Straka scored his 22nd in the opening minute of the third period
on a breakaway, with Kovalev assisting. The Rangers also scored in
the opening minute of the first period, with Radek Dvorak beating
Jean-Sebastien Aubin with 25 seconds gone.
Game notes
The Rangers, 4-0-1 in their previous five games, are 0-3
against the Penguins. ... Yeremeyev is 0-3 in his career. ...
Lemieux didn't have an assist for the seventh consecutive game. He
needs one more for the 900th of his career. His goal was his 54th
in 62 career games against the Rangers. ... It was the 25th
consecutive sellout with Lemieux.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
RECAPS
Phoenix 7
Buffalo 3
Carolina 3
New Jersey 2
Washington 3
Montreal 1
Pittsburgh 6
NY Rangers 4
Detroit 4
St. Louis 2
Chicago 1
Atlanta 0
Dallas 5
Boston 4
Colorado 4
Minnesota 1
San Jose 3
Anaheim 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Alexei Kovalev scores the first of three goals on the night.
avi: 663 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Mark Messier is wide open for the short-handed goal.
avi: 606 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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