The Pittsburgh Penguins are keeping everyone - including the New York Rangers - on a need-to-know basis.
After Wednesday's Game 1 win behind 35 saves from surprise starter Jeff Zatkoff, coach Mike Sullivan was mum on the status of the incumbent Marc-Andre Fleury and his continuing recovery from a concussion.
"When we decide to put Marc-Andre in game, we'll let you know," he said.
Sullivan, though, wasn't always this transparent.
Machinating at the morning skate, Sullivan revealed that he deliberately sent Fleury - who didn't dress - off the ice first to make it appear as though he was starting, in turn preventing the Rangers from game-planning for the third-string netminder.
Zatkoff told reporters afterwards he knew the crease was his as early as Tuesday night.
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PITTSBURGH - Patric Hornqvist had his first playoff hat trick and the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away from the New York Rangers 5-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Wednesday night.
Related: VIDEO: Crosby snipes Raanta on breakaway
Hornqvist added an assist, Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff did just fine in his first postseason start, finishing with 35 saves. Tom Kuhnhackl also scored for Pittsburgh, which took advantage when New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist left with a facial injury after the first period.
Related: Lundqvist takes high stick to eye, replaced by Raanta
Game 3 is Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Lundqvist played just 20 minutes after taking a stick to the face from teammate Marc Staal. Antti Raanta was shaky in Lundqvist's place, stopping 16 of 19 shots.
Derek Stepan scored twice for the Rangers but New York never led as its quest to knock the Penguins out of the playoffs for a third straight year got off to an underwhelming start.
The Penguins ripped off a 14-2 surge to end the regular season even with Fleury sidelined since March 31 with a concussion. He returned to practice this week and was the first goaltender off the ice during Wednesday morning's skate, typically an indication of who is starting. Coach Mike Sullivan remained coy about his decision-making process, and when Pittsburgh came out for warm-ups in their vintage black-and-gold uniforms, Fleury wasn't even in uniform, instead sitting in the press box in a blue suit.
That left the job to Zatkoff, who'd played just five times since Jan. 1 after losing his spot as the primary backup to rookie Matt Murray. Yet with Murray out indefinitely with a concussion of his own, the Penguins gave Zatkoff the first postseason start of his three-year career, or 110 fewer than Lundqvist.
Zatkoff didn't exactly look overcome by the stage. Good thing because his teammates gave him little help early. New York dominated the opening minutes, throwing shots at Zatkoff from all angles rather than trying to set anything up. Zatkoff lacks Fleury's athleticism but managed to scramble when required, keeping the Penguins afloat early while his teammates took time to find their legs.
Then, in an instant, New York's decided advantage in the net disappeared.
Staal was fending off a Pittsburgh player in front of the New York net when his stick became wedged in between the bars on Lundqvist's mask with 48 seconds to go in the first period. The goalie who has been the backbone of deep playoff runs each of the last two years writhed in pain for several moments before slowly skating to the bench. He stayed in the game long enough for Pittsburgh to take the lead when Hornqvist flipped a rebound between Lundqvist's legs with 18 seconds left.
Lundqvist stayed in the dressing room at the start of the second period, forcing Raanta to unexpectedly make his postseason debut. He had little to do until a stretch pass from Hornqvist sprung Crosby in alone. The wrist shot zipped over Raanta's glove 18:56 into the second and the Penguins were up 2-0.
New York's drew to 2-1 when Stepan stuffed in a shot from the doorstep on a 5-on-3 but Pittsburgh countered with a short-handed goal from Kuhnhackl 5:31 into the third and when Hornqvist pounced on a loose puck in the Rangers' crease and eased it in, the Penguins were up three and in control.
NOTES: The teams held a pregame moment of silence for longtime Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider, who passed away earlier this week. ... Stepan has six goals in his last six games. ... Pittsburgh dressed seven defensemen rather than the usual six and scratched forward Tom Sestito. ... The Penguins improved to 21-14 in Game 1s at home. ... Both teams went 1 for 5 on the power play.
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Jonathan Drouin was everywhere Wednesday night.
The 21-year-old forward did a little bit of everything in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena, as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Drouin was all over the ice, and he was on it often. The winger logged 17:39 of ice time, second only to Ondrej Palat among Lightning forwards.
He recorded three shots on goal and finished with the third-highest Corsi For percentage in all situations among Tampa Bay players (61.11), according to HockeyStats.ca.
It wasn't all positive for Drouin, though. He also took a pair of penalties, and cost his team when he went offside on Victor Hedman's goal that was disallowed on a coach's challenge.
Drouin attracted plenty of attention from the Red Wings after leveling Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader.
Jonathan Drouin gets tag teamed by Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader
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Drouin was held off the scoresheet Wednesday after scoring in both games to end the regular season following his return to the team.
Tampa Bay's third overall pick in 2013 played only 21 games with the NHL club this season prior to the playoffs, 19 of which came before he was suspended indefinitely for failing to report to an AHL game.
Drouin's performance Wednesday wasn't entirely positive, but it's clear he made a significant impact.
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The @TBLightning game-winner, straight outta the air. #StanleyCup #TBLvsDEThttps://t.co/L9EdMDI9zc
— #StanleyCup Playoffs (@NHL) April 14, 2016
Now that's a game-winning playoff goal.
Forward Alex Killorn delivered the knockout blow Wednesday in Game 1 of his club's first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings, showing off his baseball skills to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win and first blood in the best-of-seven series.
The Killorn-Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov first line gave the Red Wings fits all night, scoring all three goals in what was a very chippy affair. Kucherov had a pair, Killorn added a helper, and Johnson had two assists. The trio picked up right where they left off last spring, when they combined for 42 goals and 31 assists in the playoffs.
Ben Bishop had himself a game, stopping 34 shots, while Justin Abdelkader was all over the ice, throwing five hits and taking three minor penalties.
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Crosby makes it look SO easy. #PITvsNYR #StanleyCuphttps://t.co/GbyIIYf3cW
— #StanleyCup Playoffs (@NHL) April 14, 2016
Sidney Crosby has brought his point streak into the postseason.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain sniped his first of the playoffs over the glove of New York Rangers goaltender Antti Raanta to give his club a 2-0 lead late in the second period on Wednesday.
Crosby extended his point streak to nine games, after concluding the regular season with at least a point in his final eight contests.
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The coach's challenge has sacrificed its first playoff goal.
Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill successfully contended in Game 1 on Wednesday that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin skated into an offside position before his pass to Valtteri Filppula crossed the blue line on the left wing, negating Victor Hedman's go-ahead marker.
The blue-line camera helped determine @TBLightning were off-side during a Coach's Challenge in 3rd period. #TBLvsDET pic.twitter.com/FgypOiRybT
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 14, 2016
Alex Killorn scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Lightning just moments later.
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