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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- Valeri Kamensky said it was almost offside. The
Chicago Blackhawks claimed it definitely was.
Nonetheless, Kamensky's breakaway goal, scored with 20 seconds
left in the first period counted and put the New York Rangers ahead
for good Wednesday night in their 4-2 victory over the Chicago
Blackhawks.
|  | | Chicago's Eric Daze kept Michal Grosek from converting the wrap-around shot for the Rangers. |
With the game tied 1-1, Kamensky, motoring over the Chicago blue
line, took a long lead pass from Mark Messier, who had just crossed
the Rangers' blue line. Kamensky cruised in alone on Tallas and
helped New York snap its two-game losing streak.
"It was a perfect pass," Kamensky said. "(Messier) just read
it and made a great play. It was almost offside, but perfect."
The Rangers nursed the 2-1 edge for 30 minutes before Jan Hlavac
and Theoren Fleury connected in the third period. Adam Graves
scored in the first for New York, which got 38 saves from Kirk
McLean and improved to 3-2-0.
Alpo Suhonen, the Blackhawks coach and Rob Tallas, their goalie,
didn't see Kamensky's goal the same way.
"The second goal was offside, but we shouldn't give up a
breakaway goal in the last minute of the period," Suhonen said.
"I think after viewing the replay too, I personally thought it
was offside," said Tallas, who made his second straight start and
stopped 21 shots. "If you look at it the way I reacted, I screamed
offsides."
Steve Sullivan and Dean McAmmond scored for Chicago as the
Blackhawks slipped to 2-3-0-1.
McLean's effort came in his fifth straight start in place of
injured regular Mike Richter. It might be McLean's last appearance
for a while as Richter is scheduled to return from knee surgery
Sunday night and start for the Rangers at home against Tampa Bay.
McLean was particularly sharp early in the third period, when
the Rangers -- who were nursing a 2-1 lead -- made several turnovers.
Richter, who had left knee surgery in April, is scheduled to
return Sunday and start for the Rangers at home against Tampa Bay.
But Rangers coach Ron Low won't reveal whether Richter will immediately regain his
role as the regular No. 1 goalie.
"I'm not telling you nothing," is all Low said Wednesday.
The coach did, however, acknowledge that McLean's strong
performance helped the Rangers snap a two-game losing streak and
improve to 3-2.
"We didn't play well in the third period," Low said. "We
coughed up the puck more than we did in the (8-6 loss Saturday) to
Pittsburgh, actually. Kirk was up to the task and that was a good
thing. It was a very positive performance by him."
McLean, for his part, seems ready to accept whatever role Low
gives him.
"I feel good," McLean said. "But now Mike is coming back and
we'll share the load. Mike likes to play a lot, but he's coming off
a major injury and we've got a lot of hockey ahead of us. I'll just
do my best when I get my chances."
Graves opened the scoring at 9:37 of the first period by ripping
in a high shot from the left circle. Sullivan tied it 3:02 later
when he beat Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch with a quick move and
then beat McLean with a rising shot.
After a scoreless second period, Chicago's Tony Amonte missed a
wide-open net on a tip-in chance 3:50 into the third and then slid
the rebound into McLean.
The Blackhawks had several other prime chances before Hlavac
shoveled in his own rebound to make it 3-1 with 9:55 left. Hlavac
beat Tallas with a backhander that clanked in off the post.
Fleury added an empty-net goal with a minute left to make it
4-1. McAmmond cut it to 4-2 with 31 seconds remaining.
Game notes
Richter had surgery on April 5 after he was injured during
the NHL's All-Star weekend last February. ... Low declined to
comment on how he planned to use his goalies when Richter returns.
"I'm not telling you nothing," he said. ... D Drew Bannister,
recalled from Hartford of the AHL Tuesday, made his Rangers debut.
... Suhonen said goalie Jocelyn Thibault will start the Blackhawks
next game, Friday against Dallas. ... Chicago veterans Bob Probert
and Josef Marha were healthy scratches Wednesday for the first time
this season.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Chicago Clubhouse
Richter expected to return Sunday for Rangers
RECAPS
Colorado 5
Columbus 1
Carolina 3
Pittsburgh 2
Dallas 2
San Jose 1
Minnesota 6
Tampa Bay 5
NY Rangers 4
Chicago 2
Phoenix 2
Florida 1
Vancouver 4
Calgary 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Valeri Kamensky scores off Mark Messier's pass.
avi: 509 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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