Rangers Let Up Late Tying Goal

Newly-acquired Alexei Kovalev assisted on Robert Lang's goal with 15 seconds left in the third period to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2-2 tie with the New York Rangers on Friday night.

With goalie Tom Barrasso pulled for an extra skater, Kovalev held the puck and spotted Lang coming down the slot. Lang ripped a shot over Mike Richter's glove for his eighth goal. Kovalev assisted on both goals in his first game with Pittsburgh.

Richter had made some spectacular saves until he was finally beaten on Pittsburgh's 29th shot of the game. Richter is winless (0-4-2) since Oct. 30.

The teams were matched two days after their five-player trade. Petr Nedved, Chris Tamer and Sean Pronger all played for the Rangers while Kovalev and Harry York debuted with the Penguins.

Nedved and Kovalev each assisted on second-period goals. Nedved centered to John MacLean for the tiebreaking goal on a two-man power play advantage at 15:44. Maclean scored his eighth goal and Nedved picked up his second assist since joining the Rangers.

Aleksey

Pittsburgh's Alexei Kovalev, who had two assists in his Penguins debut, moves the puck around former teammate Wayne Gretzky Friday night. (AP)

Wayne Gretzky beat Stu Barnes on a faceoff at 4:02 of the first period to set up Brian Leetch's third goal. Gretzky drew the puck to the left point and Leetch fired a 45-footer past Barrasso's stick

Neither team has a decision in overtime. The Rangers have seven ties and the Penguins have five.

Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr has gone nine games without a goal. It is his longest drought since he went 17 games without a goal in 1990-91, his rookie season.

After failing to sell out the first eight home games, the Penguins had a standing-room sellout of 17,018. They had been averaging 14,015, about 83 percent of the Civic Arena's 16,958 capacity.

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