STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ROUNDUP : Stars Go Out but Rangers Win, 4-2

Both teams were missing their leader, but the Rangers rallied from the brink of defeat Tuesday night at New York to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2, and even their Patrick Division series at a game each.

Just before game time Mark Messier, who led the Rangers to the division title and paced their first round win over New Jersey, had to cancel because of back spasms.

Early in the game Mario Lemieux, key to the Penguins, was slashed across the hand by the Rangers’ Adam Graves. Lemieux left and never returned.

The Penguins were angry after losing Lemieux and the game.

“The slash on Mario was obviously a tough slash,” Penguin defenseman Ulf Samuelson said. “It’s intent to injure. In the rule book that’s a five-minute penalty.”

Graves received only a two-minute penalty.

“I had no intention of hurting anyone,” Graves said. “I was just trying to hit him in the gloves where all the padding is.”

It is not known if either player will be able to play in the third game at Pittsburgh Thursday night.

The Penguins, who have become accustomed to playing without the injury-plagued Lemieux much of the time in the last two seasons, were in a position to put the Rangers in a deep hole.

Defenseman Larry Murphy scored late in the second period to put the Penguins ahead, 2-1.

If they had won the first two games of the best-of-seven series, the Penguins would have a stranglehold on the series. All they would have had to do was win two of three games at Pittsburgh to advance.

But the Rangers came out flying in the third period. They kept the pressure on the Penguins and with under eight minutes remaining in regulation, a goal by rookie Jeff Buekeboom tied the game. Two minutes later, Kris King put the Rangers in front to stay. With just three seconds left, Buekeboom scored his second playoff goal into an empty net.

The Penguins didn’t have a shot on goal after King put the Rangers in front.

The Penguins also lost Joey Mullen when he was hit in the head in the first period by King.

Boston 3, Montreal 2--The Stanley Cup continues to be a visitor’s show. When Peter Douris deflected a shot by Ted Donato into the net at 3:12 of overtime at Montreal, it gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead in the Adams Division series.

The Bruins have a chance to put the Canadiens away with three of the next four games at Boston Garden.

It may have been a costly win. Ray Bourque, the Bruins’ leader on both offense and defense, injured a finger on his left hand early in the third period and never returned.

The Canadiens disputed the winning goal, claiming that Douris kicked the puck into the net. But the video replay indicated the puck caromed past goaltender Patrick Roy after hitting Douris on the knee.

“I took a swipe at it and I’m not even sure if I hit it,” Douris said. “But it’s a goal.It’s not like I had the puck on my stick and picked the corner, but it’s a goal.”

Montreal took a 2-1 lead on Shayne Corson’s second goal of the playoffs five minutes into the final period.

The Bruins, who held the Canadiens to two shots on goal in the second period, kept the pressure on the Canadiens. With six minutes left in regulation, Donato fed Dave Poulin, alone at the side of the net, and Poulin shoved the puck into the net.

“We’re definitely behind the 8-ball now,” said Montreal Coach Pat Burns. “We’re in deep trouble. We have to win one in Boston.”