STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Pittsburgh Scores Early, Holds On for 2-1 Victory

The Pittsburgh Penguins have the script down pat.

After losing the playoff opener for the seventh time in their last 11 series, the Penguins on Tuesday night improved to 8-0 on home ice in Game 2 of a playoff series, edging the Washington Capitals, 2-1.

That tied their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series, 1-1. Game 3 will be held Thursday night in Landover, Md.

Mario Lemieux and Rick Tocchet each scored in the first period and the Penguins rode Tom Barrasso’s goaltending to victory as he stopped 34 of 35 shots. Pittsburgh won despite managing only four shots on goal in the final two periods.

“If we continue to play at this level, we’ll be out of the playoffs,” Tocchet said. “We’re trying to win games in the first period. You can’t count on that, not the way they’re playing.”

Michal Pivonka scored Washington’s lone goal 57 seconds into the second period on a power play.

New Jersey 2, Buffalo 1--Sometimes the only way to beat the NHL’s best goaltender is to have a little luck, which is exactly what Scott Stevens and the Devils had against Dominik Hasek and the Sabres at East Rutherford, N.J.

Stevens’ power-play goal with 6:21 to play on a shot deflected by Buffalo’s Yuri Khmylev, who also had a hand in the Devils’ first goal, proved the difference as the Devils won another defensive struggle against the Sabres to tie their best-of-seven series, 1-1.

“Sometimes you need a fluky goal,” Stevens said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a pretty goal because these goalies see the puck so well. They showed it during the season and they are showing it again.”

The Eastern Conference quarterfinal moves to Buffalo for games Thursday and Saturday before returning to New Jersey for Game 5 on Monday.

Alexander Mogilny scored for Buffalo early in the third period. Hasek had 30 saves, Brodeur 23.