Jeff Zatkoff makes 35 saves, Penguins win Game 1 vs. Rangers

It ended up as a battle of the backups.

On one end of the ice was Jeff Zatkoff, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ surprise starter when Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t go in Game 1. On the other end was Antti Raanta, who entered Wednesday night’s game after New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was hit in the face by teammate Marc Staal’s stick near the end of the first period 

Who got the better of the matchup? All you had to do was listen to the Penguins fans’ chants: “JEFF! JEFF! JEFF!”

“That definitely sent chills through me… It was a special moment, it’s one I’ll always remember,” said Zatkoff, who made 35 saves, as the Penguins defeated the New York Rangers, 5-2, thanks to a Patric Hornqvist hat trick.

Fleury took the morning skate and appeared to be the starter. But he didn’t even dress for Game 1, with AHLer Tristan Jarry as the backup. According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the Penguins are merely “proceeding cautiously” with Fleury as he recovers from a concussion.

It was Zatkoff’s first start since Feb. 20 and his first playoff action. He turned back 13 of 15 shots in the third period to clinch the win.

Said coach Mike Sullivan on Zatkoff: “He’s been a great soldier for this team all year long. He gave us a chance to win. Couldn’t be happier for him.”

As for Lundqvist, coach Alain Vigneault said that he’ll be reevaluated on Thursday.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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