HOCKEY STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Hartford Catches Boston by Surprise, 4-3

The Boston Bruins are the NHL’s best defensive team, so the Hartford Whalers figured they’d have to make every shot count in their Adams Division semifinal series.

As expected, the Bruins were stingy in the first game Thursday night at Boston, limiting the Whalers to 17 shots.

The Whalers, however, capitalized on their opportunities, making four of their first eight attempts, including Todd Krygier’s goal on their first shot, to upset the Bruins, 4-3.

“We lost a lot of one-on-one battles that gave them the opportunity to take a three-goal lead,” Boston Coach Mike Milbury said. “It wasn’t just the goaltending.

“It was a general lack of containment of the opposition down low that led to their goals.”

The Whalers, facing the Bruins in the playoffs for the first time in their 11 NHL seasons, went ahead, 3-0, on second-period goals by Dean Evason and Scott Young.

Cam Neely cut the lead to, 3-1, at 6:29 of the second period before Randy Ladouceur scored the Whalers’ final goal three minutes later.

The Whalers survived goals by Bob Carpenter at 15:46 of the second period and Dave Poulin with a two-man advantage with 22 seconds left in the game.

The Bruins, who led the league in fewest goals allowed and most points, got off 36 shots, but Whaler goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz, in just his third playoff game, was outstanding.

The Bruins are hoping to repeat last season’s performance when they lost the opener of their first playoff series to Buffalo, 6-0, in Boston, then won the next four games.

Buffalo 4, Montreal 1--Goaltender Daren Puppa had 34 saves and Rick Vaive broke a second-period tie at Buffalo, N.Y., with the game’s only power-play goal as the Sabres took the first game of their Adams Division semifinal series.

Vaive tipped in Doug Bodger’s shot from the point at 9:55 while Brian Skrudland of the Canadiens was in the penalty box for hooking.

Dean Kennedy had a goal and an assist and Dave Andreychuk and Bob Corkum also scored for the Sabres.

Washington 5, New Jersey 4--Dino Ciccarelli scored three goals, the last one coming 5:34 into overtime at East Rutherford, N.J., to lead the Capitals in the first game of a Patrick Division semifinal series.

Ciccarelli’s game-winner negated a pair of two-goal comebacks by the Devils, who entered the playoffs with a six-game winning streak.

New York Rangers 2, New York Islanders 1--Rookie Mike Richter turned back 27 shots, including a penalty shot, to lead the Rangers in the first game of the Patrick Division semifinal series at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Bernie Nicholls and Mark Janssens scored for the Rangers.

Pat LaFontaine, the Islanders’ leading scorer, was carried off on a stretcher after being knocked unconscious in a collision with James Patrick and Chris Nilan of the Rangers.