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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The New York Rangers were surprised by Jaromir
Jagr's four-goal game against them Saturday night. Surprised that
he hadn't done it before.
Jagr had his first career four-goal game as the Pittsburgh
Penguins scored four times in the third period and beat the Rangers
8-6 for their third consecutive victory.
|  | | Jaromir Jagr's last hat trick was against the other New York team -- the Islanders on Dec. 30, 1999. |
"That's kind of odd because you think he's going to have
multiple four-goal games," goalie Kirk McLean said. "He's a great
player and he turned it up a notch."
In a league that's become obsessed with goal prevention in
recent years, the Rangers played a style custom-made for Jagr.
"That was perfect for us," Jagr said. "It was up and down."
That kind of wide-open style energized Jagr and the Penguins,
who opened the season with two games in Japan and admitted they
were battling fatigue in Friday's home opener against Tampa Bay.
"I'm not tired at all," Jagr said. "I feel great. I feel the
best I ever felt."
Jagr pointed out that he actually got another goal -- he said the
Rangers' last score, credited to Theo Fleury, went off his stick.
"So I really got five," Jagr said.
The Rangers lost for the first time this season and missed a
chance at their first 3-0 start since 1989-90. Mark Messier and
Fleury each scored twice as the Rangers converted four of nine
power-play chances.
The Penguins put the game away with three goals in the first
6:06 of the third period against McLean, 5-14-1 in his career
against Pittsburgh.
Jagr completed his seventh career hat trick 53 seconds into the
third to break a 4-4 tie. With the Rangers caught in a line change,
Jagr had ample time to wrist a shot past McLean.
"Just a mental mistake," Fleury said. "We had all five guys
changing instead of two changing and three staying on. Those are
going to happen."
For Jagr, who usually faces close-checking teams, it was a dream
come true.
"I was yelling for our defense to give me the puck because I
could see nobody was there," Jagr said.
And how does a goalie defend 5-on-zero against one of the game's
most prolific scorers?
"I couldn't move," McLean said. "He froze me pretty good. I
didn't know what he was going to do with it. He made a nice shot
right through my legs."
Martin Straka increased Pittsburgh's lead to 6-4 at 1:29 when he
pulled away from defenseman Brad Brown in the slot and put a shot
over McLean's glove. Roman Simicek got his first NHL goal at 6:06
to make it 7-4.
Jagr scored again at 9:15 to give the Penguins four goals in the
third period before the Rangers recorded a shot on goal. McLean was
lifted in favor of rookie Jason LaBarbera after Jagr's fourth goal
of the game and fifth of the season. McLean, who stopped 55 of 57
shots in the first two games, gave up eight goals on 33 shots to
the Penguins.
"It's pretty much a given when you play a team like the
Penguins that they're going to make plays," Messier said.
"They're going to beat some people. I think you have to expect it,
but you can't give them opportunities to beat you as well. We were
good at certain times but we weren't good at the right times."
Kim Johnsson scored during a two-man advantage at 15:06 of the
third for New York. Fleury scored on a power play late in the
period.
The Rangers were trailing 2-1 after one period when Michael York
scored at 6:41 of the second. Fleury gave New York the lead at
10:09.
Jagr's second goal, on a power play at 13:53, tied it 3-3. The
Rangers regained the lead when Messier scored a power-play goal at
15:22, but Robert Lang scored on a power play at 19:07 to tie the
score at 4.
Messier scored the game's first goal on New York's first
power-play chance at 6:43. Milan Kraft scored his first NHL goal to
tie it less than two minutes later, and Jagr gave the Penguins
their first lead when he put a shot in off McLean's pad at 14:11.
Game notes
Prior to Jagr's second goal, the Rangers had been perfect
on 17 consecutive penalty kills this season. ... Jagr's last hat
trick was against the New York Islanders on Dec. 30, 1999. ... The
Penguins scratched defensemen Hans Jonsson and Janne Laukkanen for
precautionary reasons. Jonsson sustained an unspecified injury in
Friday's 3-2 home win over Tampa Bay, and Laukkanen bruised a knee
in the game.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
RECAPS
Montreal 5
Chicago 4
Calgary 2
NY Islanders 0
Ottawa 4
Toronto 0
New Jersey 4
Anaheim 2
Pittsburgh 8
NY Rangers 6
Dallas 3
Washington 0
Nashville 2
Carolina 1
Colorado 3
Columbus 1
Phoenix 6
Philadelphia 3
Vancouver 4
Buffalo 0
San Jose 5
Boston 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jaromir Jagar puts in his 4th goal of the game.
avi: 541 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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