Sports FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 43 Backes gets OT winner, Blues stun Blackhawks Zatkoff shines as Penguins beat Rangers

ST LOUIS: St Louis goalie Brian led by scoring champion Patrick Kane Elliott earned his first career playoff and Jonathan Toews. shutout in a 1-0 overtime victory St Louis cruised into the postsea- over the defending son with the third-best record in the champion on NHL, winning eight of its last 10 Wednesday night in the first game of games. The Blues opened their previ- the Western Conference quarterfinal ous series in 2014 against the series. He made 35 saves and didn’t Blackhawks with a pair of overtime look at all like a player getting just victories, with Alexander Steen get- his second playoff start in three ting the winner in triple overtime in years. “You just try to get your emo- the opener. But Chicago won the last tions in check and try not to get too four, two in overtime. The Blackhawks revved up, calm yourself down a lit- were 4-1 in overtime last season in tle bit when needed,” Elliott said. “At the playoffs, including a double-over- this time of the year it’s just about time win at Nashville in Game 1 of that next game. You’re not looking their opening series.”That’s the type at the past or the future.” of that gets scored in overtime,” In the opening games of the Chicago defenseman Niklas Eastern Conference quarterfinals Hjalmarsson said. “But they deserved series, Patric Hornqvist had his first it too, and we’ve got to find a way to playoff hat-trick as the Penguins beat score.” New York 5-2, and Alex Killorn broke a third-period tie to lift Tampa Bay to a PENGUINS 5 RANGERS 2 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Patric Hornqvist had his first play- At St Louis, David Backes scored at off hat trick as the Pittsburgh 9:04 of overtime trying to go across Penguins pulled away from the New the ice to Alexander Steen, and the York Rangers 5-2 in Game 1 of the pass deflected off a Chicago Eastern Conference quarterfinals Blackhawks defenseman in front of Wednesday night. Hornqvist added the net. It was Backes’ sixth career an assist, Sidney Crosby had a goal playoff goal and the first in overtime. and two assists and backup goal- “I said out there, that’s an ugly goal tender Jeff Zatkoff excelled in his first and I specialize in those,” the Blues’ postseason start, finishing with 35 said. “Rightfully so. First shot saves. Tom Kuhnhackl also scored for of the game for me, too.” Pittsburgh, which took advantage Backes’ shot got past Corey when New York goalie Henrik Crawford after bouncing off Trevor Lundqvist left with a facial injury after ST LOUIS: Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against Kevin Shattenkirk #22 Van Riemsdyk’s skate. Defensemen the first period. Lundqvist played just of the St Louis Blues in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NHL Stanley Jay Bouwmeester and Alex 20 minutes after taking a stick to the Cup Playoffs at the Scottrade Center on April 13, 2016. — AFP Pietrangelo assisted on the winner. “I face from teammate Marc Staal. Antti kind of felt it hit the inside of my pad Raanta was shaky in Lundqvist’s LIGHTNING 3, RED WINGS 2 got the winner from Killorn less than and slipped the puck past Jimmy and from there I was just hoping that place, stopping 16 of 19 shots. Derek Nikita Kucherov scored twice and two minutes after a potential go- Howard at 8:52 of the third. Kucherov it died,” Crawford said. “It was a tough Stepan scored twice for the Rangers, Alex Killorn snapped a third-period ahead goal was waived off when scored in the first and second periods bounce, but we’ve got to feel good but New York never led as its quest to tie, lifting Tampa Bay past Detroit in Detroit coach Jeff Blashill successfully and also assisted on the winner. Mike about how we played.” Elliott led the knock the Penguins out of the play- Game 1 of their series. Ben Bishop challenged that Tampa Bay was off- Green and Justin Abdelkader scored NHL with a .930 save percentage and offs for a third straight year got off to had 34 saves for the defending sides before Victor Hedman scored. for Detroit. Game 2 is today night at was up to the task against a lineup an underwhelming start. Eastern Conference champions, who Killorn took a feed from Tyler Johnson . — Agencies Moriya, Lee lead at Lotte Championship Singh out of Olympics, reportedly citing Zika

LOS ANGELES: Thailand’s Moriya wind and trying to get up and down. “It anything at you. I think I judged it really “The timing of it, you know I have to Jutanugarn fired a four-under par 68 to feels like I had a lot of patience with the well today so I’m happy.” focus over here,” he said. “I would like to take a share of the first round lead at the wind, so pretty good for my game.” play the Olympics, but the Zika virus, you LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship on Moriya said she just tried to play loose Singh out of Olympics know and all that crap.” The Rio Olympics Wednesday. On a blustery day, the 21- and carefree. “You know, I didn’t even In another development, Fiji’s former are being staged against a backdrop of year-old Moriya got off to a hot start by count (score) until I finished,” Moriya said. world number one Vijay Singh will not fears about the mosquito-borne Zika making birdie on two of her first three “I was like, that’s nice, seven birdies. It was compete at the Rio Olympics, officials in the virus, with thousands of cases reported in holes. She finished with seven birdies, fun making birdies with this wind.” Lee Pacific island nation said yesterday, with Brazil. On Wednesday, US health authori- one bogey and one double bogey to fin- finished with six birdies, including three in reports saying he was concerned about the ties confirmed long-held suspicions that ish tied with Australia’s Lee Min-Jee who the final five holes. She also had two Zika virus. Golf Fiji said the three-time major it causes birth defects, including micro- also opened with a 68. Moriya and Lee bogeys. She, too, was pleased with the champion had informed them he would cephaly, a defect in which babies are have a one-stroke lead over a group of way she handled the tricky conditions. “It not be attending the Games in August. “I born with unusually small heads. Swann five that comprises Canada’s Brooke helps if you’re a good ball-striker, but you can confirm that is the case,” spokes- said Singh’s management had not men- Henderson, Germany’s Caroline Masson, also need to judge the wind as well, like woman Ofa Swann said. Golfchannel.com tioned Zika when he announced his with- American Kim Kaufman and Kim Sei- how far you want to take it right, or if the quoted the US-based 53-year-old as saying drawal, instead citing “a full schedule”. Young of South Korea. “I think I was hav- wind is right to left,” she said. “You got to he felt bad about not attending but was Singh was world number one for 32 ing fun with my game today,” Moriya have some luck with it, too. It’s not just all concerned about Zika and wanted to con- weeks in 2004-05 and won the last of his said. “I was trying to play with a strong about your skill. Mother Nature can throw centrate on the PGA Tour. 34 PGA titles in 2008. — Agencies