You can argue the order of importance, but the three most pivotal positions on the ice are goaltender, top defenseman and the No. 1 center.

Teams generally look to stop the puck first, but when you want to turn it the other way it’s hard to do unless you have major skill up front.

Teams without a bona fide No. 1 center seem to advance only so far through the regular season, and more importantly, the postseason.

This week’s power rankings, which appear each Tuesday, take a look at each team’s top-line centerman.

San Jose 1. San Jose Sharks (25-3-2, Previous: 1) – Joe Thornton hasn’t as much changed his game under Todd McLellan as he has added to it. Thornton is active in front of the net, using his size more than in the past, and remains productive (he’s on pace for 98 points). And he has yet to miss a game as a Shark – 252 in a row and counting.

Boston 2. Boston Bruins (21-5-4, Previous: 2) – Marc Savard is arguably the most underrated player in the league, let alone at center ice. It all started to click once the lockout ended for Savard, not the biggest center around but certainly one of the most skilled, especially when it comes to playmaking and dishing the puck. He’s on pace for 93 points.

Detroit 3. Detroit Red Wings (20-6-4, Previous: 3) – Henrik Zetterberg is the best two-way center in the game. The scary thing is he has less than 400 NHL games and is only 28 years old. Scary, too, for Detroit general manager Ken Holland, who must extend the Swedish star’s contract. Otherwise, Zetterberg could be long gone in the summer to what would certainly be a very high bid.

New York Rangers 4. New York Rangers (20-11-2, Previous: 6) – Scott Gomez has battled inconsistency in his two seasons with the Rangers. His minus-10 sticks out this season. He’s not the biggest of players, but he’s viewed as someone who can step up in big games. That’s at least the hope moving forward as New York figures to be in the hunt again this season.

Philadelphia 5. Philadelphia Flyers (16-7-6, Previous: 7) – Mike Richards has taken big strides the last two seasons, not only in terms of production but in a presence that has led to him being named captain and awarded a long-term contract. Richards is on pace for 96 points, which would be an increase of 21 over last season’s career high.

Washington 6. Washington Capitals (18-10-3, Previous: 9) – Having Alexander Ovechkin on a wing is going to make any center look good, but it’s surprising how little time it has taken 21-year-old Nicklas Backstrom to assume high status among top NHL pivots. Like so many of the Swedes in the NHL, Backstrom is both skilled and mature beyond his years. He’s on pace for 82 points with his point-per-game production.

Montreal 7. Montreal Canadiens (16-8-5, Previous: 4) – He’s currently battling a foot injury, but Saku Koivu is the cog that makes the fast-paced Canadiens’ engine go. Many have long forgotten that Koivu’s career was threatened in 2001 because of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He’s an amazing story of dedication and consistency throughout the years, and now that the Habs have a very talented group, Koivu has the opportunity to shine brighter.

Pittsburgh 8. Pittsburgh Penguins (16-10-4, Previous: 5) – Flip a coin as to whether Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin is the team’s top center, but there’s no argument both are on their way to super-super stardom. The two leading scorers in the league, Malkin is on pace for 134 points and Crosby 120.

New Jersey 9. New Jersey Devils (16-9-2, Previous: 10) – It’s sometimes more the fit in the system as opposed to being a top-flight center with the Devils, and third-year forward Travis Zajac is playing that role currently. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, Zajac can handle the defensive load, then worry about dishing off to his wingers when the puck turns the other way.

Chicago 10. Chicago Blackhawks (15-6-7, Previous: 12) – Jonathan Toews is another superstar in the making. He struggled to score goals early this season, but that’s just a snapshot complaint of the big picture. Toews has size, smarts, skill and leadership. There’s a reason why the Blackhawks are so excited about the future and Toews, on pace for a modest 67 points, is a big part of it.

Anaheim 11. Anaheim Ducks (17-11-3, Previous: 11) – Ryan Getzlaf figures to be Anaheim’s man in the middle for many years to come. He has all the tools to be a star in the league. Getzlaf’s size and his shot are his greatest assets, but the team also likes his competitive nature and the chip he sometimes carries on his shoulder.

Calgary 12. Calgary Flames (16-11-3, Previous: – The top spot is shared by Craig Conroy and Daymond Langkow, but most often it’s manned by the 37-year-old Conroy, which tells you all you need to know about the Flames – they resemble a donut with their hole in the middle. They’re both miscast as a No. 1 center. End of story.

Vancouver 13. Vancouver Canucks (17-11-3, Previous: 15) – Henrik Sedin has all the chemistry in the world with his identical twin Daniel, but finding a third player to complement the top duo has been a challenge. Taking some pressure off the Sedins is another reason why the team has been so aggressive in its pursuit of unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin.

Edmonton 14. Edmonton Oilers (14-12-2, Previous: 13) – Shawn Horcoff is a very good player, but the Oilers’ situation isn’t much different from that of their Alberta rivals in Calgary. Edmonton would like to have a more natural No. 1 center and let Horcoff slip to maybe a No. 2 role, but for now this is the way it is.

Buffalo 15. Buffalo Sabres (15-12-3, Previous: 18) – The Sabres seem to always feature undersized centers, and turning to the 5-foot-9 Derek Roy on many nights is no departure from the past. If Buffalo wants to get serious about contending in the postseason the team is going to have to get bigger in the middle of the ice.

Colorado 16. Colorado Avalanche (15-14-1, Previous: 19) – It’s never easy transitioning from a superstar to someone new, but the Avalanche appear headed in the right direction as Paul Stastny eases into the slot filled so many years by the classy Joe Sakic. Stastny has the bloodlines, but more importantly the skill and presence to handle the assignment. Sure, it’s early in the 22-year-old’s career, but all signs point to Stastny being the answer.

Phoenix 17. Phoenix Coyotes (14-13-2, Previous: 21) – The Coyotes acquired Olli Jokinen to fill the middle of a top line, but they have to be thrilled with the accelerated development of 21-year-old, second-year Czech center Martin Hanzal. He has some filling out to do, but that will come for the 6-4 Hanzal, who is on pace for 22 goals and more than 50 points.

Carolina 18. Carolina Hurricanes (13-12-5, Previous: 16) – Rob Brind’Amour is still probably considered the team’s top center, but it needs to be Eric Staal, who has been struggling to find offensive consistency this season. The ‘Canes don’t have any reason to worry. Staal will get there, and once he does he’ll be there for many years to come.

Nashville 19. Nashville Predators (15-12-3, Previous: 17) – Jason Arnott is an accomplished veteran with two Stanley Cups, but at age 34 with 998 games played, he’s going to start slowing down instead of speeding up. The Predators are used to doing more with less, and unless David Legwand takes a major step up at mid-career, the team will probably need to address this position sooner rather than later.

Minnesota 20. Minnesota Wild (15-13-1, Previous: 14) – Mikko Koivu, the 25-year-old younger brother of Montreal’s Saku Koivu, may be the most improved player at his position over the last year or two. Koivu was projected to be a solid NHLer, but he appears to be exceeding all expectations. On pace for 85 points, Koivu’s production is even more impressive considering Marian Gaborik hasn’t been there to help.

Florida 21. Florida Panthers (14-13-3, Previous: 22) – Stephen Weiss is playing there now, but does anyone think the 25-year-old – who has yet to crack the 50-point plateau during any of his first five full seasons – is the long-term answer for Florida? We don’t think so, either.

Los Angeles 22. Los Angeles Kings (13-12-5, Previous: 25) – Obviously, Anze Kopitar, 21, is that special young player every franchise would love to have from the start. It doesn’t seem like Los Angeles’ struggles early in his career is having an adverse effect on Kopitar, who appears mature beyond his years with the skills to match.

Ottawa 23. Ottawa Senators (11-12-5, Previous: 20) – Jason Spezza faces a lot of criticism, an inherent consequence of being the second player chosen in a draft and having to live up to all those expectations. At times, though, the 25-year-old hasn’t helped himself, with his seemingly lackadaisical play. Like his team, Spezza is off to a slow start this year and he’ll have to pick up the pace or trade rumors will pick up steam.

Columbus 24. Columbus Blue Jackets (13-14-3, Previous: 26) – No, we don’t expect R.J. Umberger to play top-line center any longer than necessary. Nothing against Umberger, one of the more versatile forwards in the league, but the Blue Jackets have to find the answer and they’re hoping that the fast start of rookie Derick Brassard’s career signals they have a worthy candidate.

Toronto 25. Toronto Maple Leafs (11-12-6, Previous: 27) – The sad truth is third- and fourth-line centers Dominic Moore and John Mitchell have played the position better than anyone on the roster. The bottom line: The team’s top-line center is not even in the organization yet.

Dallas 26. Dallas Stars (11-14-4, Previous: 24) – The Stars are deep at the position, but it’s hard to forget about Mike Modano when he’s still on the roster. Brad Richards has the potential to fill the top role, and he has assumed more of that responsibility this season as Mike Ribeiro’s offense continues to sputter. It just feels like everything would be better if the Stars could just have a do-over.

St. Louis 27. St. Louis Blues (12-14-3, Previous: 23) – This is a wait-and-see situation as the Blues give their young players a chance to develop. Keith Tkachuk is having a surprisingly good season, despite playing center instead of wing, where he’s more comfortable. Either way, the man in the middle for the future has yet to emerge.

Tampa Bay 28. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-15-8, Previous: 30) – Vincent Lecavalier is a great player, talked about this time last season as an MVP candidate. He doesn’t have enough help around him anymore.

Atlanta 29. Atlanta Thrashers (9-16-4, Previous: 28) – Todd White? Really, who the heck is Todd White? Next.

New York Islanders 30. New York Islanders (10-18-2, Previous: 29) – Doug Weight – 37 years old, 17 years in the league – has had a great career, but he’s simply holding space until the future comes along. Get out your crystal ball; we don’t know who it is either.

The first 20 minutes of Saturday night’s opening game of the Stanley Cup finals were reserved for getting rid of the heebie-jeebies. The final 40 minutes was all men against boys.

Welcome, Pittsburgh Penguins, to your next two weeks, or less.
Did Game 1 really look any different than the Detroit Red Wings’ previous 12 wins this postseason? The Wings dominated faceoffs, were outstanding on special teams, got efficient goaltending and scored timely goals. It’s not this easy, but Detroit makes it look this way.

It’s too early to assume the final score of Game 1 – 4-0, Red Wings – is a portent of what the final series’ result will be, but it does cross one’s mind. The Penguins must raise their level of play several notches or this will be a shorter series than the five games predicted.

This could easily have been 6-0, too, considering a Nicklas Lidstrom goal in the first period was waved off thanks to a cheesy goaltender interference call against Tomas Holmstrom.

And Kris Draper saw a second-period attempt dance across the entire span of the crossbar before caroming harmlessly away.

Look at the numbers from Game 1. Detroit outshot Pittsburgh, 36-19. Throw out the Pens’ 12-11 advantage during a power-play filled opening period, and they got outshot 25-7 over the final two periods.

At one point Detroit led in faceoff wins 24-10, and ended up with a 35-31 edge on draws. Valtteri Filppula, a 24-year-old Finn who is quietly being asked to help neutralize the Evgeni Malkin line, was 6-2 on draws Saturday. Draper, the smart veteran and typical underrated depth player who separates Detroit from others, was 13-6. Henrik Zetterberg won 10 draws. He’s checking the Sidney Crosby line.

This is a troubling start for Pittsburgh, which struggled in the faceoff circle during the regular season. It’s particularly costly against the Red Wings because Detroit possesses the puck more than anybody, and if Detroit dominates in faceoffs it plays more into Pittsburgh having to chase and chase and chase to try and get it back.

Pittsburgh was 0-for-5 in the power play, four of which came in the opening 16 minutes. There was a 40-minute gap between the fourth Penguins’ power play to their fifth. Why? Pittsburgh stopped competing.

We’re not sure they even deserved the last one. It was an interference call on Lidstrom, who held up Jarkko Ruutu from chasing down a late-game dump-in.

You see this defensive tactic countless number of times, and while it is definitely a penalty, referees stopped calling it in November. The score was 2-0 Detroit at the time. Whether right or wrong, how many times during this postseason have you seen the losing team get a power play in this situation? It makes you wonder.

It only went from bad to worse when the Red Wings scored shorthanded. This is going to be another problem for Pittsburgh. Detroit is unafraid to try to score when down a man. The Wings can be aggressive because they have speed and skill throughout their lineup. They also have a coach who isn’t afraid to put pressure on a power play all over the ice, not just in the traditional box around their own net.

Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien admitted his team did not compete Saturday night. He said the Penguins would have to play much better. He said Detroit is the best team they’ve seen thus far. He said his team played its worst game of the postseason.

He didn’t sugarcoat anything.

The Red Wings showed experience and maturity in the way they brushed off the Holmstrom call. First goals in playoff games are huge, and Detroit looked like it had it at 15:20 – Lidstrom pinching from the left point to beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a wrist shot into the top far corner of the net.

The goal was immediately waved off because referee Dan O’Halloran didn’t like what Holmstrom did with his stick. The veteran winger, after skating across the edge of the crease in an attempt to screen Fleury, slid his stick between the goalie’s legs where it came to rest against his right pad. Fleury was either trying to get a better angle to cut down Lidstrom’s shot or he was coming to the edge of his crease to deny Holmstrom room in front (and encourage a penalty).

When you see a call like this you realize that Holmstrom has not only gotten into the heads of goalies and opponents, but referees, too. All that moaning and groaning to the series supervisor is paying off. Holmstrom went off the ice but Detroit killed a fourth straight shorthanded situation in the span of 11:20.

The Red Wings just stepped on the pedal harder, drawing the Penguins into four straight penalties. Pittsburgh struggled to keep up, and it cost it on the first goal. Ruutu made a poor decision with the puck from his zone, banking an outlet off the sideboards while his teammates were dying for a line change. Even though Mikael Samuelsson picked off the puck at center, Pittsburgh forwards Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal went ahead and changed against their better judgment. The three who were left to defend were dog-tired, too.

Samuelsson drove into the left circle, and Pittsburgh defenseman Rob Scuderi didn’t do enough to force him wide. Instead, Samuelsson skated around the defenseman, behind the net, and tucked a wraparound off Fleury’s left skate. The goalie tried to poke check Samuelsson on the opposite side, but that move delayed his chance to move laterally for the wraparound.

The game was over right there. A Fleury giveaway two minutes into the third period gift-wrapped Samuelsson’s second goal. Daniel Cleary scored on a backhander to cap a shorthanded effort and Zetterberg bagged an otherwise meaningless power-play goal for icing on the cake.

The good news for Pittsburgh is it gets another chance Monday in Game 2. Detroit, of course, is hoping to make that nothing but bad news.

DALLAS – The Dallas Stars staved off the inevitable Wednesday night. They got a little help from the referees, the hockey gods and from the Detroit Red Wings, who should learn a valuable lesson from their 3-1 loss in Game 4.

The leaders of the Western Conference finals will try to punch their Stanley Cup ticket Saturday at home where the Wings will likely not wait 30 minutes before getting serious about playing like they did here.

“We wanted it to be our best game of the playoffs,” Detroit forward Darren McCarty said. “And while I wouldn’t say we’ve played some bad games, it wasn’t our worst but it wasn’t enough. At this time of the year, conference finals, it’s got to be a full 60-minute effort.”

The Red Wings came out flat and appeared to go through the motions at the outset for maybe the first time in this entire playoff season. That, more than a bad call to deny the Wings a 1-0 lead, two drives that rang off posts and another off the crossbar, cost Detroit its nine-game playoff winning streak.

“We know we have to come out a lot harder in Game 5 and match the intensity they brought tonight,” Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said.

The question that begs answering: why did the Stars wait this long to play in the series this way? Did they really need to face an 0-3 deficit and the prospects of getting embarrassingly tossed into the offseason on their home ice?

“We’ve got a lot of character in this room and we didn’t want to get swept by Detroit,” Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas said. “We knew we had more to give, we knew we could play better.”

The Stars had to generate their own energy at the start because the overdone efforts of public address announcer Bill Oellermann (Youuur DaLLLaaaAAASSS STARRRRrrrrzzzz!!!) weren’t enough to pump up the building that was dead. But the Wings didn’t feel like going for more than a public skate in the first 20 minutes; three times they glided to the penalty box and left goalie Chris Osgood to fend for himself on the penalty kill.

Detroit survived a first period in which it produced only five shots and lost eight of 15 faceoffs – a rarity in this series – but didn’t take advantage of three straight power plays in the span of less than nine minutes in the second period.

The Wings did score the first goal, but referee Kelly Sutherland had something else to say about it. Pavel Datsyuk’s shot from the right point went past Marty Turco, but Sutherland immediately waved off the power-play goal at 7:34 when he determined that Tomas Holmstrom’s rear end was breaking the plane of the blue-painted goalie crease and thus obstructed the goalie illegally. We’re not making this up, but Sutherland sure did.

“It was a reputation call totally,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. “In the league, there’s a lot that goes on on the ice. Sometimes a guy gets tripped and you miss it. Some things go wrong and you miss it. Just don’t make stuff up.

“These guys are working hard to get to the Stanley Cup, too. Kelly Sutherland is a good referee. He just blew it.”

Dallas has been complaining throughout the series about Holmstrom’s penchant for crowding the goalie, and Detroit may have gotten away with that on a goal earlier.

“On a goal like that they should be able to go upstairs, especially in a game that big in a series this big,” Lidstrom said.

The call, however, didn’t decide the game. Even Loui Eriksson’s fourth goal of the postseason at 19:37 of the second period, which gave Dallas its first lead of the series, didn’t do it. After Henrik Zetterberg’s stoppable wrist shot from the left circle slipped past Turco to cap a 3-on-2 rush tied it 49 seconds into the third period, Dallas’ response on a power play less than five minutes later did the trick.

With Brian Rafalski off for tripping Brad Richards to prevent the Dallas forward from skating off on a breakaway, Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov recognized an even bigger advantage for the home team and reacted quickly.

Wings penalty killer Dan Cleary broke his stick early in the 5-on-4, and Zubov reacted by calling for the puck, moving to help flood Dallas’ personnel to Cleary’s side of the ice, then patiently waited for Mike Modano to fill the slot. Zubov knew he’d have a clear passing lane to the prime scoring spot because Cleary had no stick to deny a pass.

Zubov put it on Modano’s tape and the greatest U.S.-born scorer the league has ever seen buried his chance at 5:35.

“We were looking for a better team effort and that’s what we got,” Dallas coach Dave Tippett said. “I thought all of our best players stepped up tonight. They played hard minutes.

“We moved Modano over to the wing, he jumped in there with Richards and played very well. (Brenden) Morrow and (Mike) Ribeiro, that looked like the first game where their legs are starting to come back from the last series.”

Morrow capped the scoring with his ninth of the playoffs at 14:34.

“We talked before the game we have two days off so we’ve given ourselves some life,” Tippett said. “The two days of rest should really help us.”

The Dallas Stars have opened their second-round series by winning twice on the road against the San Jose Sharks. Their success isn’t a huge mystery. The Stars’ upper-echelon players have delivered. Their counterparts on the Sharks have failed to keep pace.

The Sharks still haven’t figured out a way to neutralize Mike Ribeiro. He had two assists in Game 1 plus a big goal in Game 2, which the Stars won 5-2.

Mike Modano converted on the power play in Game 1 and did so again in Game 2. Brenden Morrow scored twice, including the OT winner, in Game 1 and set up Ribeiro in Game 2.

For the Sharks, Joe Thornton has no goals and one assist while captain Patrick Marleau has yet to appear on the score sheet in this series. Thornton often needs prodding to call his own number because of his pass-first mindset, but to his credit he did land six shots in Game 2.

Despite the absence of production from the big boys, the Sharks still took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Then they suffered a tough break when Joe Pavelski blew a tire while trying to skate out of the defensive zone and Brad Richards promptly wired the unforced turnover past Evgeni Nabokov.

But at that point, the game was 2-2 with virtually the entire third period still on the clock. Richards’ goal obviously wasn’t what the Sharks had in mind as they mapped out strategy during the intermission, but the air just can’t come out of the balloon that easily.

Even after Sergei Zubov, playing his first game since February, whipped a gorgeous backhand pass against the grain to set up Modano for the go-ahead goal, the Sharks only needed one to tie. Nothing materialized.

The Sharks were the best road team in the league this season. Unfortunately for them, they are going to have to prove it again in the playoffs as the series heads to Dallas.

Penguins’ PK perfection

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-0 win over the New York Rangers in Game 2 Sunday was a great example of how scoring isn’t essential for a hockey game to have excitement. This game offered pace, chances and tremendous goaltending. It is doubtful that any of the paying customers would want a refund because a) the Penguins took a 2-0 series lead, and b) the entertainment quotient delivered a real bang for the buck.

This was essentially a one-goal affair with Adam Hall’s empty-netter providing the coup de grace. The difference was Jordan Staal’s power-play conversion in the second period and Pittsburgh’s penalty-killing, which had not been a strong suit.

Among the 16 playoff qualifiers, the Penguins finished ahead of just two teams in penalty-killing, Washington and Boston, neither of which is still skating. But the Penguins went 6-for-6 on the kill in Game 2 against the Rangers. Martin Straka did slip the puck through goalie Marc-Andre Fleury during New York’s penultimate power play, but the whistle had already blown.

The good news for the Rangers is that they were in both games until the very end, and the scene now shifts to Madison Square Garden where the Penguins were winless during the regular season.

For old times’ sake

Not to endorse poor sportsmanship, but in the Montreal Canadiens-Philadelphia Flyers series it was almost reassuring to see Tom Kostopoulos startle Kimmo Timonen with a pop in the mouth late in Game 2.

That should inject some extra juice into Game 3 Monday in Philadelphia. And let’s be honest here: It would be disappointing if a Flyers-Canadiens series failed to produce a little nastiness. These franchises haven’t met in the playoffs in 19 years, so it might be understandable if the edge on the grudge has been dulled. But in the spirit of how the Canadiens and Flyers snarled and clubbed each other in the ’70s and ’80s, you hope to see a little respect for the legacy.

Victor Chi is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who covers the NHL and is a regular contributor to Sporting News.

PITTSBURGH – Two games were played here over the past three days – one the Pittsburgh Penguins’ style and one that conforms to the New York Rangers’ ways. The fact that Pittsburgh won both leaves New York with really only one option – go home and hope that’s going to aid the cause.

For right now, through 120 minutes of this second-round best-of-seven series, the Penguins have it all over the Rangers, and there’s not a lot of indication that is going to change.

“You want to make sure you right your ship in a hurry in these circumstances,” New York coach Tom Renney said. “It’s a short-term competition.”

It will be an even shorter series if the Blueshirts can’t find a way to win Tuesday night in midtown Manhattan. Pittsburgh takes a 6-0 postseason record to Broadway, where the Penguins look like they’ve got a real show-stopping hit on their hands this spring.

“They’re a good team, it’s not like it’s going to be easy,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist predicted.

After rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win Game 1 on Friday night, the Penguins tightened up defensively every bit as much as the visiting Rangers did. The difference was Pittsburgh converted on its power play and New York did not. An empty-net goal late was window dressing for a 2-0 victory and a 2-0 series lead Sunday.

“I was hoping we could get at least one here, but that’s OK,” Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr said. “We get to play two games at home and we’ll see what happens.”

Well, it really wasn’t OK. While New York rediscovered its defensively responsible tendencies, the Rangers were almost no threat at the other end, and that included during six power plays.

The Rangers didn’t generate any sort of forechecking pressure, and when they didn’t muster offense it usually ended up in the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury, who faced mostly perimeter shots in collecting his second shutout of the playoff season with 26 saves.

“When you’ve got it, you’ve got to go. We didn’t advance the puck as quickly as we needed to,” Renney said. “As much as it might have been an improvement from the other night, our game is not where it needs to be in order to win this series.”

The closest the visitors came to denting the scoreboard was when Martin Straka repeatedly whacked at a power-play shot by Brandon Dubinsky that Fleury had, at least partially, under his pad. The puck slid across the goal line after the late third-period whistle.

“I had it under my pads and their guy kept swinging at my pads,” Fleury said. “I’m glad he finally blew it.”

“I thought it was an accurate call,” Renney added.

Special teams are always important – and often a deciding factor in the playoffs – and the Rangers are off to a 1-for-9 start on the power play. Renney complimented Pittsburgh’s penalty killers for being active, hunting down loose pucks and denying his team through hard work.

New York was hesitant to shoot the puck on the power play Sunday. The Rangers moved the puck plenty on the outside, but either looked for the perfect play and didn’t create enough traffic in front of Fleury to tempt the point men to throw more shots toward the net. Once New York worked to earn a penalty, the power-play unit lacked the sense of urgency during the resulting two minutes.

“I’m not going to suggest it was really easy for him, but it certainly could have been tougher,” Renney said of Fleury’s afternoon.

The game-deciding sequence started when Rangers forward Chris Drury was whistled for hooking Pittsburgh’s Petr Sykora behind the New York net 12:22 into the second period.

The Penguins were all over the Rangers during the resulting 5-on-4. Lundqvist was patient to deny Ryan Malone on a mini-break early in the advantage. He stopped Marian Hossa, who was particularly snake bit with all seven of his shots turned aside Sunday. And Lundqvist was lucky when Malone mishandled a puck with an open net and Sidney Crosby fired wide from 15 feet away.

But when Jordan Staal got great position in front there was no stopping it. Evgeni Malkin made a strong play to drive below the left circle and fed Staal perfectly in front. The second-year forward stickhandled to a forehand shot, which he lifted over Lundqvist’s right pad for a 1-0 lead at 13:55.

The chess match continued, and Staal was a big part of it at the other end for Pittsburgh. The 19-year-old Staal was on the ice for most of the shifts by the 36-year-old Jagr. And youth definitely won out over experience.

“There weren’t many chances,” Jagr said. “That was a totally different game than Game 1. Both teams played better defense and were more responsible.”

Aside from putting three shots on net during 19:35 of skating, Jagr’s most noticeable moments came after whistles when he confronted Crosby on a couple occasions. He wasn’t happy about Crosby’s ability to draw penalties. The Rangers have made it no secret they think Crosby dives to earn calls, but there’s also a level of gamesmanship at play here.

When asked about Jagr’s actions, Crosby was quick to reply, “Ask him, I wasn’t doing the talking.”

And what did Jagr have to say?

“Just play hockey,” was his response to the message he was delivering to the opposing captain.

Well, Crosby and the Pens are playing hockey, and they are playing it better than anyone in this postseason to date. Certainly adversity will occur somewhere down the road, whether it’s in New York this week, Philadelphia or Montreal in the conference finals or at a western destination in a month.

“It’s not over, we have to play good at home,” Jagr said.

“At least we got back to our style of play,” Drury added. “They’ve got a good team with a lot of great players. They’re going to want to go up 3-0 so we have to be better.”

These are the facts. New York owned the second-best home record in the conference during the regular season, only Pittsburgh was better. The Rangers won all four meetings against the Penguins at Madison Square Garden – twice in March with one in overtime, and once each during November and December.

New York trailed Buffalo 2-0 in a second-round series last spring only to return home, win a pair and tie a series the Rangers would eventually lose in six. And New York has rallied from an 0-2 playoff deficit in its somewhat recent past, taking four straight from the Canadiens in 1996.

“They go where they play well,” Crosby said. “It’s just going to get tougher and we expect that.”

But do the Rangers realize that, too?

How close and crazy is the race for playoff spots and positioning this year? Tuesday night featured no fewer than 10 possibilities for teams to clinch something.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild all went into the night’s action with an opportunity to clinch division titles.

The Detroit Red Wings, which already had the Central Division wrapped up, had a chance to clinch the Presidents’ Trophy. The New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames all had possibilities to secure playoff spots. The Devils and Senators had two scenarios that would do it, while the Avalanche had three possibilities working in their favor.

Only three things got decided – Montreal clinched its first division title in 16 years, while New Jersey and Colorado were assured of reaching the postseason.

And although it’s unlikely, the possibility remains that all but three of the final 34 regular-season games from Wednesday through Sunday could have implications on teams making the playoffs or how they are seeded in advance of first-round openers April 9 and 10.

Washington’s clutch 4-1 victory on home ice over Carolina on Tuesday enabled the Capitals to pull even in points with the Hurricanes, but they have one fewer win. Washington still is under the cutoff, not only trailing Boston and Philadelphia by a point but also with one fewer game remaining than the Bruins and Flyers.

The Capitals’ last two games look very winnable as Southeast Division also-rans Tampa Bay and Florida visit on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Interestingly, both the Lightning and Panthers will be playing the second night of back-to-backs on the road while Washington will be rested for each. Both play the night before at Carolina – Tampa Bay visits the Hurricanes on Wednesday and the Panthers stop by on Friday.

Carolina still controls its own destiny despite Tuesday’s disappointing loss, but it would appear the Capitals can keep the heat on Boston and Philadelphia by taking care of business.

The Bruins finish up with three games in four nights, the first two on the road against conference opponents also fighting for spots. Boston visits New Jersey on Wednesday. The Devils clinched a spot Tuesday but are battling for position. Boston is at Ottawa on Friday, and the Senators still are desperate to clinch a spot. The Bruins finish at home Saturday against barely alive Buffalo.

The Flyers have no picnic at the end either. On Wednesday they are in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have an eye on their first division crown in 10 years and the No. 1 seed in the East. Philadelphia hosts New Jersey on Friday and Pittsburgh on Sunday, games that likely still will have positioning ramifications for the Devils and Penguins, who could clinch the Atlantic Wednesday night.

It sure appears that if the Caps win out, they have a decent shot at catching Boston or Philadelphia, if not both.

While the Penguins are just a point away from wrapping up the division, the Devils have the inside track on grabbing the No. 4 seed, which has the last home-ice advantage in the first round. They lead the Rangers by two points, and both teams have three games to play.

After New Jersey hosts Boston on Wednesday and travels to Philadelphia on Friday, the Devils entertain the Rangers on Sunday, the final day of the regular season. Before that, New York has a home-and-home against the long-eliminated Islanders.

Puzzling Ottawa isn’t all that safe now, too. After getting shut out on home ice Tuesday night, the Senators have a one-point lead on Boston and Philadelphia but have one fewer game remaining. Ottawa’s two games come on back-to-back nights Thursday and Friday, at Toronto and home to Boston, respectively.

In the West, Colorado clinched a spot with a 4-2 win at Vancouver that was especially damaging to the Canucks. That result, coupled with Nashville’s rally from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 win at St. Louis, enabled the Predators to sneak past Vancouver and into the final playoff spot.

Both Nashville and Vancouver have two games remaining. The Predators host St. Louis on Thursday and visit Chicago on Friday. Wins in both games would lock up a spot regardless of what the Canucks do in their final two games – Edmonton on Thursday and Calgary on Saturday.

Calgary was victorious and moved closer to clinching a playoff spot. If the Blues had held on to their lead in regulation the Flames would have clinched.

Detroit was hoping to wrap up the No. 1 spot overall, but San Jose delayed those thoughts by extending its points streak to 20 straight games (18-0-2) by beating Los Angeles.

That’s just fine with Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, though.

“Well, the way I look at it is this: No one talks about us, they only talk about San Jose and Anaheim in the West,” he said. “So to me, we’re just sliding in there unnoticed, and we’ll do the best we possibly can.”

Two weeks have passed since the NHL trade deadline, enough time to judge whether teams got a boost from acquisitions, have stayed the same basically or maybe slipped as result of being a seller. This week’s power rankings, which are updated every Tuesday, look at how each team has responded since the deadline.

 1. San Jose Sharks (40-21-8, Previous: 2) – They’re a perfect 7-0 since the deadline when they added coveted defenseman Brian Campbell and veteran backup goalie Brian Boucher while subtracting young forward Steve Bernier. Campbell has scored in five of the seven games and averaged 24:29 of ice time, which is still 30 seconds less than he averaged in Buffalo. Boucher pitched a shutout in his only game.

 2. Detroit Red Wings (45-18-6, Previous: 4) – The Wings are 3-1-1 since making the minor move to pick up Brad Stuart for depth on defense. The biggest boost Detroit has received since the deadline is the return to health of several blue liners – namely Nicklas Lidstrom – with more expected back soon.
 3. New Jersey Devils (40-23-6, Previous: 6) – The Devils are 3-2-1 since adding veteran defenseman Bryce Salvador to their back end. Salvador has skated an average of 20:55 in five games, an increase by more than a minute while with St. Louis. He should be a good fit especially in the playoffs when physical play and intensity ratchets up another notch or two.

 4. New York Rangers (37-24-9, Previous: 11) – The Rangers are 5-0-1 since the deadline, a continuation of a 13-game unbeaten streak (10-0-3) that began Feb. 9. New York focused on role players, plugging winger Fredrik Sjostrom (averaging nine minutes in six games) and defenseman Christian Backman (17 minutes in six games) into a lineup that was already set in terms of top-line regulars.

 5. Anaheim Ducks (39-25-7, Previous: 1) – The Ducks are 4-2 since the deadline, although their more telling numbers are 24-10-3 since the return of Scott Niedermayer on Dec. 16 and 12-4-0 since the return of Teemu Selanne on Feb. 2.

 6. Montreal Canadiens (38-23-9, Previous: 5) – The Canadiens are 5-2 since dealing Cristobal Huet to Washington and handing over the reigns of the No. 1 goaltending duties to 20-year-old Carey Price. It’s less about the age as it is about Price’s experience in big games and big events. Price, a technically-sound netminder, seems to save his best for when everything is on the line. His teammates are impressed with his calm demeanor and maturity, too.

 7. Dallas Stars (42-25-5, Previous: 3) – The Stars are 3-3 since the blockbuster trade to acquire Brad Richards from Tampa Bay in exchange for regulars Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern and backup goalie Mike Smith, who is No. 1 with Tampa Bay. Richards provided an immediate spark with a career-high five points in his debut. He’s scored a goal and added three assists in the five games since while averaging 19:19 of ice time overall, five minutes less than while with the Lightning.

 8. Pittsburgh Penguins (39-24-7, Previous: 7) – The Pens are 4-3 since pulling one of the two major deals at the trade deadline. Marian Hossa lasted only 10 minutes of his first game after spraining his knee. The 29-year-old scoring winger is expected back this week. Large defenseman Hal Gill has averaged 17:22 in six appearances and forward Pascal Dupuis has scored a goal and added an assist while averaging 18:22 in six games. The biggest lift, though, was getting captain Sidney Crosby back in the lineup.
 9. Calgary Flames (36-23-10, Previous: 10) – The Flames are 3-1-2 since the deadline, which came and went pretty quietly for Calgary. Instead, the Flames picked up physical defenseman Jim Vandermeer a week before the deadline as the team’s only move. Playing for his third team this season, Vandermeer has appeared in eight games for the Flames, and he’s averaged nearly 22 minutes per contest.
 10. Ottawa Senators (38-25-7, Previous: 9) – The Senators are 2-4-1 since adding only Martin Lapointe at the deadline. They did subtract coach John Paddock. General manager Bryan Murray is trying to reprogram this team on the fly with very little time left in the regular season. Lapointe hasn’t had a lot of influence, scoring one goal and averaging only 11:31 of ice time in six games, which is three minutes more than he was getting in Chicago. He could shine in the postseason.
 11. Vancouver Canucks (35-24-10, Previous: 14) – The Canucks are 3-2-2 since the deadline when all they did was add Matt Pettinger from Washington for Matt Cooke in an exchange of role-playing forwards. Pettinger has a goal and 11 penalty minutes during 13:26 of skating in his first seven games.
 12. Colorado Avalanche (37-27-6, Previous: 13) – The Avalanche are 6-1 since the deadline when they aggressively added some familiar pieces in forward Peter Forsberg and defenseman Adam Foote along with Ruslan Salei. Foote, with the Quebec/Colorado franchise the first 13 years of his career, averaged 21:42 in five games while Salei skated an average of 19:38 on the backline in six. Forsberg has been another story. Or rather, the same old tired story. He’s nursing a sore groin now after battling ankle and foot ailments and has appeared in just three games.
 13. Minnesota Wild (37-26-7, Previous: 8 ) – The Wild are 3-3-2 since adding tough guy Chris Simon, who has only appeared for an average of 7:40 in four games. It’s no surprise he isn’t playing more as Minnesota looks for answers to turn around a 0-2-2 streak.
 14. Philadelphia Flyers (35-26-8, Previous: 15) – The Flyers are 4-1-1 since the deadline, a time in which they snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak just the night before. Philly picked up veteran forward Vaclav Prospal, who has added a goal and two points during 17:39 of ice time.
 15. Boston Bruins (36-25-8, Previous: 12) – The Bruins are 4-2-2 since the deadline, a time in which they were the only Eastern Conference team that didn’t make a single deal. GM Peter Chiarelli said he liked his team just the way it was, of course what else was he going to say after making no trades? We’re wondering how much he liked his team when they lost 10-2 and 8-2 in the span of three games last week?
 16. Carolina Hurricanes (37-29-5, Previous: 18) – The Hurricanes are 5-1 since the deadline. Despite the loss of Rod Brind’Amour to a torn knee ligament, Carolina is pulling away in the balanced Southeast Division. Tuomo Ruutu, acquired from Chicago at the deadline, had a goal and three points while averaging 17:44 per game in his first six, but it was pre-deadline pickup Sergei Samsonov who has made the biggest contribution with 12 goals and 24 points in his first 27 games with the Hurricanes.
 17. Nashville Predators (35-27-8, Previous: 17) – The Predators are 3-3 since a basically quiet deadline, making only a minor deal to acquire forward Brandon Bochenski, who appeared in only one of the six games. Nashville is sitting on all kinds of cap space, and it’s assumed the Preds will be more aggressive in the offseason than they were at the deadline.
 18. Chicago Blackhawks (33-29-7, Previous: 21) – The Blackhawks are 4-2-1 since the deadline when, thanks to the emergence of their youth, they were able to dish some veterans (Tuomo Ruutu and Martin Lapointe). The only player Chicago acquired at the deadline was forward Andrew Ladd, who had two goals and four points while averaging 15:33 of ice time in his first seven games.
 19. Buffalo Sabres (32-27-11, Previous: 19) – The Sabres are 2-3-2 and still in the playoff hunt since trading top defenseman Brian Campbell. They received Steve Bernier from San Jose in addition to a first-round draft pick, and the physical forward scored goals on his first two shots with Buffalo. But he has been pretty quiet since with two assists in four games before scoring a goal Monday night. Rookie Czech defenseman Andrej Sekera has picked up playing time in Campbell’s absence, skating more than 24:45 in three of his first four appearances since the deal.
 20. Washington Capitals (32-30-8, Previous: 16) – The Capitals are 4-3 as their season-long battle from a 6-14-1 start to reach the postseason continues. Washington added all kinds of pieces. Veteran forward Sergei Fedorov didn’t have a goal but added two assists and averaged 16:50 in his first six games. Matt Cooke had a goal and three points during an average of 9:27 of skating and goalie Cristobal Huet is 2-2 while sharing the net with Olaf Kolzig.
 21. Phoenix Coyotes (34-30-5, Previous: 20) – The Coyotes are 2-4 since the deadline, a time they used to deal players who were no longer in their plans (Fredrik Sjostrom, Josh Gratton, David Leneveu) for depth at forward in the person of Marcel Hossa and goaltending prospect Al Montoya from the Rangers. Hossa was scoreless, a minus-3 and averaged 13:24 of ice time in his first six games. Montoya remains in the minors.
 22. Columbus Blue Jackets (31-28-11, Previous: 22) – The Blue Jackets are 2-2-2 since the deadline, when they were sellers instead of buyers. Columbus waived good-bye to captain Adam Foote and high-priced aging center Sergei Fedorov. The disappointment was their inability to get Brad Richards from Tampa Bay. The Jackets will be in a recruiting mode in the summer.
 23. Edmonton Oilers (33-31-5, Previous: 26) – The Oilers are 5-1 since the deadline when they did absolutely nothing. Edmonton continues to get solid goaltending from Mathieu Garon, who unseated Dwayne Roloson for the No. 1 spot. The Oilers only faced one team in a playoff spot in their first six after the deadline.
 24. Florida Panthers (32-31-8, Previous: 28) – The Panthers are 4-1-1 since the deadline, a time in which they picked up three veteran role players but have only received value out of one. Defenseman Karlis Skrastins averaged 21:37 of ice time in six games. Wade Belak has played sparingly, appearing for only 4:19 in his first six games. Chad Kilger has been suspended for the club. He’s tending to an undisclosed personal issue away from the team, and it’s questionable whether he’ll even play one game for the Panthers this season.
 25. Toronto Maple Leafs (30-30-10, Previous: 23) – The Maple Leafs are 3-2-1 since the deadline, a period in which they are probably breathing easier and playing more relaxed. Toronto didn’t add anything but draft picks in exchange for letting go of Hal Gill, Wade Belak and Chad Kilger. Mats Sundin has five goals and 12 points in the six games since deciding against waiving his no-trade clause. He’s enjoyed three-point games in half of those games.
 26. Atlanta Thrashers (30-32-8, Previous: 27) – The Thrashers are 1-2-4 since the deadline when, feeling forced to unload Marian Hossa, did pretty well in getting two players – Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen – along with prospect Angelo Esposito from Pittsburgh in exchange for Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. Armstrong had a goal and three points during an average of 19:01 of ice time while Christensen had a goal and two points in 17:53, both in the first six games.
 27. New York Islanders (32-31-7, Previous: 24) – The Islanders are 2-5 since the deadline when they failed to add any offensive help to a goal-starved team. New York has scored one or fewer goals in five of the seven games since the deadline. The only player the Isles acquired, physical veteran defenseman Rob Davison from San Jose, averaged 17:28 of ice time in his first seven games.
 28. St. Louis Blues (29-30-10, Previous: 25) – The Blues are 1-6 since the deadline when veteran defensemen Bryce Salvador and Christian Backman went out the door shortly after the team made a long-term financial commitment to Barret Jackman. The only player acquired – tough guy Cam Janssen – has yet to appear.
 29. Los Angeles Kings (27-38-6, Previous: 30) – The Kings are 1-4-2 since the deadline. Los Angeles managed to only unload veteran defenseman Brad Stuart. Veterans Scott Thornton, Ladislav Nagy, Brian Willsie and Jon Klemm, all unrestricted free agents, are presumably playing their final games with the organization.
 30. Tampa Bay Lightning (26-35-8, Previous: 29) – The Lightning are 1-5-1 since the deadline. They unloaded the best player available – Brad Richards – and while getting decent value in return, certainly have not done well since. The hope is for Mike Smith, the 25-year-old former backup to Marty Turco in Dallas, to emerge as a No. 1 goalie. He is 1-5 with 18 goals allowed in his first six appearances. Veteran checking center Jeff Halpern has been good offensively (three goals, six points) but a minus-2 while averaging 19:36 of ice time in seven games. Jussi Jokinen had one goal and three points but was a minus-8 in seven games.