NHL P LAYOFF GOALTENDING STATISTICS

Challenged by boss, Jagr’s future uncertain

The day before Game 1 of the second round against Buffalo, Mario Lemieux issued a surprising public challenge for linemate and team captain Jaromir Jagr to elevate his game. “I think we need him to play a little bit better for us to have a chance to go all the way,” Lemieux said. “He has to elevate his game and be a leader.” The next morning, Jagr did not seem pleased to be answering questions about Lemieux’s comments. “All I can say is, I’m playing my best,” said Jagr, who had a goal and six points in a six-game first-round victory over Washington. “If it’s not enough, I cannot control that. Maybe it’s not enough, but it’s not like I’m not trying my best. I’m playing my best and it’s not enough. For…

Grahame finds his game just in time

His season started with a stumble off a curb in downtown Boston. John Grahame is trying to end it with another trip-down memory lane. Grahame, unable during the regular season to regain the form that made him a star in the 1999 Calder Cup playoffs, has hit his stride in this year’s American League post-season. Grahame’s stellar play enabled Providence to erase a 2-0 series deficit and oust the defending champion Hartford Wolf Pack 3-2 in the first round. He was great again as the Bruins took a 2-1 lead on the regular season champion Worcester IceCats in the West semifinal. “Without John we would have been gone in three straight (in Round 1),” said coach Bill Armstrong. “In each of our wins it was John Grahame, John Grahame, John Grahame.” Through seven playoff…

NHL PLAYOFF GAME SUMMARIES

NOTE Unofficial game summaries provided by National Hockey League; (shots on goal/plus-minus): SA-shots against; GA-goals against: ENG-empty net goals; Decdecision, charges to goaltenders of record when winning goal is scored. FRIDAY, APR. 20 SATURDAY, APR. 21 SUNDAY, APR. 22 MONDAY, APR. 23 THURSDAY, APR. 26 THE WEEK THAT WAS A weekly compendium of significant events and developments (April 21-27). April 21 Philadelphia Flyers’ goalie Roman Cechmanek, a strong candidate for the Vezina Trophy, is pulled in the second period with the score 5-0 as the Buffalo Sabres shut out the Flyers 8-0 to win their Eastern Conference quarterfinal four games to two. St. Louis Blues’ goalie Roman Turek atones for giving up a soft goal in the seventh game of last season’s Western Conference quarterfinal loss to the San Jose Sharks by blocking 30 shots as the Blues edge the…