SCOREBOARD
Thursday, April 26
Ottawa at New Jersey (7 p.m. EDT). The Devils and Senators have met twice before in the playoffs, with each team winning a series.
STARS
Wednesday
-Andy McDonald, Ducks, had three goals and an assist to lead Anaheim past Vancouver 5-1.
-Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller, Sabres. Vanek scored twice, sparking a three-goal second period, and Miller stopped 32 shots in Buffalo’s 5-2 win over the New York Rangers.
FOR STARTERS
Buffalo won its fifth straight series opener Wednesday night, 5-2 over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Sabres are 1-13 when losing Game 1 of a best-of-seven series.
FEELING DUCKY
Anaheim won the opener of its Western Conference semifinal series with Vancouver, 5-1 on Wednesday night. The Ducks won three of the four games between the teams during the regular season.
COMING AND GOING
Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival hurt his leg early in the second period against Buffalo and was knocked out of the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night. The injury happened the same day New York welcomed back defenseman Karel Rachunek, who returned after missing 16 games because of a sprained right knee.
OUT IN THE COLD
New Jersey captain Patrik Elias missed his second straight practice with a cold Wednesday, sparking concern that the left wing on the Devils’ top line might not be available for Game 1 against Ottawa on Thursday night. Elias saw a team doctor and was told to remain at home and away from the team.
EYE SORE
Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom has an eye injury that will sideline him Thursday night when Detroit opens its second-round series against San Jose. Calgary’s Craig Conroy hit Holmstrom with his stick at 6:44 of overtime Sunday night in Detroit’s series-winning victory over the Flames.
SPEAKING
“A lot of things were said before the game, and we made sure we showed to respond not in the paper but on the ice.” – Ales Kotalik after Buffalo’s 5-2 win over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night. Kotalik was referring to Rangers coach Tom Renney’s comments suggesting the top-seeded Sabres weren’t the league’s “cream of the crop.”