Henrik Lundqvist shuts out Red Wings in Rangers' 1-0 win

DETROIT (AP) Henrik Lundqvist was given a shot to start against a team suited to boost his confidence.

Lundqvist made 33 saves for his first shutout of the season and Mika Zibanejad scored in the first period, giving the New York Rangers in a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

''It was a fun game for me because there was a lot of action,'' Lundqvist said. ''I knew every save was going to matter.''

The offensively challenged and rebuilding Red Wings were the perfect opponent for Lundqvist, who didn't play the last five games and eight of the previous nine games. He gave up a total of nine goals over his previous two starts.

''It felt great to come back and play well,'' Lundqvist said. ''This has been a tough month for me. For almost 14 years, I was used to going out there to play and now it is different. You try to get used to it and keep it all in and just help the team.''

Lundqvist, nearing his 38th birthday, entered the game with a career-worst 3.18 goals-against average. The five-time All-Star and 2012 Vezina Trophy winner looked sharp against the NHL's worst team as he made 10-plus saves in each period.

''I knew he was dialed in and excited,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''We weren't surprised by how well he played.''

Early in the third, Lundqvist made a glove save to stop Patrik Nemeth's slap shot. The Red Wings pulled Bernier late in the game to add an extra skater and still could not get a puck past Lundqvist.

''I liked our third period,'' Quinn said. ''We weren't anywhere near as dumb as we were in the first two.''

The Rangers also beat Detroit at home on Friday night and have won six of nine games, generating some hope they can rally into playoff contention.

Detroit, meanwhile, has lost eight straight games for the third time this season and has at least 15 fewer points than the rest of the league.

Jonathan Bernier gave the Red Wings a chance to compete, stopping 30 shots in his first game in nearly a month after being out with a lower-body injury.

''I actually felt rust in the first period,'' he said. ''This is one of the games where you have to battle.''

Benier's teammates didn't help out at the other end the ice.

Detroit wasted an opportunity to pull into a 1-all tie late in the second period when Valtteri Filppula had an open net to shoot into. The center's backhander hit the right post and his attempt off the rebound slid across the crease.

''It was tough to watch,'' Detroit coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged.

The Red Wings had another scoring opportunity in the closing seconds of the second period when Dylan Larkin was alone in front of Lundqvist. The center could not get a backhander past the veteran goaltender that ended up helping him earn the 63rd shutout of his career.

The Rangers took advantage of a power play midway through the first period. Zibanejad scored off a rebound and provided all the offense that was needed for the win with Lundquvist in net.

''Lundqvist is a great goalie,'' Larkin said. ''We couldn't beat him.''

NOTES: Rangers F Chris Kreider, who had an assist, left the game in the second period after his head was inadvertently hit by Zibanejad's right knee. ''We don't think it's anything long term,'' Quinn said. ''Surprisingly, after you look at it. He's already feeling a lot better.'' ... Filppula played in his 1,000th career NHL game. ... Detroit scratched C Frans Nielsen with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Dallas on Monday night, starting a four-game homestand.

Red Wings: Host Philadelphia on Monday night.

--

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Pavelski helps Stars chase Lundqvist, beat Rangers 5-3

NEW YORK (AP) Joe Pavelski scored power-play goals 16 seconds apart, Stephen Johns and Blake Comeau helped chase Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and the Dallas Stars beat New York 5-3 Monday night.

Johns and Comeau scored 4:04 apart in the second period and Corey Perry also scored for Dallas, which improved to 30-18-4 with its second straight win. Anton Khudobin stopped 33 of 36 shots.

Pavel Buchnevich and Brett Howden scored first period power-play goals for the Rangers, and Brendan Lemieux added another on a man-advantage in the third. New York had won two straight coming out of the All-Star break and a bye week as the front office weighs its options ahead of the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

“Every game is going to be key for us,” Brady Skjei said. “We have a lot of big games ahead.”

Johns played his fourth game since missing all of last season and the first 47 games of this one with post-traumatic headaches. He slammed a heavy slap shot 7:52 into the second period to break a 2-2 tie and give Dallas its second advantage of the game. Comeau followed with a snap shot from the left side at 11:56 to extend the lead to 4-2.

“I was open. I was calling for it,” said Johns, whose parents were at the game. “It makes it pretty special.”

Comeau’s goal was the 14th in his career against Lundqvist, who was pulled after two periods having stopped 11 of 15 shots.

Buchnevich put New York up 1-0 with his power-play goal 2:29 into the game. Dallas has allowed the first goal in seven straight games.

Pavelski put Dallas ahead with two quick goals. He deflected John Klingberg's shot past Lundqvist at 8:08 for his first power-play goal, then connected again seconds later after Rangers coach David Quinn unsuccessfully challenged whether a shot from Tyler Seguin was out of play and was hit with a two-minute delay of game penalty.

Howden tied it with 4:19 left in the first. The goal was initially waved off after Bowden touched the puck with his hand, but a review showed he used his stick to knock the puck into the net and the call was overturned.

Alexandar Georgiev relieved Lundqvist and stopped 5 of 6 shots.

“We stopped playing for a bit and they took advantage,” Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad said. “We did some positive things but not enough.”

NOTES: Chris Kreider did not dress for the Rangers. New York’s top-line left wing was inadvertently kneed in the head Saturday by Zibanejad in the Rangers’ 1-0 win over the Red Wings in Detroit. Kreider was replaced in the lineup by Phillip Di Giuseppe, who the Rangers called up from AHL Hartford Sunday. ... Roope Hintz returned to the Stars lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury. ... New York scratched Michael Haley and Igor Shesterkin, while the Stars’ scratches were Taylor Fedun, Joel Kiviranta, and Roman Polak.

UP NEXT

Stars: Conclude a three-game trip through the New York-metropolitan area Tuesday at the New York Islanders.

Rangers: Continue their four-game homestand Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rangers vs Maple Leafs: Shesterkin, Rangers Defeat Maple Leafs 5-3 at MSG

The trio of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich were reunited and dominated the Maple Leafs.

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Following a miserable defensive effort on Monday against the Dallas Stars, the New York Rangers turned things around tonight as they welcomed the Toronto Maple Leafs into town. Despite giving up three goals, the Rangers were miles better than they were against Dallas, and they were able to close out the game in regulation. Igor Shesterkin, who picked up his fourth win in five games, turned away 27 of the 30 shots he faced and improved his record to 4-1-0 on the season.

1st Period

John Tavares (20) - William Nylander (24) & Justin Holl (14) - 7:36 1st Period

The Rangers had the early edge in this game, but it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who were able to break through with the first goal of the game. John Tavares was able to jump on a fortunate rebound that landed right on his stick, and he shoveled a shot past Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers had good coverage, but the puck bounced to a soft spot and Toronto was able to capitalize.

Filip Chytil (12) - Tony DeAngelo (29) & Marc Staal (5) - 8:50 1st Period

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DeAngelo Chytil #NYR

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A little over a minute after Toronto’s opening tally, the Rangers stormed right back down the other end of the ice and tied the game. Tony DeAngelo deserves all of the praise on this goal as he transitioned down from his point spot, and rifled a crisp pass to the far side of the net. Filip Chytil was camped out with body position on his defender, and tapped home the beautiful pass from DeAngelo to make it a 1-1 game.

Mika Zibanejad (21) - Chris Kreider (18) - 17:18 1st Period

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Mika Zibanejad 2-1 #PlayLikeANewYorker

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The KZB line started to reignite their chemistry near the end of the first period, and they never looked back for the remainder of the game. Chris Kreider wound up taking the offensive zone draw, and won the puck straight back to Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad was able to walk onto the puck, and stepped into a heavy wrist shot that surprised Michael Hutchinson. The shot soared right past Hutchinson’s right shoulder and gave the Rangers their first lead of the night.

Chris Kreider (19) - Pavel Buchnevich (19) & Mika Zibanejad (24) - 17;24 1st Period

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Six seconds after Zibanejad gives the #NYR lead, Buchnevich flips it to Kreider for another goal

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Just six seconds after the go-ahead goal, it was Zibanejad’s turn to return the favor with a faceoff win of his own. Pavel Buchnevich collected the loose puck after the draw, and flipped a perfect lead pass to Chris Kreider barreling into the zone. Kreider flew down the ice, plowed right through Justin Holl driving to the net, and buried his 19th goal of the season.

2nd Period

Auston Matthews (38) - Andreas Johnsson (13) & Kasperi Kapanen (20) - 16:56 2nd Period

Toronto finally regained some composure late in the second period, and were able to claw back within a goal at the 16:56 mark. Andreas Johnsson made a great spin-o-rama pass from out behind the Rangers’ net, and put the puck right on Auston Matthew’s tape. Igor Shesterkin never picked up the pass until late, and Matthews was able to beat the young goaltender with a backhand in the high slot.

Pavel Buchnevich (11) - Brady Skjei (15) - 17:30 2nd Period

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Four goals in five games for Pavel Buchnevich #NYR

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It didn’t take long for the Rangers to respond to the late-period adversity as Pavel Buchnevich almost immediately restored the two-goal lead. Just prior to the goal, Chris Kreider spun Michael Hutchinson around after circling the net, and the goaltender wound up dropping his stick. Auston Matthews made an ill-advised turnover after kicking the puck into the middle of the ice, and Pavel Buchnevich was able to beat the goalie clean. Hutchinson was still in the process of collecting his stick as the shot came in on net, and he was never able to get fully set in his crease.

3rd Period

Auston Matthews (39) PPG - John Tavares (24) & Mitchell Marner (40) - 16:32 3rd Period

Auston Matthews was a threat every single he stepped on the ice, and he picked up his second goal of the game late in the third period. A undisciplined hooking penalty on Greg McKegg sent the Maple Leafs to the power play, and it didn’t take that highly skilled unit to capitalize. John Tavares threaded a perfect seam pass over to Auston Matthews on the far side, and he wired home his 40th goal of the season to make it a 3-2 game.

Greg McKegg (2) ENG - Pavel Buchnevich (20) - 19:02 3rd Period

The Rangers did and excellent job of clamping down defensively after giving up the previous goal, and they eventually iced the game with under a minute remaining. After gifting Toronto the power play on the last goal against, Greg McKegg redeemed himself by adding the empty net goal to seal the win for the Rangers.

Overall, the Rangers were much better defensively tonight, and it was even more impressive that it came against a highly talented team. Igor Shesterkin just continues to pick up wins, and the KZB worked their magic in the offensive zone. Following tonight’s win, the Rangers will have a scheduled off day tomorrow before returning to action on Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

Vesey, Hutton help Sabres hold on to beat Rangers 3-2

NEW YORK (AP) The Buffalo Sabres used a solid performance by Jimmy Vesey against his former team and some stellar goaltending from Carter Hutton to get a needed win.

Vesey had a goal and an assist, Hutton stopped 37 shots, and the Sabres held on to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 Friday night.

Zemgus Girgensons and Sam Reinhart also scored to help Buffalo get just its second win in seven games overall, though they have won three of their last four on the road.

''Tonight was a big win,'' Vesey said. ''I've had my chances the last week or two. I''ve just tried to simplify my game. It's good to get rewarded. Overall, we really liked our compete (level) tonight.''

Hutton had six saves in the first period, 10 in the second and 21 in the third when the Rangers tried to rally from a 3-0 deficit.

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers, and Alexandar Georgiev finished with 25 saves.

The Rangers, who speak collectively of putting together a playoff charge to avoid missing the postseason for a third straight season, are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games and sit nine points behind Carolina for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with the trade deadline looming on Feb. 24.

Rangers coach David Quinn was perplexed by his team's subpar effort, two nights after they defeated Toronto at home.

''They wanted it more than we did,'' Quinn said. ''This was nowhere near what need ... nowhere near enough. I am surprised about tonight.''

Vesey, a highly touted free agent out of Harvard who played three seasons for the Rangers before his trade to the Sabres last July, pushed Buffalo's lead to 3-0 with 8:04 left in the third for his eighth.

Zibanejad ruined Hutton's shutout bid with his 22nd goal with 2:53 remaining. Artemi Panarin and Marc Staal had assists on the play.

''I don't know if we matched their intensity,'' Zibanejad said. ''It's all on us. We didn't put ourselves in a good spot to win the game. We were out of sync. This wasn't good enough today.''

Kreider then pulled the Rangers within one with his 20th of the season on the power play with 1:38 left. Kreider has goals in eight of the past 11 games. Zibanejad and rookie Kappo Kakko added assists on Kreider's goal, the fifth time the potential free agent left wing has reached the 20-goal mark.

That was as close as the Rangers got.

The inconsistent Rangers were coming off a 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs at the Garden on Wednesday, two nights after they were smothered at home by the Dallas Stars by the same 5-3 margin.

''They did a good job,'' Quinn said of the Sabres, who had lost at home, 4-3 in a shootout to the league-worst Detroit Red Wings, on Thursday. ''They were disciplined. Give them credit.''

Georgiev was making his first start since Jan. 21, a 4-2 loss at home to the Islanders. The Rangers have been carrying three goaltenders on their roster since Igor Shesterkin was recalled from Hartford to make his debut on Jan. 7 against Colorado. Shesterkin is 4-1 since his ascension while Henrik Lundqvist has dressed as a backup to Georgiev or Shesterkin on most nights over the past month.

Georgiev had won two of his last three starts - both against the Islanders. He fell to 12-11-1 on the season. Lundqvist has a 10-11-3 mark.

The Sabres had lost three straight against the Rangers while being outscored 15-5. New York had won seven of the last 10 meetings at home.

''It was an unbelievably strong defensive performance by the guys. That was the centerpiece of the victory tonight,'' Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. ''We like our road game. Let's take it home.''

Girgensons opened the scoring with 9:34 left in the first, getting his 10th goal of the season on a nifty move to beat Georgiev. Girgensons fooled the goalie as he skated into the crease, eventually sliding the puck into the net to Georgiev's right.

''He has been a solid performer for us,'' Krueger said of Girgensons. ''We need to get more guys there.''

Reinhart made it 2-0 with 4:44 left in the second, scoring his 20th on a breakaway. Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Vesey drew assists as Reinhart backhanded the puck over Georgiev's left shoulder. It is the fourth time in five seasons Reinhart has reached the 20-goal mark for the Sabres, who drafted him with the second overall pick in 2014.

''I liked the way we played. They have some world class players,'' Reinhart said. ''We held it together.''

NOTES: The Rangers scratched F Micheal Haley, D Brendan Smith and G Shesterkin. ... The Sabres scratched D Zach Bogosian and C Rasmus Asplund. ... Buffalo also continued to be without injured forwards Kyle Okposo, Victor Olofsson, Vladimir Sobotka and G Linus Ullmark. ... The Rangers won the previous meeting 6-2 at the Garden on Oct. 24. ... The teams meet again March 22 in Buffalo. ... Sabres D Rasmus Dahlin returned after two-game absence with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Los Angeles on Sunday night.

Sabres: Host Anaheim on Sunday.

Copyright 2020 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Panarin scores as Rangers beat Kings 4-1

NEW YORK (AP) Igor Shesterkin is making quite the impression on the New York Rangers.

The rookie goaltender just keeps winning.

Shesterkin made 42 saves for his fifth win in six starts, and the Rangers beat the hapless Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Sunday night.

Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko and Greg McKegg scored for New York, which won for the fourth time in its last six games. Tony DeAngelo had an empty-netter, and Filip Chytil had two assists.

Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the 24-year-old Shesterkin has recorded 101 wins in his 126 appearances in the NHL, AHL and Russia's KHL.

''He's got a track record that is pretty impressive and he's playing with confidence and swagger,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''He's got all of that.''

Panarin and Kakko helped the Rangers put it away in the third.

The 18-year-old Kakko made it 2-0 with his eighth of the season 9:20 into the period. It was the first goal since Jan. 2 for the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft.

''I'm always trying as hard as I can,'' Kakko said. ''Hopefully there are more goals coming.''

Los Angeles got one back when Trevor Moore scored at 10:47. It was Moore's first goal since he was acquired in a trade with Toronto on Wednesday.

Panarin added his team-best 28th goal at 17:12 before Angelo fired home an empty-netter with 2:11 left. It was DeAngelo's 13th of the season.

''Our leaders today did a good job,'' Quinn added. ''All of our guys did a better job.''

Shesterkin made 10 saves in the first, 15 in the second and 17 more in the third to win his third straight. He heard chants of ''Igor! Igor!'' from the Madison Square Garden crowd during the third period.

''He's been great. We feel confident with him. He's really good at swallowing pucks with not many rebounds,'' Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei said. ''He keeps playing like that and he's got a bright future.''

The Rangers have been balancing a three-goalie rotation since Shesterkin was recalled last month from the minors. He has been the best of the trio, which also includes longtime star Henrik Lundqvist - who turns 38 next month - and 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev. It sounds as if Shesterkin will continue to get the nod as the Rangers push for a playoff berth over the final two months of the season.

''The best guy will play,'' Quinn said. ''The guy who plays well will keep playing.''

McKegg scored 2:23 into the first period, rifling the puck past Jonathan Quick from the left faceoff circle. It was McKegg's third goal of the season and second in three games.

Quick made 37 saves for the Kings, who have dropped five in a row.

''It was a one-goal game with two minutes left, they made a real good play and the puck was in our net,'' Kings coach Todd McLellan said. ''Their goaltender played well. It's the same script we've seen many times. There are some things we can look at to work on and improve on. That's who we are and that's where we are.''

Los Angeles (19-33-5) played its third game in the New York area in four nights. It began a four-game trip with a 4-2 loss at Washington, followed by a 5-3 defeat against the Islanders in Brooklyn on Thursday. The Kings were then blanked 3-0 by the Devils on Saturday.

The Kings have the worst record in the Western Conference and played their league-high 33rd road game. Los Angeles has only eight wins away from Staples Center.

NOTES: The Rangers scratched defenseman Brendan Smith and Georgiev. ... The Kings scratched defensemen Ben Hutton and Derek Forbort plus forward Trevor Lewis. ... Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei played his 300th career game. ... The Kings won the previous meeting 3-1 on Dec. 10 in Los Angeles. ... The Rangers played their 30th home game. They have 17 road games remaining.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Visit Winnipeg Jets to start a three-game road trip on Tuesday.

Kreider scores twice, leads Rangers past Jets 4-1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Chris Kreider scored twice and the New York Rangers beat Winnipeg 4-1 on Tuesday night, snapping the Jets' three-game winning streak.

Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and assist for the Rangers (28-23-4), who were starting a three-game trip. The Rangers are 5-2-0 in their last seven games.

''It's unbelievable to see how much everyone's progressing, how much everyone's improving, so that's something we've focused on and that's something we've got to continue to focus on,'' said Kreider, who has 10 goals and four assists in his last 13 games.

Nikolaj Ehlers had Winnipeg's lone goal. The loss also ended the Jets' five-game point streak (4-0-1).

''We didn't have the energy that we had in the first period, in the second and third. Just wasn't there,'' Jets captain Blake Wheeler said.

Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves for Winnipeg, which was playing the third game (2-1-0) of a season-long six-game homestand.

Igor Shesterkin stopped 42 shots for New York. He started the game, left with six minutes remaining in the first, but returned for the start of the second and stayed in. Henrik Lundqvist made one save in his brief appearance.

At 8:12 of the first, Shesterkin was crashed into by Andrew Copp after the Jets forward was pushed by Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. The rookie goaltender looked shaken, and DeAngelo was penalized for interference.

Shesterkin has a 6-1 record in his first NHL season.

''From where I sit, it doesn't matter what league he's in, it doesn't matter what building he's in, it doesn't matter about anything, he just has a net behind him and he's going to keep the puck out of it, which is a simple approach and it works,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said of the Russian netminder.

Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice also tipped his hat to Shesterkin.

''There were some (chances) that we missed on, broke some sticks, didn't get a tip on. There's some of that stuff,'' Maurice said. ''But their guy made some pretty good saves in tight. He was positionally really, really square to pucks. He was good.''

The Rangers led 1-0 after the first period and 2-0 after two.

Kreider scored his 21st goal of the season with 35 seconds remaining in the first period after he went in alone on Hellebuyck, deked and put the puck over the goalie's out-stretched left leg.

Kreider's second goal was on the power play, a shot off a rebound that went in at 7:30 of the second.

The Rangers made it 4-0 by the 1:28 mark of the third period. Strome scored 53 seconds into the frame and Zibanejad followed 35 seconds later, with his 23rd of the season.

Ehlers scored at 4:35 with a shot that went off the skate of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The goal was Ehlers' 110th with the Jets, moving him past Evander Kane for ninth-most goals in franchise history.

Winnipeg was 0-for-4 on the power play. New York was 1 for 1.

The Jets host the San Jose Sharks on Friday. The Rangers play in Minnesota on Thursday.

NOTES: In a pregame ceremony, the Jets inducted Randy Carlyle and Thomas Steen into the team's Hall of Fame. Carlyle, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, was a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman who tallied 306 points in 564 games for the Jets from 1984-93. Steen, a Swedish forward, collected 817 points in 950 regular-season games from 1981-95. ... Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, who played six seasons with the Jets before being traded last June for Neal Pionk, got a video tribute and cheers from fans at Bell MTS Place during the first period. Earlier in the period, some fans booed him every time he touched the puck.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Minnesota on Thursday.

Rangers erase 2-goal deficit, beat Wild 4-3 in shootout

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mika Zibanejad scored with 1:06 to play in regulation to send it to overtime and then had a goal in the shootout, helping the Rangers erase a two-goal deficit in the third period and beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Thursday night.

Trailing 3-2, New York pulled goalie Alexandar Georgiev with 1:41 remaining for an extra skater and the move paid off when Zibanejad's 24th goal of the season tied it. His redirection caught Alex Stalock out of position and sneaked between the Wild goalie's skate and the post.

''I didn't even know if it was going to make it to the net, to be honest with you,'' Zibanejad said. ''It was a hard pass. I just tried redirecting it. I don't think he saw it.''

After a scoreless overtime, Zibanejad beat Stalock with a backhander in the shootout. Artemi Panarin also scored to clinch New York's first shootout win of the season.

The Rangers entered the game 1-17-0 when trailing after two periods.

''We just never quit,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''We've been talking about the fact that the belief we have in each other continues to grow throughout the season. It was never more evident than it was tonight.''

Panarin added a goal in regulation, as did Pavel Buchnevich. Georgiev stopped 23 shots as the Rangers won their third straight.

''This is the type of win you want to kind of build on,'' Rangers center Ryan Strome said. ''Hopefully we can keep it going.''

Ryan Donato, Jonas Brodin and Jordan Greenway scored for Minnesota, which led 3-1 until midway through the third period.

''Whatever we were doing obviously wasn't enough,'' Greenway said. ''We didn't do what we did in the first and second period.''

New York pulled to within a goal at 3-2 when Buchnevich scored at 11:51 of the third. The puck bounced around in front of the net before eventually finding its way past Stalock.

Donato opened the scoring for Minnesota with a backhander that went through the legs of a Rangers defenseman and past Georgiev.

New York answered when Panarin temporarily tied it with a first-period goal, his team-leading 29th of the season.

Brodin scored his first goal since Nov. 19 to put Minnesota back ahead 2-1 in the first. It was just Brodin's second goal of the season.

Minnesota appeared to add to its lead midway through the second period when Matt Dumba's shot fluttered through traffic and into the net. But New York challenged the goal, which was eventually waved off for goalie interference.

''They said he had enough time to get out of the way,'' Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. ''I thought he was pushed in when he was in the crease, and when you're skating that's a difficult thing.''

The Wild got the goal back later in the second when Greenway deflected a shot from Brodin to send it past Georgiev. The assist gave Brodin his first multi-point game since Dec. 14.

Minnesota went 0 for 2 on the power play. New York has not allowed a power-play goal in its last four games.

Stalock made a glove save of defenseman Jacob Trouba in the final minute of overtime to keep the game alive. Stalock finished with 28 saves.

NOTES: Wild C Mikko Koivu got his 500th career assist on Donato's first-period goal. ... Minnesota's opponents are 4 for 5 on coaches' challenges this season. ... Rangers D Marc Staal was scratched with the flu.

UP NEXT

Rangers: at Columbus on Friday night.

Georgiev logs 36 saves as Rangers beat Blue Jackets 3-1

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The New York Rangers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with more late heroics.

The Columbus Blue Jackets didn't help themselves. They gave the Rangers a late power play with a penalty for too many men on the ice. Two seconds after it ended, and with Jacob Lilja rushing out of the box, Chris Kreider ripped a shot from the slot past Elvis Merzlikins. The goal with 3:12 left broke the 1-1 tie, and Ryan Strome added an empty-netter to cap the 3-1 Rangers win.

The victory put the finishing touch on a successful road back-to-back for the Rangers, who beat Minnesota in a shootout on Thursday night. They moved within seven points of current Eastern Conference wild-card teams Columbus and Philadelphia.

''We think we made some great strides and just continue to play good hockey at a clutch time right now,'' New York coach David Quinn said. ''Obviously, last night coming back the way we did, and then tonight scoring late to win the game. We've talked about the fact that we've had to come together as a team over the last few months, and it hasn't showed more than it has the last few games.''

Pavel Buchnevich also scored for the Rangers, who have won five of the last six games and 11 of the last 16. Alexandar Georgiev had 36 saves in winning both ends of the back-to-back.

''We played really good defense,'' Georgiev said. ''It made my job easy.''

Oliver Bjorkstrand got his team-leading 19th goal and Elvis Merzlikins had 25 saves for injury ravaged Columbus, which is winless in its last four games (0-2-2) on the heels of a 10-game points streak.

''I thought it was some sluggish minutes in the first period,'' Columbus coach John Tortorella said. ''We attacked. We got pucks into the blue. We had opportunities to score. We didn't.''

New York scored off a face-off just 22 seconds into the game when Buchnevich redirected a Jacob Trouba shot from the point high past Merzlikin's glove.

''It was lucky, I think,'' Merzlikins said. ''It was kind of an easy shot from the blue line then he tipped it. It's hard to get a tip.''

After a sustained attack in the second period in which Columbus outshot New York 22-7, the Blue Jackets were rewarded with some luck. Bjorkstrand tied the game when he took a blind, backhanded swipe at a loose puck and beat Georgiev late in the second.

Columbus' Boone Jenner hit the post on a short-handed breakaway with 4:44 left before Kreider scored the winner.

''I tried to be patient and cover as much net as possible and wait for him to make a move,'' Georgiev said of the late Blue Jackets chance. ''He made a move to the side, turned out pretty good.''

NOTES: Georgiev started ahead of Igor Shesterkin, who missed his second game after tweaking an ankle. He is day to day. ... Columbus F Liam Foudy was obligated to go back to London of the Ontario Hockey League to play Friday night after playing Thursday for the NHL team. Jakob Lilja was recalled from Cleveland (AHL) to replace him. ... Blue Jackets D David Savard is the only NHL player with at least 120 blocked shots and 100 hits. ... Columbus still has nine regulars out with injuries, including G Joonas Korpisalo, D Seth Jones and forward Cam Atkinson. ... New York D Marc Staal returned after missing Thursday night's game with the flu. ... Buchnevich is the NHL's 20th player to score in the opening 22 seconds of a game this season.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Surging Bruins earn 3-1 win over Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) A loss in the seventh game of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final could have carried over to the following season, except the Boston Bruins’ strong culture has helped them remain at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle and Patrice Bergeron each scored, and the Bruins began a four-game trip with a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

“We expect to play well every night," Bruins alternate captain Brad Marchand said. “When we play well, we are going to win a majority of the games. We just hold ourselves to a high standard. We don’t accept losing in the room, or in the organization.”

Jaroslav Halak made 25 saves as Boston picked up its ninth win in 10 games.

Mika Zibanejad scored, but the Rangers’ four-game winning streak was snapped. Alexandar Georgiev made his third start in a row for New York and had 31 saves in his team-leading 26th start.

Coyle scored the winner with a short-handed goal at 18:42 of the second period. The forward stole a puck from Jacob Trouba at the blueline and outskated everyone on the ice before converting a breakaway for his 14th of the season.

“It takes a while to pick yourself up from that,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That was the big boost for us."

McAvoy opened the scoring at 19:18 of the first period after a puck took an odd bounce over Georgiev's head. McAvoy tossed a shot near the net and the puck bounced off two Rangers skaters before finding the back of the net. McAvoy also scored in the Bruins’ 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

“I knew I hadn’t scored, but I wasn’t losing sleep at night,” McAvoy said of his 51-game goal drought to start the season. “It is nice to get a couple in a short amount of time, more importantly we got two wins on this back-to-back.”

Zibanejad ended Halak’s shutout bid with a power-play goal at 9:52 of the third period. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome assisted on the play. Bergeron added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

“They are a hard team, they defend very well, they have a ton of experience, they are deep down the middle," Rangers coach David Quinn said of the Bruins. “There is a reason why they have the most points in the league."

The Rangers had an opportunity midway through the second to even the score when David Krejci was penalized for a four-minute high-sticking infraction. The Rangers’ power play has been one of the top units in the NHL, but failed to come through in the middle period.

New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren was forced to leave the game after the Krejci penalty but did return to action after receiving medical treatment.

“We are not going to score all the time but we couldn’t even create any momentum from it,” Zibanejad said of the extended power play. “It wasn’t sharp enough, can’t allow that to happen in an important game like that."

Henrik Lundqvist dressed as the backup goaltender for the seventh straight game and hasn’t started since being pulled against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 3. New York has carried three goaltenders since recalling Igor Shesterkin from the American Hockey League for the second time on January 29th.

NOTES: The Bruins concluded their 10th of 13 sets of back-to-back games this season … Boston is 8-1-1 in the first game of those sets and 5-4-1 in the second half. … Boston scratched defenseman John Moore, forwards Anton Blidh and Par Lindholm. … New York defenseman Tony DeAngelo missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury although Quinn expects him to return Wednesday. … Shesterkin was sidelined for a third straight game because of an ankle injury.

UP NEXT:

Bruins: Visit Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

Rangers: Visit Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Rangers Trade Joey Keane to Carolina for Julien Gauthier

he New York Rangers have traded defenseman Joey Keane to the Carolina Hurricanes in return for right winger Julien Gauthier, the team announced Tuesday.

Gauthier, 22, was selected 21st overall in the 2016 draft by Carolina. The Quebecois power forward has 26 goals and 11 assists in 44 AHL games this season as well as an assist in five NHL games.

Keane, 20, was selected with the 88th overall pick in the 2018 draft, which was acquired from Boston in exchange for Nick Holden. Keane has 30 points in 49 games in the AHL this season.

We’ll have a greater breakdown of this move in the next 24 hours, but the Rangers’ motivation for this trade was to deal from a position of strength and address a need. The organization is well stocked with right-handed defensemen and they are extremely in lacking in wingers who are close to making an immediate impact.

Rangers score 5 times in third period, top Blackhawks 6-3

CHICAGO (AP) The New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider have all gotten hot, and are ready to chase a playoff spot.

Zibanejad and Kreider each had a goal and two assists as the Rangers scored five times in the third period and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and assist, and Filip Chytil, Ryan Strome, and Artemi Panarin scored as New York rebounded from a 3-1 loss to Boston on Sunday to win for the fifth time in six games. The Rangers also won their sixth straight on the road.

The line of Kreider, Zibanejad, and Buchnevich got rolling in the third in this one to break a 1-1 tie.

''I think it's comfortability playing with each other,'' Kreider said. ''We weren't able to get a lot going through the first two. There wasn't a whole lot of flow.

''We talked about some things we wanted to do, some adjustments we wanted to make. Get in the middle, get inside, instead of just being kept to the outside and playing perimeter hockey. I thought we did a better job of that.''

Zibenejad has four goals in his last five games, and eight goals and eight assists in his last 11. Kreider has eight goals and six assists in 12 games.

Even so, the Rangers, who improved to 31-24-4 with 66 points, are six points out of the second wild card in the in East. New York's next game is Friday at Carolina, one of the teams it's chasing.

The Rangers know they need to win it.

''Our guys are excited about the game Friday night because it's going to be a playoff-type game for us in a lot of ways,'' coach David Quinn said.

Igor Shesterkin made 37 saves in his return after missing three games with an ankle injury. The 24-year-old has won seven of eight NHL career appearances since making his debut on Jan. 7.

Shesterkin went to the bench briefly with 2:44 left in the second after Jonathan Toews accidentally struck him in the mask with the butt-end of his stick. Shesterkin returned after a trainer attended to him.

Dominik Kubalik scored twice, giving him 25 goals to lead NHL rookies. Drake Caggiula also connected for Chicago, which has just one win in its last eight games (1-5-2).

Duncan Keith set up Kubalik's first goal for his 500th career assist.

Robin Lehner blocked 35 shots for the fading Blackhawks, who let the Rangers power past them in the third.

''It was one our worst third period or worst period in general that we've had,'' Lehner said. ''I mean, look at their goals - a lot of alone chances right in front. We get out-battled and I need to make an extra save.''

Chytil opened the scoring 1:58 in with his 13th goal. He beat Lehner between the pads with a low shot from the left circle.

Kubalik tied it 1-all at 2:29 on a one-timer from the right circle. Set up by Keith's perfect cross-ice feed, Kubalik ripped a shot just inside the right post.

The Rangers took off in the third.

''One of the things we talked about between the second and the third was we put ourselves in position to win the hockey game by playing 20 good minutes of hockey, because we certainly didn't play 40 good minutes of hockey when the game started,'' Quinn said. ''Rarely do you get that opportunity in this league, and our guys responded.''

Buchnevich and Strome connected 1:28 apart early in the third period to put New York ahead 3-1.

Buchnevich scored from the slot at 2:33 after taking Kreider's feed from behind the net. Strome made it 3-1 at 4:01 when he pounced on a rebound of Tony DeAngelo's shot, then turned and fired from the front of the crease.

Kubalik scored on a backhander at 6:05 to cap a breakaway, but goals by Kreider and Panarin 53 seconds apart extended New York's lead to 5-2.

Kreider plowed down left wing and then cut to the net and connected at 8:48. Panarin turned and ripped in a loose puck from the slot at 9:41.

Caggiula scored from the slot at 11:39 to cut it to 5-3, but Zibanejad countered just under two minutes later on a tip-in for this 26th goal He has goals in four of his last five games and six in eight.

Henrik Lundqvist dressed as the backup goaltender for the eighth straight game and hasn't started since being pulled against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 3. New York has carried three goaltenders since recalling Shesterkin from Hartford of the American Hockey League for the second time on Jan. 29.

NOTES: Chicago's F Patrick Kane had an assist to give him one point against all 30 other NHL teams this season. . Rangers F Julien Gauthier, acquired on Tuesday from Carolina for D Joey Keane, made his debut with New York. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound Gauthier was a first-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2016. . Chicago C Zack Smith missed his third game with a left hand injury. . The 26-year-old Strome, faced his younger brother, 22-year-old Chicago C Dylan Strome in this one. . Former Blackhawks D Jack O'Callahan, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal team, dropped the ceremonial first puck to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the ''Miracle on Ice'' squad.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Carolina on Friday night

The New York Rangers have made their second acquisition of the week as they acquired Jean-Francois Berube from the Philadelphia Flyers, the team announced Wednesday night. The return for the Flyers will be named at a later date.

New York Rangers?@NYRangers

OFFICIAL: Rangers acquire goaltender J-F Berube from Philadelphia in exchange for future considerations.

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Jean-Francois Berube was signed to a one-year, two-way contract back in July and has appeared in 28 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 28 games in the American Hockey League, Berube has posted a 12-11-4 record to go along with his .905 save percentage.

Berube’s acquisition is likely meant for the Hartford Wolf Pack, who are desperately in need of a veteran goaltender. The Wolf Pack currently reside second in the Atlantic Division and Berube provides them with some insurance heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The Rangers will likely be one of the more active teams heading into Monday’s trade deadline, so this probably won’t be the last we hear of them for the week.

Zibanejad helps New York Rangers top Carolina Hurricanes 5-2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, and the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Friday night.

Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome each had a goal and an assist for New York, which won for the eighth time in 11 games. Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei also scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves in the Rangers' seventh straight road victory.

''The last two, three weeks we feel like we've been playing really well,'' Skjei said. ''We're playing with a lot of confidence.''

New York swept the four-game season series. The Rangers have won 31 of their past 37 games with the Hurricanes since February 2011.

''For whatever reason, they usually play well against us,'' Carolina captain Jordan Staal said. ''We have to find ways to get points right now and whatever team we're playing against, it's got to be better.''

Brock McGinn and Sebastian Aho scored for Carolina, which dropped to 5-4 since the All-Star break. The Hurricanes are fighting for a wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots in his third loss of the season to the Rangers.

Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour was disappointed in his team's lack of urgency at the start.

''They were good,'' Brind'Amour said. ''They were desperate, a little more than we were. That to me is the bigger issue. We needed to have a little more desperation early in the game to kind of set the tone and we never did.''

New York typically dominates Carolina with Henrik Lundqvist in net. But the veteran goaltender got the night off so the Rangers could stay with Shesterkin's hot hand.

The 24-year-old rookie earned his eighth win in nine NHL appearances. He made a spectacular glove save on Nino Niederreiter in the first period.

''He made some big-time saves to keep it 0-0 and then we got the goal,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''I thought after that, we really played well.''

New York jumped in front on Zibanejad's unassisted breakaway goal with 3:19 left in the first.

After McGinn tied it 3:25 into the second, the Rangers got a pair of goals that deflected in off the skate of a Carolina player.

Fast got his ninth goal at 9:48 when he attempted to pass the puck back to Panarin and it bounced off the skate of Brett Pesce past Mrazek.

Skjei made it 3-1 at 3:51 with a pass that hit off Jake Gardinder's skate.

''When we were struggling to score, we couldn't get any of those (bounces),'' Strome said. ''We had guys going to the net, we had guys playing hard.''

Zibanejad set up Panarin with a beautiful behind-the-back pass just 70 seconds into the third for a power-play goal and a 4-1 lead.

Aho, who has scored an NHL-best 10 goals this month, was able to get a power-play goal by Shesterkin 5:12 into the third. But Strome tacked on an empty-netter with 1:48 left.

NOTES: Panarin got his 50th assist of the season. It's his third straight season with at least 50 assists. ... Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba had a hard time staying out of the penalty box. He was called for a pair of interference penalties in the first period and a roughing penalty in the second. ... Aho has at least a point in 11 straight games and 36 points in the past 31 games. ... The sellout crowd of 18,680, the 11th of the season for the Hurricanes, was aided by healthy chunk of transplanted Rangers fans wearing blue.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Visit Toronto on Saturday.

Rangers: Host San Jose on Saturday.

Rangers beat Sharks 3-2, stretch win streak to 3 games

NEW YORK (AP) Jesper Fast scored twice, Igor Shesterkin made 44 saves and the New York Rangers won their third straight game, 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Mika Zibanejad also scored and Artemi Panarin extended his point streak to eight games with two assists as the Rangers won for the seventh time in eight games.

Shesterkin made 40-plus saves for the fourth time in his 10th career start and extended his winning streak to seven games. The Russian rookie is 9-1 this season.

''We want to make it hard for management to split this group,'' Fast said when asked about the looming NHL trade deadline. ''We have done a really good job as of late to show that we can win games. In the end, it's up to them, but I think we showed that we can be very competitive.''

Joe Thornton scored twice, and Aaron Dell made 30 saves as the Sharks lost their third straight.

Fast gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 6:54 of the third period. Jacob Trouba's shot from the right circle created a rebound and Fast floated a puck over Dell on his second opportunity from the side of the crease.

Fast scored his first goal of the game and 10th of the season to give the Rangers a one-goal lead. Panarin made a nifty deke, then slid a puck between Dell's legs to set up Fast. Ryan Strome picked up the secondary assist and extended his career-high point streak to eight games.

''There is such an honesty to his game it is certainly infections throughout our lineup,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said of Fast. ''He is an important piece to the puzzle.''

Thornton evened the score at 1-all late in the first period, scoring on a slap shot at 17:55. Defenseman Brent Burns broke up an odd-man rush in the defensive zone before the game-tying goal. Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro assisted on the play.

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead at 13:47 of the second after Burns' slap shot from the point bounced off the Rangers goalie and then hit Thornton's leg before sliding into the net. It was Thornton's first multi-goal game since Feb. 18, 2019m when he recorded a hat trick against the Boston Bruins.

''We couldn't have a better first period than we had,'' Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. ''It's disappointing because we are two games into this road trip and I thought that we put ourselves in a chance to at least get points out of each game. And we didn't.''

Zibanejad scored for the fourth consecutive game, tying the score at 2-2 late in the second period. Panarin knocked the puck away from Evander Kane and Zibanejad capitalized. It was Panarin's 24th multi-point game this season.

In his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, Julien Gauthier had a penalty shot late in the second period after Jacob Middleton dragged him down on a breakaway. However, Dell denied Gauthier's backhanded attempt.

NOTES: Kane returned to the Sharks lineup after serving a three-game suspension issued by the Department of Player Safety. . Melker Karlsson did not dress and is considered day to day. . San Jose scratched defenseman Nicolas Meloche and forward Antti Suomela. . Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist did not start for the 10th straight game. ... The Rangers concluded their 10th set of back to backs this season. . New York scratched goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, forward Greg McKegg and defenseman Brendan Smith.

UP NEXT:

Sharks: Visit New York Islanders on Sunday

Rangers: Visit New York Islanders on Tuesday

The New York Rangers tossed out a major curve ball this afternoon as they announced a seven-year contract extension for Chris Kreider. Heading into today’s trade deadline, there was a pretty high chance that Kreider would be moving onto another organization given the large amount of interest.

Larry Brooks@NYP_Brooksie

Rangers got their desired AAV of 6.5 M per. Kreider got his desired term of seven years.

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However, the Rangers decided against such a move and re-upped the 28-year old power forward. The Rangers’ major sticking point was holding firm on a six-year term, but there were obviously some sacrifices on both sides to get this deal completed. What the Rangers gave up in term, Kreider equally gave up on the money side and both sides walked away happy. Kreider has emerged as one of the veteran leadership voices since the rebuild began, and he will continue to stick around for the next seven years.

There is still just over three hours remaining until the trade deadline, and the Rangers aren’t expected to remain totally quiet. Stay tuned here for any further updates as they come.