SCOREBOARD
Saturday, April 14
N.Y. Islanders at Buffalo (7:30 p.m. EDT). The Sabres took the opening game of this quarterfinal series 4-1 on Thursday night.
STARS
Thursday
-Zach Parise, Devils, scored two goals, including the winner early in the third period to help New Jersey defeat Tampa Bay 5-3.
-Chris Drury and Brian Campbell, Sabres, each scored two goals, helping Buffalo to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.
STATUS UNCERTAIN
The severity of Jonathan Cheechoo’s injured right knee remained unknown Thursday with San Jose wanting punishment for what they call a dirty hit. Cheechoo, the Sharks’ top goal scorer this season, declined interview requests after an MRI. He had a knee-on-knee collision with Predators forward Scott Hartnell in the Sharks’ 5-4 double overtime victory in Game 1 on Wednesday night.
COMING BACK?
New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro has been cleared for practice and could be ready to play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against Buffalo. Islanders forward Richard Zednik returned Thursday after he missed nine games attending a family emergency in Slovakia. New York lost Game 1 4-1.
DECADE-LONG DROUGHT OVER
The New York Rangers won their first playoff game since the 1997 postseason Thursday night, 4-3 at Atlanta in Game 1 of that quarterfinal series. They were swept by New Jersey in the first round last year.
LONGEVITY MARK
Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios set an NHL record Thursday by playing in the postseason for a 22nd time. In his 23-season career, Chelios has been relegated to watching the playoffs only once. He has won two Stanley Cups. Hall of Famer Ray Bourque held the previous mark, appearing in 21 postseasons.
FINALLY
Pavel Datsyuk ended a 26-game postseason goalless drought in Detroit’s 4-1 win over Calgary on Thursday night. The slump dated to Game 7 of the 2002 conference finals.
CARRYOVER
Vincent Lecavalier, who had a league-leading 52 goals during the regular season, scored twice in Tampa Bay’s 5-3 loss at New Jersey on Thursday night.
LIMITED
The New York Islanders set a franchise postseason low of one shot on goal during the first period of Thursday night’s 4-1 loss at Buffalo. The previous mark was two against Washington in both 1984 and 1985. The shot allowed matched a Sabres playoff record set five previous times.
SPEAKING
“I don’t like to score the first goal. That gives me bad luck. I scored the first goal this year and I struggled. I hate that.” – New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr on scoring the opening goal in a 4-3 win at Atlanta in Game 1 of that quarterfinal series on Thursday night.