TAMPA, Fla. – So much for Rick DiPietro’s playoff inexperience being a liability for the New York Islanders.

The 22-year-old goaltender got his first postseason victory Saturday, stopping all 22 shots to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 and even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series at one game apiece.

Jason Blake returned from an ankle injury expected to sideline him for the entire series and scored his first two career playoff goals, including an empty-netter with just under a minute to go.

Janne Niinimaa also scored his first playoff goal and added an assist on Blake’s second to help New York gain home-ice advantage. Game 3 is Monday night at Nassau Coliseum, where the Islanders had one of the NHL’s best home records this season (25-11-4-1).

The closest the Lightning came to scoring was with just under 14 minutes to go, when Vincent Lecavalier kicked the puck into the net of DiPietro. The goal, which would’ve brought the Lightning within 2-1, was disallowed after officials viewed a video replay.
Sharks 3, Blues 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Patrick Marleau’s slump is history, and the San Jose Sharks are halfway to the second round of the playoffs. Marleau scored three goals and Evgeni Nabokov made 25 saves, leading the Sharks to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 of their first-round series.

Though Nabokov was nearly impeccable again, San Jose took a 2-0 lead in the series thanks to a career-defining performance by Marleau, the All-Star who scored just one goal in the final 17 games of the regular season.

After getting two power-play goals, Marleau sneaked behind the St. Louis defense early in the third for a short-handed goal on a pass from Vincent Damphousse, who had two assists.

The sellout crowd threw hundreds of hats onto the ice.

Nabokov was on the verge of his second straight shutout until he allowed a terrible short-handed goal to Doug Weight with 2:09 to play, ending a streak of 127 scoreless minutes.
Red Wings 2, Predators 1
DETROIT – Mathieu Schneider’s slap shot went off the boards, off goalie Tomas Vokoun’s skate and trickled into the net late in the third period Saturday to give the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators.

The Red Wings are ahead 2-0 in the first-round series because they have outscored the Predators 4-0 in the third period. The teams will make a quick turnaround and play Game 3 of the best-of-seven series Sunday in Nashville.

The winning goal in Game 2 came on the power play after the Red Wings were 0-for-9 in the series with an extra man. Schneider’s shot from above the right circle went behind Vokoun, then caromed toward the net where the sprawled-out goaltender had the misfortune of having the puck go off his skate.
Flyers 3, Devils 2
PHILADELPHIA – Forget a repeat. The New Jersey Devils might not get past the first round.

Alexei Zhamnov scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the defending Stanley Cup champions 3-2 Saturday night to take a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round matchup is Monday night in New Jersey.

Jan Hrdina and Brian Gionta scored for the Devils, who didn’t lead in either game. Mark Recchi and Mattias Timander had Philadelphia’s other goals.

The Devils haven’t come back from a 2-0 series deficit since winning four straight against Boston in the 1994 conference semifinals after losing the first two games at home. The Devils rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Flyers in the 2000 conference finals.

Robert Esche, making just his second playoff start, again outplayed Martin Brodeur, stopping 24 shots. He had 37 saves in Thursday night’s 3-2 victory.
Maple Leafs 2, Senators 0
TORONTO – Gary Roberts scored twice and Ed Belfour stopped all 31 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 2-0 to even the first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

Fans chanted Eddie! Eddie!’ throughout as Belfour recorded his 12th career shutout in the playoffs, and his 83rd win, tying him with New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur for first place among active goaltenders.

Belfour made his best save during an Ottawa power play in the third period, robbing Daniel Alfredsson of a goal with a glove save.

Mats Sundin assisted on both goals for the Maple Leafs, who had 26 shots after managing just 17 Thursday in the series-opening 4-2 loss.

Roberts made it 2-0 when he scored while Toronto had a two-man advantage.

Darcy Tucker gave Toronto a spark by returning from a 14-game absence, resulting from an abdomen injury. Defenseman Ken Klee also rejoined the lineup after missing eight games because of a shoulder injury.

Toronto defenseman Bryan McCabe tied up an Ottawa defenseman before Roberts put a wrist shot between Patrick Lalime’s pads at 10:40 of the first.

Just five seconds after Alfredsson received a roughing penalty in the second period, Zdeno Chara was called for cross-checking. Toronto defenseman Brian Leetch put a slap shot off Lalime before Roberts put the rebound in at 6:02.

Ottawa scored the tying and go-ahead goals on Thursday after Toronto received two consecutive penalties.

Notes: Ottawa forward Jason Spezza was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. … Toronto enforcer Tie Domi sent Marian Hossa to the ice with a crushing check in the first. … Toronto fans cheered when it was announced that D Aki Berg and LW Mikael Renberg of the Maple Leafs wouldn’t play. Berg was a minus-1 in Game 1, and Renberg was even.

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wards. John LeClair hit the side of the net on a shot that beat Brodeur in the first, and Sami Kapanen later missed the net on a point-blank shot.

Hrdina tied it at 1 with his second goal in two games early in the second period. Hrdina took a crisp pass from Jamie Langenbrunner, skated in alone and flipped it past Esche.

Recchi gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal in the first period. Recchi completed a tic-tac-toe passing play with Joni Pitkanen and Kim Johnsson by one-timing a shot over Brodeur’s glove.

Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock preached discipline to his team after New Jersey had four power plays to Philadelphia’s one in the series opener. But the Flyers took two penalties in the first 10 minutes.

First, Keith Primeau was called for interference, even though it appeared Brodeur tripped him. Then Timander had a hooking penalty. The Flyers killed both penalties, and another one in the second period. During that power play, Roenick was pulled down by Scott Niedermayer when he came in on a breakaway.

The game ended with a scrum in front and behind the Flyers net, and Esche squared off with New Jersey forward Patrik Elias. The two exchanged shoves, but they were kept apart as Esche struggled to get his hands free of his glove and blocker.

Notes: The Devils were 0-for-3 on the power play and are 0-for-7 in the series. … Recchi got into a heated exchange with referee Mick McGeough in the first period after McGeough argued with Esche over a non-call. … Flyers D Eric Desjardins, out for the playoffs, will have surgery Monday on the right forearm he re-broke earlier in the week. … The teams have met twice in the playoffs, with New Jersey winning both times in the conference finals (1995, 2000) and going on to win the Cup. … After closing the season 1-for-37 on the power play, the Flyers scored on their first two opportunities with the man advantage.

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up after missing the opener with an undisclosed injury. … The Blues didn’t like any of the first-period calls against them. After Marleau scored following a roughing penalty against Sillinger, Dallas Drake tapped his stick on the ice and pointed at referee Stephen Walkom, shouting, “That one’s for you!”

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