1. Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers
Lundqvist made 26 saves, some of them spectacular. His goaltending was the difference last night and lifted the Rangers to their ninth victory in 10 games against the Devils this season. Which tells you how this series is gong to go. The save of the game may have come in the second period when Lundqvist stoned Paul Martin on a power-play point shot.
You cannot overlook the four-assist performance by Sid the Kid including setting up the late 2 goals by Ryan Malone to win the game. Honourable mention should go to Martin Gerber who faced 54 shots in the game and kept the Senators alive until the final few minutes. He would have been a star if his teammates had been able to help him steal a win.
3. Alex Ovechkin, CapitalsHow do you make an impression in your postseason debut? By netting the game-winner and lifting the Caps to their first playoff win since 2003. Even more impressive: Ovechkin, whose 446 shots were second-most in a season in NHL history, didn't register a shot until nearly 13 minutes in the third. But he lead all players in the game with 8 hits.
