Kings Need Late Comeback To Take 2-0 Series Lead – NHL Roundup For May 17th

UNDATED (AP) — The defending Stanley Cup champs needed a late comeback to take a 2-0 lead in the NHL's Western Conference finals.

The Kings scored power-play goals 22 seconds apart in the final 1:43 to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 win over San Jose. Dustin Brown knotted the score before Trevor Lewis netted the game-winner with 1:21 remaining. The goals came when Los Angeles was given a 5-on-3 power play.

Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings, who blew a 2-0 lead before outlasting the Sharks. Jonathan Quick went the first 89:47 of the series without allowing a goal before Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart scored in the second period.

Game 3 is Saturday in San Jose.

The Boston Bruins have opened their Eastern Conference semifinal series the way they ended the quarterfinals, by winning in overtime.

Brad Marchand scored on a centering feed from Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhur-ahn) at 15:40 of overtime to end the Bruins' 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. The win came three nights after Bergeron scored the tying and winning goals in Boston's 5-4 comeback win over Toronto.

Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan (STEH'-pahn) scored 16 seconds apart bridging the second and third periods to put the Rangers ahead 2-1. Torey Krug (kroog) tallied just 2:45 later to force overtime.

Tuukka (TOO'-kah) Rask stopped 33 shots for the Bruins, who host Game 2 on Sunday.

Henrik Lundqvist handled 45 shots for the Rangers.

NEW YORK (AP) — San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres has been suspended by the NHL for the remainder of the Western Conference semifinals for his hit to the head of Kings forward Jarret Stoll on Tuesday.

Torres is considered a repeat offender under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and received a 21-game suspension for a high hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa (HOH'-sah) during the first round of last year's playoffs. This is his fourth multigame suspension since April 2011.

Also in the NHL, league goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin (oh-VECH'-kin) played the last two games of the Washington Capitals' season with what the team now says is a hairline fracture in his left foot. Ovechkin was hurt during Game 6 of Washington's first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers.

Goalie Niklas Backstrom of the Wild has undergone sports hernia surgery. The 35-year-old aggravated the injury while warming up before Minnesota's first game of the Western Conference quarterfinal series at Chicago on April 30.

Islanders forward Matt Moulson, Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and Lightning forward Martin St. Louis (mahr-TAN' san loo-EE') are the three finalists for the NHL's Lady Byng (bing) Trophy, the league's sportsmanship award. St. Louis has already won the award twice, and was a finalist two other times. Moulson is a finalist for the second straight season, while Kane is a Lady Byng finalist for the first time.

Paul Stastny (STAS'-nee) had two goals and two assists to lead the United States to an 8-3 rout of Russia in the quarterfinals of the hockey world championships. It marked the first time a team from Russia or the Soviet Union had surrendered eight or more goals in the worlds or Olympics.