NHL Playoffs Roundup : Sandstrom, Rangers Defeat Capitals; Canadiens Win

Tomas Sandstrom fought back in his own way.

Sandstrom helped set up the tying goal by refusing to engage in a fight, then scored the game-winner as the New York Rangers overcame an early two-goal deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals, 4-2, Friday night at Landover, Md.

The victory gave the Rangers a lead of three games to two in the second-round of the NHL playoffs, and they can wrap up the best-of-seven series with a win Sunday night at New York.

The Rangers were trailing, 2-1, in the first period when Sandstrom and Washington defenseman Rod Langway clashed along the boards.

“He punched me in the face,” Sandstrom said, “and I didn’t want to punch him. He got the penalty.”

While Langway was in the penalty box, Wilf Paiement scored on a power play to forge a 2-2 tie that held up until Sandstrom scored at 13:49 of the second period.

“Brian took the puck in the corner,” Sandstrom said of the key play by Brian MacLellan, who outfought Capital defenseman Kevin Hatcher for the puck at the left wing boards. “I just went for the net, and he got it to me.”

The Capitals got power-play goals by Dave Christian and Scott Stevens within a 43-second span after two Rangers were sent to the penalty box early in the game.

But Pierre Larouche scored for the Rangers just 31 seconds after Stevens’ goal to get the Rangers right back into the game.

Don Maloney also scored for the Rangers, at 2:12 of the final period.

Ranger goalie John Vanbiesbrouck made 30 saves.

Montreal 5, Hartford 3--Guy Carbonneau scored twice, and Mike Lalor got his first playoff goal as the Canadiens beat the Whalers at Montreal to take a 3-2 lead in their Adams Division final series.

The Canadiens can clinch the NHL playoff series with a victory in Game 6 at Hartford, Conn., on Sunday.

Montreal got three goals from its specialty teams in the first 13 minutes. Claude Lemieux scored a power-play goal at 2:05, Carbonneau scored a shorthanded goal midway through the opening period and Mats Naslund added a power-play goal.