Pittsburgh Rides Backup To Shutout – NHL Roundup For May 10th

UNDATED (AP) — Backup goalie Tomas Vokoun (voh-KOON') came up big in the nets and the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of moving onto the second round of the NHL playoffs

Vokoun, playing in place of slumping Marc-Andre Fleury (marhk-ahn-dray FLOOR'-ee), stopped 31 shots in his first playoff start in six years and the Penguins blanked the New York Islanders 4-0 to take a 3-2 series lead in their first-round NHL playoff series. Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy and Douglas Murray scored during a seven-minute stretch in the second period.

Game 6 is Saturday night on Long Island.

In other NHL playoffs:

__ The Chicago Blackhawks eliminated Minnesota in five games with a 5-1 win at United Center. Marian Hossa (HOH'-sah) scored twice to back a strong effort by goalie Corey Crawford, who made 21 saves. Chicago is moving on in the postseason for the first time since the championship run in 2010, and will face either San Jose or Detroit if the Red Wings get past Anaheim.

__ Ottawa eliminated Montreal in five games with a 6-1 triumph over the Habs and their backup goalie Peter Budaj (BOO'-dy), who was forced into action when Carey Price suffered a lower body injury Tuesday night. Cory Conacher (KAHN'-uh-kur) scored twice. It's Ottawa's first playoff series triumph since 2007 when the Senators reached the Stanley Cup finals. The Canadiens had five players injured in the series, including Price and forwards Brian Gionta (JAHN'-tah), Lars Eller, Brandon Prust and Ryan White.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (PEH'-kuh RIH'-nuh) has had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip and will need approximately four months to recover.

General manager David Poile says that Rinne had surgery Wednesday to correct a situation resulting from the wear and tear from playing goaltender.

Rinne tied for second in the NHL with 43 appearances in the lockout-shortened season, tied for fourth with 42 starts and ranked sixth in minutes played. The 6-foot-5, 204-pound Finn tied for the NHL-lead with five shutouts.

Poile says they hope Rinne is ready by training camp.

TORONTO (AP) — Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Washington's Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH'-kihn) and Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis (SAYNT' loo-EE') have been nominated as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award. The honor is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association. Crosby, Ovechkin and St. Louis have all previously won the award.