NEW YORK // Nikolai Zherdev scored with just 8.1 seconds left of normal time to cap a two-goal comeback from the New York Rangers, who then beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday. Fredrik Sjostrom gave the league-leading Rangers the lead on a backhander in the third round of the shootout before Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby missed against the Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
"That was classic Henrik," Rangers head coach Tom Renney said. "Poised and confident in the shootout." Lundqvist made 27 saves in the game, including four shots by the Penguins in the extra period, then denied Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, Petr Sykora and Crosby in the shootout. New York, who lost to the Penguins in five games in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season, now have a five-point lead over Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division.
The Penguins had taken a two-goal lead through strikes from Darryl Sydor and Crosby. Markus Naslund's power-play score got Rangers back in the game, before Zherdev proved to be the last gasp hero. * Reuters
