Rangers Announce That Igor Shesterkin and Pavel Buchnevich Were in Car Accident

Buchnevich is day-to-day, Shesterkin to be reevaluated in two weeks.

Buchnevich, who was a passenger in the car, was described as being shaken up, and is day-to-day. Shesterkin, who was driving the car, has a small upper body non-displaced rib fracture, and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

New York Rangers?@NYRangers

Rangers President John Davidson announces goalie Igor Shesterkin sustained a broken rib in an automobile accident on Sunday and will be reevaluated in two weeks. Forward Pavel Buchnevich was a passenger and is day-to-day.

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At this point there is no knowing how long Shesterkin will be out, and even if the team gets good news in two weeks, there’s no telling if he’ll go back in goal. For now we will play the waiting game, and can be very thankful that both avoided serious injuries.

Rangers Trade Brady Skjei To Carolina Hurricanes for First-Round Pick

The Rangers’ defenseman heads to a division rival.

Zibanejad scores in OT, Rangers beat rival Islanders 4-3

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) When the puck came to Mika Zibanejad in overtime, he knew what he wanted to do.

Zibanejad scored 28 seconds into the extra period and the New York Rangers recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and beat the rival New York Islanders 4-3 Tuesday night for their eighth win in nine games.

On the winner, Artemi Panarin stole the puck and had a breakaway, but as he crossed the blue line, all three Islanders skaters converged on him and knocked the puck away. However, he managed to swat it to the middle and it went to Zibanejad, who fired it past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov,

''The puck popped out and I just felt like shooting, and it went in,'' Zibaejad said of his 29th goal of the season and 100th with the Rangers. ''I thought it was my opportunity to do something. Luckily it went in.''

Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Greg McKegg and Brett Howden also scored and Ryan Lindgren had a career-high two assists to give the Rangers their franchise-record eighth straight road win. They have also won 11 of 14 overall to pull four points behind Columbus for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

''We're finding a way right now and that's what we need going forward,'' Zibanejad said. ''Right now we're just really consistent the way we play and the way we manage games.''

Alexandar Georgiev, starting for the first time in nine days with Igor Shesterkin sidelined with a rib injury, stopped 42 shots to beat the Islanders for the third time in four starts this season.

''This time of year, any team that wins a game in the National Hockey League your goalie better be good, and our guy was really good tonight,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored and got into a fight in his Islanders debut one day after being acquired in trade-deadline deal with Ottawa. Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson also scored, and Mathew Barzal had two assists as the Islanders lost for the fifth time in seven games (2-4-1). Varlamov finished with 24 saves.

With Varlamov pulled for an extra skater, Nelson tied it 3-3 with just under 18 seconds to go as he tipped a pass from Devon Toews past Georgiev from the bottom of the left circle.

''We stuck with it, found a way to get a point that could be crucial down the stretch,'' Nelson said.

Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba leveled the Islanders' Michael Dal Calle nearly six minutes into the third. Pageau and Josh Bailey both went at Trouba, with the newcomer getting there first and trading punches with Trouba before they wrestled to the ground. Pageau and Trouba were both given 5-minute fighting majors, and Pageau also got a minor as an instigator and a 10-minute misconduct.

''The way the guys welcomed me here, I'm sure someone would have stepped up for me,'' Pageau said. ''I thought it was a high hit. That's why I did it.''

Howden then pushed the Rangers' lead to 3-1 as he deflected Brendan Smith's one-timer from the right point at 9:34.

Toews appeared to pull the Islanders within one with 7:44 left, but his goal was immediately waved off for goalie interference because Anders Lee was in the crease. The Islanders challenged but the call stood after a review, putting the Rangers on the power play for delay of game.

''I thought we were winning that challenge for sure,'' Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. ''I didn't think Georgiev engaged with Leesy. ... That one I thought for sure was a goal.''

The Rangers' Ryan Strome was then whistled for tripping 14 seconds later to put the teams at 4-on-4.

Seconds after Eberle came out of the penalty box, he took a pass from Barzal and beat Georgiev on the blocker side to make it 3-2 with 5:37 left.

The Islanders trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes despite outshooting the Rangers 15-7 in the opening period. They kept up the pressure in the second with a 10-2 advantage over the first six minutes of the period.

McKegg then doubled the Rangers' lead as he deflected Brendan Lemieux's long one-timer from straightway at 7:48. The Rangers were being outshot 26-12 at the time.

Pageau brought the Islanders to 2-1, taking advantage of an unusual bounce with 2:56 left in the second. Ryan Pulock fired a shot from the left point that came off the end boards and Pageau backhanded it into the open net on the left doorstep while Geogiev - and most everyone else - was looking the other way expecting the puck to rebound to his left. It was Pageau's 25th of the season, extending his career high.

''It was a lucky bounce,'' Pageau said. ''We were doing a solid job the whole game putting pucks o net, trying to create traffic in front of the goalie.''

Panarin got the Rangers on the scoreboard first as beat Varlamov from the left circle with just under 3 minutes left in the first for his career-high 32nd of the season. It came on the Rangers' sixth shot on goal.

NOTES: Panarin has 84 points, just three shy of the career high he set last season with Columbus. ... McKegg has three goals in his last eight games. ... The Rangers improved to 10-3-0 in February, tying the franchise record for wins in the month. ... The Rangers improved to 23-1-2 when leading after two periods. ... Pageau got his 41st point, moving him within two of the career high he set in 2015-16. ... Barzal's first assist, on Eberle's goal, was his 200th career point.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Montreal on Thursday night, the middle game of a three-game trip.

Rangers rally past Canadiens 5-2 for 5th straight win

MONTREAL (AP) After trailing most of the night, the New York Rangers took over in the third period and showed exactly why they might be the hottest team in the NHL right now.

Ryan Strome scored twice and added an assist as the surging Rangers rallied past the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Thursday for their fifth straight victory.

Phillip Di Giuseppe, Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers (35-24-4), who were down 2-0 late in the second. Alexandar Georgiev made 32 saves and New York pulled into a tie with Carolina, two points behind Columbus for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

The Rangers have won nine consecutive road games and are 9-1-0 in their last 10 overall.

''We just want to make this thing interesting,'' Strome said. ''We want to play meaningful games. We're making these games count. Teams are starting to see us catch them in the standings.

''We have to take care of business like we've been doing. We've come with a pretty good mindset.''

Max Domi and Tomas Tatar scored for the Canadiens (29-28-9), who dropped to 13-16-6 at home and fell nine points out of a playoff spot. Carey Price stopped 30 of 34 shots in his 11th straight start.

''That's just a case where we have to be better in the third period,'' Domi said. ''There's no real rhyme or reason for why it happens. We just have to be better.''

New York cut it to 2-1 at 18:34 of the second when Di Giuseppe skated hard to the net and deflected Fox's pass past Price for his first goal of the season. The Rangers then scored four times in the third, including twice in a 1:15 span to take the lead.

After being denied by Price on a one-timer seven minutes in, Zibanejad tied it with his 30th goal of the season on a wrist shot blocker side from the right faceoff dot at 11:06. Zibanejad scored in his sixth straight game, tied for the longest streak in the NHL this season, and extended his point streak to nine.

Fox gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead 1:15 later when his shot from the blue line found its way through traffic and beat Price through the legs.

Strome made it 4-2 on a power-play goal with 4:37 left when he deflected Tony DeAngelo's point shot. Strome added an empty-netter with 1:33 to play.

''I really liked our third period, from all four lines to our defense corps,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''I give a lot of guys who were having tough nights a lot of credit because they turned it on in the third.''

The Canadiens dropped to 2-5-2 in their past nine games. They've squandered two-goal leads in four straight home games for an 0-2-2 record. They also have a league-worst 10 losses when leading after two periods.

''We just can't blow a lead like that,'' said Tatar, who also had an assist. ''We had 40 great minutes and we were really happy with our hockey game. We just dropped it. I don't think they played any better. We were worried to close the game.

''Something's got to change.''

Montreal took an early lead on Domi's 16th goal at 3:12 of the first. He extended his point streak to four games when his cross-crease pass to Tatar went off Fox's skate and in.

Domi has seven points in six games since failing to get a point in five straight.

That score held up through most of a stoppage-filled period until the teams traded goals in the final three minutes.

Tatar put the Canadiens ahead 2-0 on a mesmerizing breakaway goal. After being sprung by Brendan Gallagher in the neutral zone, Tatar froze Georgiev with a forehand-backhand dangle for his team-leading 22nd goal at 17:01.

With the goal, Tatar tied his career high with 58 points in 65 games. He had 58 points in 80 games last season.

NOTES: Jonathan Drouin missed the game with an ankle injury. . D Xavier Ouellet missed his third straight game with a concussion. . Justin St-Pierre refereed his 1,000th game.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At rival Philadelphia on Friday night.

Giroux scores 2, Flyers beat Rangers 5-2 for 5th straight

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jake Voracek wore a T-shirt in the locker room for a beer named in honor of teammate Kevin Hayes. The occasion seemed appropriate, a win streak is brewing in Philly, and a playoff push is on tap for a franchise whose recent playoff history has been dry.

Claude Giroux scored twice and Carter Hart stopped 26 shots to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to their fifth straight win, 5-2 over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

The Flyers have been sensational of late as they surge up the Eastern Conference standings. They are an impressive 23-5-4 at home and Hart has been about flawless at the Wells Fargo Center. He improved to 18-2-2 at home this season; 14-1 over his last 15 starts, and was dominant against the Rangers after he allowed a quirky goal early in the game. Voracek tied a career-high with four assists for the Flyers.

The Flyers were revitalized by first-year coach Alain Vigneault, who coached the Rangers for five seasons and led them to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, and suddenly seem like a team ready to make some noise in the playoffs. The Flyers missed the postseason last season and haven't been to the second round since 2012. Hart gives them a chance every night and the Flyers get production from every line.

''We're not there yet,'' Voracek said. ''But I think if we're going to continue to play the way we do, we can make a run. It comes down to everything. Everything's got to be clicking. It's clicking right now. We've got to make sure it's clicking in a month and a half.''

Sean Couturier, James van Riemsdyk and Hayes also scored to help the Flyers beat the Rangers for the eighth time in the last nine games of the series.

The Rangers' playoff push suffered a blow when forward Chris Kreider suffered a fractured foot in the first period. He appeared to get hurt when he blocked a shot by Phillipe Myers and could miss significant time. The 28-year-old Kreider just signed a seven-year contract extension reportedly worth $45 million on Monday. Kreider has 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points in 63 games this season. Kreider was a 2009 first-round draft pick and has played his entire career with New York.

''It's tough. I don't know how to put it into words, really,'' Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said. ''Obviously, a key player, and a key guy in the locker room, on the ice, and obviously for our line, for the rest of the team.''

The Rangers came into the game with a franchise-record nine straight road wins, and nine wins in their last 10 overall. They trail Columbus - which lost 5-0 to Minnesota - by two points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Without Kreider, the road to the postseason just got bumpier for the Rangers.

''I'm not worried how we're going to handle adversity,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''I already know we're going to handle adversity.''

Jesper Fast gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead just 2:49 into the game on a weird goal. Hart batted away the slapper, the puck fell in front of him, and Fast whooshed by to tap it in for his 12th goal of the season.

That was it for the Rangers until the final seconds when Brett Howden poked one in to make it 5-2.

Hart stopped everything and continued to show why the Flyers expect him to play as their franchise goalie for years to come.

''We get those big saves at the right time,'' Couturier said. ''They had some good looks early on in the second and he shut the door. He's a big part of this team and this win.''

Voracek passed from behind the net and fed Couturier for the tying goal late in the first. Van Riemsdyk pounded in a rebound and Giroux scored on a one-timer in the second period to make it 3-1.

Giroux scored his 18th goal of the season, a power-play effort in the third, and Hayes scored against his former team to make it 5-1 and seal the win.

Oskar Lindblom, out indefinitely with a rare bone cancer, posted an Instagram video of the Flyers game on TV with the caption ''Let's Go.''

The Flyers sure are going, straight up the standings.

NOTES: Hayes had a beer named after him by Philadelphia's Yards Brewing Company. The double New England style IPA is called Big Hayes-y 13. The Flyers are 18-0-1 when he scores a goal. ... ... Former Flyers great Eric Lindros - who also played for the Rangers - turned 48 on Friday and tweeted, ''The only downside to the day was when I had to tell my oldest son that Carter Hart wasn't coming to my birthday party.'' ... Giroux had his 26th career multi-goal game

UP NEXT

The Flyers and Rangers have a rematch Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Flyers extend win streak to 6 with 5-3 win over Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) Carter Hart and a potent power play kept the Philadelphia Flyers climbing in the playoff race.

Hart made 23 saves and the surging Flyers extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Matt Niskanen, Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny each scored power-play goals. Michael Raffl scored short-handed and Derek Grant also tallied for the Flyers, who swept a home-and-home series against the Rangers after winning 5-2 on Friday night.

''We knew they were going to come out hard and try and respond here to the game on Friday,'' Hart said. ''We just had to stick to our plan, stick to the way we play and just compete.''

The Flyers' run combined with the Penguins' six-game slide has moved Philadelphia into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

''Metro is a tough division,'' Flyers forward Kevin Hayes said. ''And four points on the weekend against a division rival is huge.''

Henrik Lundqvist made his first start since Feb. 3 and made 21 saves for New York.

''It's pretty tough,'' Lundqvist said. ''I hadn't played in a long time. Some sloppy penalties cost us. And their power play is really good. They had so many odd-man rushes.''

Mika Zibanejad scored two power-play goals and Pavel Buchnevich also tallied on the man advantage for the Rangers. Zibanejad has a career-high 32 goals on the season.

The Rangers' offense got off to a slow start in their first full game since forward Chris Kreider broke his foot while blocking a shot in the first period of Friday's loss in Philadelphia. Kreider had just signed a seven-year contract reportedly worth $45 million on Monday, the day of the league's trade deadline.

The Flyers dominated the first period with two power-play goals and added a short-handed one late.

After the Rangers committed an early penalty, Travis Sanheim shot from the point. Nicolas Aube-Kubel's rebound attempt hit the post and Niskanen scored into an open net for his eighth of the season at 1:52.

About 10 minutes later on the Flyers' next man advantage, Konecny sent a pass from the left circle across to Jakub Voracek. Lundqvist made the initial save, but the rebound came out to Couturier, who scored his 21st of the season at 11:19.

The Flyers closed out the period with a 3-0 lead when Raffl scored his seventh at 17:53. Raffl checked Ryan Strome to get the puck out of the Flyers zone. Grant took the loose puck and skated down the right side and slid a pass to Raffl, who beat Lundqvist with a backhand.

Grant made it 4-0 early in the second when he took a loose puck near center ice, skated toward the net and also beat Lundqvist with a backhand for his 15th at 1:23.

The Rangers got on the board in the second period with Zibanejad's first power-play score. Artemi Panarin sent a nice centering pass to Zibanejad, who redirected it into the net at 12:34.

The Flyers regained their four-goal lead three minutes later with their third power-play goal.

After the Flyers won the faceoff in the Rangers zone, Voracek sent a pass toward the net that was deflected in by Konecny for his 23rd of the season.

''Our power play was clicking incredibly well,'' Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. ''I thought our PK at the beginning, we did a good job.

''Our power play lately has been a big weapon for us. It's gotten big goals at big, big moments.''

The Rangers added two goals on the man advantage in the third period. First, Buchnevich redirected a pass while in front at 5:33. A little more than seven minutes later, Zibanejad scored again on another assist from Panarin to make it 5-3.

''We didn't get off to a good start,'' Zibanejad said. ''Then we give up one on our PP and we dig ourselves a hole.

''We have a lot of games left. Obviously it wasn't good enough in some areas. We have to tighten things up and get to playing the way we can.''

NOTES: Hayes and Vigneault were given a video tribute on the Madison Square Garden scoreboard during a stoppage in play midway through the first period. Both former Rangers are in their first seasons with Philadelphia. The was the Flyers' first visit to MSG this season. They'll return on April 1. ... Lundqvist's appearance was the 886th of his NHL career, tying Hall of Famer Tony Esposito for eighth all-time. ... Panarin extended his point streak to 13 games, which is a career high and the longest active point streak in the NHL. He is the first Ranger with 90 or more points in a season since Jaromir Jagr in 2006-07 (96).

UP NEXT

Flyers: At Washington on Wednesday night.

Rangers: Host Stanley Cup champion St. Louis on Tuesday night in second game of four-game homestand.

Blues beat Rangers 3-1 for 8th straight victory

NEW YORK (AP) The St. Louis Blues are working hard to defend their Stanley Cup crown and forging the type of win they did in a fast-paced game against the New York Rangers proved that point.

Brayden Schenn scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and Jordan Binnington made 25 saves as the Blues won their eighth straight with a 3-1 victory Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Jaden Schwartz and defenseman Colton Parayko each had a goal and an assist for St. Louis.

Schenn scored for the fifth consecutive game when his wraparound banked off the skate of goalie Alexandar Georgiev at 9:56. Schwartz and Parayko got assists on Schenn’s 25th of the season.

Schwartz sealed it with an empty-net goal, his 21st, at 19:54 as the Rangers lost their third straight.

“We got some bounces and Binnington has been rock solid,'' said the 28-year-old Schenn, who has meshed well with linemates Schwartz and Ryan O'Reilly, all of whom contributed on the Blues' third goal. “We're playing playoff hockey now and we're earning our points every night.”

Binnington won his sixth in a row for the defending champion Blues (40-17-10), who have the best record in the Western Conference and previously had winning streaks of seven and eight games this season.

“We did a good job,'' Binnington said. ”I'm happy we got the win tonight. We have to keep building."

Only the Boston Bruins, whom St. Louis defeated in Game 7 of the Finals last year, have more points. The Blues are just the second defending champions in NHL history to have three separate winning streaks of seven-plus games the following season, matching the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens.

“We battled,'' said coach Craig Berube, who took over behind the bench just more than a month into last season and led the Blues to their first championship in franchise history. “That was playoff hockey with not a lot of room. We capitalized on our chances.”

Mika Zibanejad opened the scoring for the Rangers with a power-play goal at 12:26 of the first period, whipping the puck past Binnington for his 33rd goal while Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was off for tripping.

Zibanejad has goals in eight of the Rangers’ last nine games and 12 of the past 15 to take over the team lead from Artemi Panarin, who has 32 goals and 90 points. The 26-year-old Zibanejad has played in just 53 games this season and has 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in his last 19.

The Blues tied it on an unassisted goal at 2:35 of the second by Parayko, who beat Georgiev for his ninth of the season. Georgiev started for the fourth time in five games after veteran Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Philadelphia, his first start since Feb. 3. Georgiev made 19 saves in his 30th start of the season.

“That was a really good team we were facing - a really good defensive game on both ends,” Georgiev said. “We have to keep playing the right way like that.”

The Rangers were coming off back-to-back losses to the Flyers after winning five games in a row and nine of 10 to surge into the Eastern Conference playoff race. They are four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders, who currently hold the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

“I liked our effort. The loss hurts more this time of year because of the position we are in,'' Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. ”That's a team that knows how to win. They don't give you anything for free."

The Rangers have a tough road ahead with Washington visiting on Thursday, then New Jersey on Saturday followed by a trip to Dallas, Colorado and Arizona.

The Blues improved to 7-1-4 against Metropolitan Division opponents and 13-6-4 overall against Eastern Conference teams this season. They have outscored opponents 28-13 during their winning streak.

“We're just keeping it simple,'' said Parayko, who scored for the second time in three games. ”I like these close games. Our biggest thing is staying together as a group."

NOTES: O’Reilly played his 800th career game. ... The Rangers scratched injured forward Chris Kreider and goalie Igor Shesterkin. ... The Blues scratched defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and forwards MacKenzie MacEachern, Jordan Kyrou and Troy Brouwer. ... St. Louis won the previous meeting, 5-2 on Jan. 11 at home.

UP NEXT

Blues: At the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

Rangers: Host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

NEW YORK (AP) The puck kept finding Mika Zibanejad - and he kept burying them in the back of the net.

Five times.

And, the last put him in the New York Rangers' record books and delivered them a big-time victory.

Zibanejad scored five goals to match the franchise record, capping the scoring spree 33 seconds into overtime in a wild 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

''The puck followed me today, I guess,'' he said. ''You look at the goals and it's unbelievable plays being made and today I was at the right spot at the right time.

''It's a night I'll remember for a long time.''

Zibanejad is the second player in NHL history to score his fifth goal in OT, joining Detroit's Sergei Fedorov, who accomplished the feat on Dec. 26, 1996 - also against Washington.

''I feel like I'm speechless right now, to be honest with you,'' Zibanejad said.

Zibanejad's 38th of the season helped New York end a three-game skid and pulled the Rangers within two points of the Islanders for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. He took a pass from Artemi Panarin and broke in alone and beat Ilya Samsonov with a backhand. Zibanejad is the first Rangers center with at least 35 goals in a season since Hall of Famer Eric Lindros in 2001-02.

''You'd be hard pressed to match that,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''Early on, he gets the hat trick and just doesn't stop.''

The Rangers center is also the first player with five goals in a game since Winnipeg's Patrik Laine did it in an 8-4 win over St. Louis on Nov. 24, 2018. Zibanejad joined Don Murdoch (Oct. 12, 1976) and Mark Pavelich (Feb. 23, 1983) as Rangers with five goals in a game.

''Sit back and watch it and enjoy it because it was a special night in so many ways for him and for us obviously to win a game of that magnitude, the ebbs and flows of it,'' Quinn said.

''It was a special night obviously, not just for Mika, but for all of us to be part of it.''

When Zibanejad first entered the locker room after the game, it was empty - until his hiding teammates surprised him and quickly mobbed him with hugs.

''I didn't expect that,'' Zibanejad said. ''I knew something was going on when I came in and no one was in here.''

His performance also wowed his teammates on social media, including goalie Henrik Lundqvist who tweeted: ''Are you kidding me?? Did that just happen? What a performance!!''

Tony DeAngelo had a goal and two assists, Panarin had three assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves for New York.

Alex Ovechkin had two goals, including the tying score with 43 seconds remaining to force overtime. That came after Zibanejad scored on a rebound with 1:42 remaining to give New York a brief 5-4 lead.

''Crazy game,'' Zibanejad said. ''Even though they tie it up and they come after us right after we score, we kept it going and found a way to win.''

Ilya Kovalchuk had a goal and an assist, and Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway also scored for Washington. Samsonov had 33 saves for the Capitals.

Philadelphia, which extended its winning streak to eight games after beating Carolina, tied Washington for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

''Major credit to us to get that goal at the end (of the third), that says a lot,'' Capitals coach Todd Reirden said. ''And then we put our two best 3-on-3 guys out there and we let a player score his fifth goal of the game.''

Defense has been an issue for the Capitals, who have allowed at least three goals for the 10th consecutive game. It's the first time they've done that since the 2006-07 season.

''It was nice to at least get a point when we probably didn't deserve one,'' said Capitals defenseman John Carlson, who had two assists.

Reirden was also unhappy with the penalties the Capitals took, especially third minors in a row late in the third period.

''It's getting too late in the season for players to be take penalties and me have to sit them because they can't go on the ice without taking a penalty,'' he said.

The Rangers broke a 3-3 tie early in the third period. Pavel Buchnevich had the puck behind the net and connected with Zibanejad, who was cutting across the net just 12 seconds in.

Ovechkin wristed in his 46th of the season from the left faceoff circle at 9:22 to make it 4-4.

With game tied at 2 in the second, the teams traded goals 16 seconds apart.

First, DeAngelo scored off a nice pass from Panarin at 14:42. Panarin connected with the defenseman, who was cutting toward the net and scored his 14th of the season. The Capitals answered right back when Hathaway scored his ninth of the season.

Georgiev was sharp early on in the game, including stopping Panik on a breakaway a little more than five minutes into the first period.

The Capitals kept up the pressure and opened the scoring a couple of minutes later. Nick Jensen sent a pass to Hagelin, who beat Georgiev with a wrister short-side for his eighth of the season at 7:05.

The Rangers tied it on the power play two minutes after that. DeAngelo sent a pass from the right point to Panarin. Panarin's one-timer was deflected into the net by Zibanejad at 9:01.

ad at 9:01.

NOTES: Over his past 20 games, Hagelin has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists). Washington scratched forwards Travis Boyd, Brendan Leipsic and defenseman Radko Gudas. ... DeAngelo is the first Rangers defenseman with at least 50 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 2001-02. ... Forward Chris Kreider and goalie Igor Shesterkin, both injured, were scratched by the Rangers.

UP NEXT:

Capitals: At Pittsburgh on Saturday for the second game of three-game road trip.

Rangers: Conclude four-game homestand against New Jersey on Saturday night.

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Zajac, Palmieri lead Devils to 6-4 win over rival Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri each scored twice and the New Jersey Devils used a big second period to beat the New York Rangers 6-4 Saturday night.

Fredrik Claesson and John Hayden also scored, and Damon Severson and Dakota Merkis each had two assists to help the Devils improve to 6-1-2 in their last nine games.

''As a group we stepped up,'' Palmieri said. ''It was great to contribute and see those two go in. It was fun.''

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 shots to improve to 8-1-2 in his last 11.

''Everyone is doing their job,'' Blackwood said. ''This is huge for us. We know what we had to do.''

Mika Zibanejad, Tony DeAngelo, Filip Chytil, and Greg McKegg each scored for the Rangers, who fell three points out of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

''(Our mindset) was to play spoiler,'' Zajac said. ''It's an important time for them in the season, so it makes it sweeter for us.''

Igor Shesterkin allowed five goals on 23 shots over two periods in his first game since sustaining a rib fracture in a car accident on Feb. 23. Henrik Lundvist replaced him to start the third and stopped all five shots he faced.

The Devils trailed 2-1 after one period before scoring four times in the second to take control.

Palmieri got his second of the night and 25th of the season just 44 seconds into the middle period to tie the score.

Claesson, who played 37 games for the Rangers last season, gave the Devils the lead for good just 52 seconds later. It was his first goal in five games this season.

Zajac pushed New Jersey's lead to 4-2 on its first power play of the night with less than four minutes remaining in the second.

Hayden made it 5-2 just 25 seconds later, snapping a 14-game point drought.

''Want is a very, very important characteristic in this sport,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''We played a team that wanted it much, much more than we did.''

The Rangers cut their deficit to 5-3 with 6:18 left in the third on McKegg's fifth of the season.

Zajac scored his second goal of the game on an empty net in the final minute, moving past Zach Parise for fourth place on the franchise list with 195 goals.

DeAngelo pulled the Rangers to 6-4 just 13 seconds later, but that was as close as the Rangers got.

''They were better than us in every capacity,'' Quinn said.

The first period was punctuated by three goals in less than two minutes. Chytil opened the scoring for the Rangers 5:34 into the game, converting from the slot after receiving Julien Gauthier's pass from behind the net. The goal ended a seven-game point drought for Chytil.

The Devils tied it 1-1 only 48 seconds later, as Palmieri beat Shesterkin from a tight angle. But New York regained the lead just 56 seconds after that. One game after a historic five-goal performance against the Capitals, Zibanejad found the back of the net once again. The 26-year-old has 21 goals in his last 20 games.

The Devils came close to tying the game in the first period, with Kevin Rooney failing to score on a breakaway.

''Guys are playing for roster spots,'' New Jersey coach Alain Nasreddine said. ''There is an urgency to our play. I liked the way we skated these last two games against two very strong teams.''

This was the final meeting of the season between the Devils and the Rangers, with each team earning two wins.

NOTES: The Rangers moved F Kaapo Kakko down to the fourth line, switching him with Gauthier. ... New York scratched injured F Chris Kreider and G Alexandar Georgiev. ... The Devils scratched injured D Will Butcher and F Janne Kuokkanen, who was recalled from Binghamton (AHL) before the game.

UP NEXT:

Devils: Host Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Rangers: At Dallas on Tuesday night to open a three-game trip.

REPORT: Rangers Sign College Free Agent Patrick Khodorenko

The Michigan State senior would add some center depth to the Rangers’ prospect pool.

Zibanejad scores again, Rangers beat Stars 4-2

DALLAS (AP) Mika Zibanejad remains on a roll - and the New York Rangers hope Kaapo Kakko is just getting started.

Zibanejad got his 10th goal in five games to give him 40 for the season, Kakko broke out of a long scoring slump and fellow rookie Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves as New York beat the skidding Dallas Stars 4-2 on Tuesday night.

It was Zibanejad’s 40th goal in only 56 games this season after missing time with an injury. He has scored in five straight games, including a five-goal outburst last week against Washington.

“It’s so much fun to watch a player grow,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “I said to him the day after his five-goal game, ‘I’m really tired of talking about you, but if you keep scoring, I’ll talk about you until I’m blue in the face.’”

Kakko scored twice in the second period for his first goals in a month.

“I think about it sometimes,” he said. “It’s hard. We played better, I played better, and it was a good win.”

The 19-year-old Kakko, picked second overall in last year's draft, got his first goals in 15 games to give him 10 this season. Quinn said he doesn’t want Kakko trying to play defense at the expense of his offense.

“We want him to score,” the coach explained.

Adam Fox had an early goal as New York built a 4-0 cushion and won for the 10th time in its last 11 road games. The Rangers, who had lost four of five overall, remained three points out of a playoff spot in the crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race.

Shesterkin improved to 10-2 in 12 NHL games, bouncing back from a disappointing home loss to last-place New Jersey on Saturday in his first game back from an upper-body injury sustained in a car accident.

“He played really well tonight and made the saves he needed to make,” Quinn said. “I liked our goaltending, I liked the defensemen and I liked our forwards tonight.”

Fox and Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist.

Roope Hintz had a power-play goal and Andrew Cogliano also scored in the third period - the first goals in three games for a Dallas team that dropped to 0-4-2 in its past six. Miro Heiskanen assisted on both.

Ben Bishop stopped 23 shots for the Stars.

Fox scored on the Rangers’ first shot 19 seconds into the game. The defenseman took a pass from Artemi Panarin in the slot and sent the puck into the left side of the net.

Zibanejad increased the lead to 2-0 at 10:12 of the first period. Brendan Lemieux skated left of the net and passed from behind the goal line to Zibanejad for a snap shot that went over Bishop’s left shoulder.

Shesterkin stopped a breakaway by Mattias Janmark and a shot from Blake Comeau on an odd-man rush in the first.

New York extended its lead in the second period.

Jesper Fast sent a backhand pass to Brett Howden in the left circle and he passed to Kakko in the slot for a snap shot at 7:03. On Kakko’s second goal, he took a loose puck at the left of the net, skated around a fallen Bishop and backhanded the puck across the goal line.

“We're still in a playoff spot and we can dig ourselves out of this. But if we don't prepare ourselves properly day of a game, it's not going to work,” Dallas interim coach Rick Bowness said. “If we're not prepared to work and play the right way and play from our net out, then we're going to be embarrassed like we were for 40 minutes tonight."

The Stars finally scored after a drought of 175:49 when Hintz put a snap shot into the upper right corner from low in the slot at 1:23 of the third. Cogliano put in the rebound of a shot by Heiskanen at 11:52.

NOTES: Zibanejad has 12 points in his last five games to tie his career high with 74. He had a six-game goal streak between Feb. 19 and 27. … The entire Dallas team has only nine goals in the last five games. … Cogliano scored for the first time in 35 games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Go back-to-back on Wednesday at Colorado in the second stop on a three-game trip.

Compher's OT goal lifts Avs over Rangers, 3-2

DENVER (AP) J.T Compher scored at 2:50 of overtime and Tyson Jost and Vladislav Namestnikov also had goals to lead the Colorado Avalanche over the New York Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Cale Makar had three assists in his return to the lineup from an upper-body injury that kept him out for five games. Compher tipped in his shot from the top of the zone to give Colorado the win.

''He looked rusty, he looked like he was fumbling the puck, his defensive details weren't great, his gaps weren't great and then he goes out and gets three points, including a big play on the game winner,'' Colorado coach Jared Bednar said of Makar. ''He finds a way, finds a way to get it done on the offensive side.''

Pavel Francouz stopped 30 shots for the Avalanche.

The Rangers gained a point on Carolina and Columbus in the chase for the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Mika Zibanejad scored his 41st goal, Pavel Buchnevich also scored while Adam Fox had two assists. Alexandar Georgiev had 25 saves, for New York, which is two points behind the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets.

''We're not happy to lose a game but we'll take the point and move on,'' Zibanejad said.

New York isn't scheduled to play until Saturday at Arizona, and concerns surrounding the coronavirus has left in question the rest of the season in light of the NBA suspending its schedule after Wednesday's game.

''We can't speculate on the course of action will be taken by the NHL. Logistically, we'll stay here tonight and make a decision following the NHL update tomorrow morning,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''This is a very fluid situation with things constantly changing so don't want to speak to anything further at this time.''

Colorado played without All-Star center Nathan MacKinnon, who missed his first game of the season. MacKinnon, who came into Wednesday fifth in the NHL in scoring with 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists), suffered a lower-body injury in a loss at Los Angeles on Monday night.

''It's a big piece, but it just fueled us, the whole team and obviously our line as well that we want to come out and prove that it's not just Nate,'' Gabriel Landeskog said. ''We want to come out and show that we're a heck of a team without him as well.''

The Avalanche stayed within a two points of St. Louis. The Blues have played one more game than Colorado and have 94 points, tops in the Western Conference.

The Avalanche are 15-5-2 since losing four in a row in early January.

Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 6:28 of the first, continuing is torrid streak. He has scored at least one goal in the last six games and has 17 in the last 13.

Jost tied it later in the first with his eighth of the season and Namestnikov put Colorado up when he beat Georgiev on a screened shot at 3:55 of the second period. It was his 17th of the season and fifth since joining the Avalanche at the trade deadline.

With Georgiev on the bench for an extra skater Buchnevich's 16th goal of the season tied it with 13 seconds left.

''For sure it was disappointing to get scored on late in the game,'' Francouz said. ''It was kind of an unlucky play, but it doesn't matter now. We still have two points, and that's big.''

NOTES: Gabriel Landeskog also had two assists. ... Zibanejad has five goals in his last nine games against Colorado. ... Avalanche RW Joonas Donskoi was helped off the ice late in the third after a hard hit by Rangers LW Brendan Lemieux. ... New York suffered just its second road loss in the last 12 games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Play at the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.

The NHL has announced that the 2019-20 season has been suspended.

Frank Seravalli?@frank_seravalli

#NHL season has been suspended. The league is on hiatus, with hope that it’s a short pause to protect player and staff health and safety.

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The NHL has announced that the 2019-20 season has been suspended.

Frank Seravalli?@frank_seravalli

#NHL season has been suspended. The league is on hiatus, with hope that it’s a short pause to protect player and staff health and safety.

949

Report: Rangers Sign K’Andre Miller to Entry-Level Contract

The 2018 first-round pick will officially turn pro for the 2020-2021