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NHL-Penguins beat Rangers to win series in five games

April 23 (The Sports Xchange) - Bryan Rust scored two goals and set up another and the Pittsburgh Penguins overwhelmed the New York Rangers with their youth and speed, closing out the first-round series with a 6-3 rout in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Goaltender Matt Murray won his third straight game by making 38 saves as the Penguins won their 18th in 21 overall, needing just five games to eliminate the Metropolitan Division rival that put them out of the playoffs the last two seasons. The Penguins move on to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers-Washington Capitals series. Every Pittsburgh goal was scored by a player who was not on the much-slower Penguins team beaten by the Rangers in five games last spring. Conor Sheary, Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin and 39-year-old Matt Cullen also found the net as the Penguins shook off two early deficits before steamrolling the Rangers 4-0 during a dominant and decisive second period. The Penguins sent longtime Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist to the bench for the second straight game, scoring on six of 23 shots against the goalie who frustrated them in the postseason in 2014 and 2015. (Editing by Andrew Both)