Pavel Buchnevich is X-factor on Rangers’ revamped top line

Let’s remember this. For all of the good intentions and common sense displayed by David Quinn in anointing Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich as the Rangers’ first line, a year ago the coach opened with Chris Kreider on the left with Zibanejad and Buchnevich as the top unit … and stayed with it for all of two games.

So yes, though this year’s troika likely will have more staying power than last season’s top trio, nothing is set in concrete. The fact is, it will be up to Buchnevich to protect his assignment after being unable to do so last year, when he journeyed from the first line to the fourth and all points in between in a learning year. He was not reunited with Kreider and Zibanejad until Game 72.

Panarin, more of a distributor and transporter than a shooter, should form a perfect union with Zibanejad, more of a sniper than a dispatcher. The upside of this combination of high-end talents is through the roof. Buchnevich, who has all of the attributes necessary to complement his higher profile linemates, is the X-factor.

“I was proud to see his progress and the way he finished after a tough start,” said Zibanejad, the Rangers’ captain-in-waiting. “I can see that there’s more maturity to his game. I want to help him continue to grow.”

Buchnevich recorded nine goals and four assists over his final 17 games to finish at 21 goals and 17 assists for the season, with a 17.6 shooting percentage in 64 games. His compete level and work away from the puck improved dramatically as the year evolved following four healthy scratches through the opening 49 matches. His work earned him a two-year contract worth $3.25 million per season and an assignment on the first line.
Artemi. Mika. Pavel.

The AMP Line.

Panarin, whom Buchnevich called, “a legend in Russia before he came to [the NHL],” had a twinkle in his eye when he addressed the media following practice, his remarks translated by Elizaveta Nemchinov, Sergei Nemchinov’s daughter. She and Victoria Zelepukin, former Devil Valeri Zelepukin’s daughter, will serve as interpreters for the club’s Russian contingent throughout the season.

“We have everything we need [to succeed] with that line,” said Panarin, who arrived in New York three weeks ago after a seeming lifetime of waiting to play for the Rangers. “I can talk to [Buchnevich] in my native language and everyone knows what kind of player Mika is.”

DeAngelo had 30 points in 61 games last year.

With the preseason over, the Rangers needed to finalize the roster and there were still some spots to be determined. Now, it looks like those spots were solidified as the Rangers announced their final round of cuts.

New York Rangers?@NYRangers

OFFICIAL: #NYR reduce roster to 22 players. Chytil, Kravtsov, Lettieri, Lindgren & Shesterkin have been assigned to @WolfPackAHL. Nieves will be placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment. Reunanen has been loaned to Lukko in Liiga. Morrow has been released from his PTO.

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The surprises here might be both Vitali Kravtsov and Filip Chytil getting assigned to Hartford to start the season. Also, according to Rick Carpinello, the Rangers also signed Micheal Haley to a contract.

Howden scores late as Rangers beat Jets 6-4 in wild opener

NEW YORK (AP) Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba came through in their New York debuts, and Mika Zibanejad had a big game to help the Rangers get the new season off on a winning note.

Brett Howden broke a tie with 4:09 remaining, and the Rangers rallied with three straight goals in the third period to beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-4 in a wild opener on Thursday night.

''Every player wants a successful start to the season, so we're all really happy we won today," Panarin said through a translator. ''We were able to do it in the third period, a great team effort. We were really resilient to come back."

Zibanejad had a goal and three assists, Trouba had a goal and two assists, and Panarin had a goal and an assist for New York. Marc Staal also scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist - making his 14th consecutive opening-day start - stopped 43 shots for his 450th career win.

''The first win of the season, that' s what it means to me right now," Lundqvist said of reaching the milestone. ''It feels really good. ... There's no better way to start against a really good team and get a win."

On the go-ahead goal, Jesper Fast fired a shot from the left point that was blocked by former Ranger Neal Pionk. The puck went Howden, who scored to give New York its fourth lead of the game.

The Jets went on their fifth power play with 1:37 left, and were skating with a 6-on-4 advantage when Brendan Smith scored into the empty net with 17 seconds remaining to seal the Rangers' win.

''It certainly wasn't a Picasso out there, that's for sure, but we found a way to win," Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''At the end of the day, that's all that matters."

Blake Wheeler had two goals, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor also scored and Nikolaj Ehlers had three assists for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 26 saves.

''I feel like I played better than five goals against," Hellebuyck said. ''It just seemed the puck was in the wrong spot for me tonight. If I look back on the tape, I probably won't do a whole lot different, but I got to do something because five is unacceptable."

Connor gave the Jets their first lead of the game, 4-3, with a power-play goal at 2:41 of the third as he tipped Josh Morissey's shot through Lundqvist's legs. Patrik Laine also had an assist on the goal.

Zibanejad, who had 30 goals last season, got a pass from Trouba, broke in on Hellebuyck and beat the goalie to tie it at 5:04.

With the Rangers on a power play carrying over from the end of the first period, Panarin - signed to a seven-year, $81.5-million free-agent deal on July 1 - got his first goal for New York just 27 seconds into the second. Zibanejad's shot from the right point was stopped by Scheifele, but the puck ended up in front and Panarin fired it in to put the Rangers up 2-1.

The Jets tied it just 30 seconds later as Wheeler scored off a cross-ice pass from Ehlers.

Trouba, acquired from Winnipeg in the offseason trade that involved Pionk, gave New York a 3-2 lead off a pass from Kreider at 6:03, but Wheeler tied it again just nine seconds later as he cut through defense and beat Lundqvist.

Lundqvist made two great saves on Scheifele and Laine on consecutive chances midway through the middle period, and had several nice stops on a Winnipeg power play late in the period.

''It was a little crazy, back and forth," Lundqvist said. ''Lots of emotions, great atmosphere in the building. It was a lot of fun. ... We battled. Special teams came up big, power play, PK, and the new guys looked pretty good."

Staal, scoreless in the final 42 games last season, got the Rangers on the scoreboard first as he went around the back of the net and stuffed the puck past Hellebuyck on the right side with 8:25 left in the first.

Scheifele tied it for Winnipeg with 2:37 remaining in the period as he got a pass from Ehlers from behind the net and fired it in off Lundqvist's shoulder.

NOTES: Ehlers' assist on Scheifele's goal gave him 200 points for his career. ... Scheifele now has six goals and 10 points in 12 career games against the Rangers. ... Wheeler has five goals and 18 points in 30 games against the Rangers. ... The teams conclude their season series Feb. 11 at Winnipeg. ... Trouba played six seasons with Winnipeg and is second on the franchise list for defensemen in games played (408), goals (42), assists (137), and points (179) since the franchise moved Atlanta to Winnipeg before the 2011-12 season. ... Staal played in his 841st game, breaking a tie with Vic Hadfield for sole possession of seventh place on the Rangers' all-time list.

UP NEXT

Jets: At New Jersey on Friday night to continue a season-opening four-game trip.

Rangers: At Ottawa on Saturday night.

Mika Zibanejad has hat trick, Rangers beat Senators 4-1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Mika Zibanejad made himself right at home - at the expense of his former team.

Zibanejad had his third career hat trick and added an assist to help the New York Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Saturday night.

''I can't really explain what's going on right now,'' Zibanejad said. ''I'm playing with good teammates and unbelievable players out there. I'm getting a lot of chances and now they're going in so I'll try to take advantage as that as much as I can.''

Zibanejad, who was drafted sixth overall by the Senators in 2011, is only the second player in Rangers history to record eight points in the first two games of the season. On Thursday night, he had a goal and three assists in New York's 6-4 home victory over Winnipeg.

''This is where I started, where I got the first opportunity to play in the NHL and I'm really thankful for that,'' Zibanejad said. ''To come here and do that (hat trick) I think is a night I'll remember for a long time.''

Artemi Panarin also scored for the Rangers, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 31 shots.

Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson made 26 saves. The Senators have given up nine goals in their first two games, and rookie coach D.J. Smith put the team on notice.

''I thought a lot of guys played hard, there was some guys that played hard out there, let's not get it wrong that it was everyone,'' Smith said. ''There's just some guys that didn't play at the level they have to play and that won't be acceptable. You'll either drop down a line or you won't get to play.''

Zibanejad opened the scoring on a power-play at 6:04 of the first period, and Tkachuk tied it midway through the period.

Zibanejad broke the tie at 9:53 of the second and made it 3-1 with a short-handed goal at 12:07. Zibanejad then set up Panarin's power-play goal early in the third.

NOTES: The Senators announced they will retire Chris Phillips' No. 4 on Feb. 18. Phillips is the Senators' leader in games played at 1,179. He officially retired in 2016. He will join Daniel Alfredsson as the only other modern era players to have a number retired. ... Ottawa defenseman Cody Goloubef and center Filip Chlapik were healthy scratches, as were New York centers Greg McKegg and Micheal Haley.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Edmonton on Saturday night.

McDavid, Draisaitl help unbeaten Oilers defeat Rangers 4-1

NEW YORK (AP) Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers aren't satisfied with their strong start. They know they can improve.

McDavid scored the tiebreaking goal and Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist, all in the third period, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Rangers 4-1 Saturday for their season-opening fifth straight win.

''It's nice to be 5-0 but we have to keep getting better,'' said McDavid, who also had an assist. ''I thought we were really effective as a line tonight. There's a few times we tried to force plays, turned the puck over a little bit in the first (period).''

Oscar Klefbom had a goal and an assist, and Mike Smith stopped 20 shots to help Edmonton improve to 5-0-0 for the first time in 34 years and become the first NHL team to win its first five games after trailing in each.

''We got scored on early tonight and a lot of time in the game left to come back,'' Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. ''We don't think about that, we think about playing well. First period was all right, but I thought we got a lot better as the game went on. ... We just went about our business and found a way to win.''

Edmonton completed a sweep of the New York area teams. The Oilers beat the Islanders 4-1 on Tuesday night, and then edged New Jersey 4-3 in a shootout Thursday night.

Rookie Kaapo Kakko had his first NHL goal for the Rangers, who had won their first two games but were playing for the first time in a week. Henrik Lundqvist finished with 23 saves.

''As the game went on we just got sloppier and sloppier,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''We played with the wrong pace. ... At the end of the day, we weren't good all the way up and through lineup.''

With the score 1-1, Edmonton took the lead when McDavid was credited with a power-play goal at 9:44 of the third period. His pass for Neal in front deflected off Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba's leg and past Lundqvist. It was McDavid's fourth of the season.

Draisaitl made it 3-1, knocking in a loose puck in front of Lundqvist with 6:42 left. Lundqvist appeared to believe he had smothered the puck, but officials didn't blow a whistle. Draisaitl kept whacking at the puck.

The Rangers pulled Lundqvist for an extra skater, but Draisaitl got an empty-netter, his fourth goal of the season, with 15 seconds left to seal the win.

''I don't think we were at our best, halfway through the second maybe,'' Smith said. ''The third period was our best period. We just kind of stuck with an ugly game for the first two periods. ... We're finding ways to get it done and that's what it's about really.''

Trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Oilers picked up their intensity in the second period. Draisaitl hit a goalpost 27 seconds into the period, and Edmonton had a goal waved off because Zack Kassian skated into Lundqvist in the crease.

However, Klefbom tied it at 6:45 as he got the puck off faceoff, skated to his right and fired a shot from the center of the blue line through traffic that beat Lundqvist for his first.

Lundqvist was caught out of position up out of his crease when the puck deflected to Neal in front, but the goalie made a diving save with his glove.

The Rangers had a 5-on-3 advantage for about 40 seconds in the first period, but couldn't convert.

Kakko, the second overall pick in June's NHL draft, gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with 1:32 left in the opening period. On a give-and-go with Ryan Strome on an odd-man rush, Kakko got the puck back and went forehand to backhand and lifted the puck over a sprawled Smith for his first.

''Huge moment for him,'' Quinn said. ''Good to see for a lot of reasons.''

NOTES: Greg McKegg, signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, made his Rangers debut. McKegg was a healthy scratch the first two games but slotted into the open spot on the fourth line following the trade of Vladislav Namestnikov to Ottawa this week. ... The teams conclude the season series at Edmonton on Dec. 31. The Oilers have won three straight meetings after losing the previous five. ... Neal was held off the scoresheet after he had seven goals in the previous three games.

UP NEXT

Oilers: At Chicago on Monday to complete a four-game trip.

Rangers: At New Jersey on Thursday night.

Palmieri, Wood help Devils beat Rangers 5-2 for 1st win

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Rookie Jack Hughes got his first NHL point, P.K. Subban scored his first goal with New Jersey and the Devils got a strong team effort to pick up their first win of the season.

Kyle Palmieri and Miles Wood scored in the second period, and New Jersey held off the New York Rangers 5-2 Thursday night to end a season-opening six-game losing streak.

Blake Coleman and Nikita Gusev also scored and Matt Tennyson had two assists for the Devils, who came in 0-4-2. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 29 saves.

''Oh man, we needed that bad,'' Blackwood said. ''Everyone showed up to play today and we got bounces that went our way. Huge blocks and a great team effort. ... You could sense the desperation in the group and sacrifice everyone gave to the game.''

The Devils came in tied for last in the league on the power play and last on the penalty kill, but got their first man-advantage score of the season and held the Rangers to 0 for 6.

''The (penalty kill) was due,'' Devils coach John Hynes said. ''There were little things that were going on that we felt we adjusted it. ... Those guys dug in and that's the type of penalty kill we expect and that's the type of penalty kill we want to see moving forward.''

Tony DeAngelo and Jesper Fast had goals for the Rangers, who had played just three games in the first 14 days of the season. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 33 shots.

''I thought that was the most energetic game we played, the most physical game,'' New York coach David Quinn said. ''We established some sort of forecheck. There were signs of what we're going to need to do to have success, so there are some silver linings, but at the end of the game you got to win a hockey game.''

This was the first matchup between Hughes and New York's Kaapo Kakko, who were selected with the first two picks in this year's draft. Hughes, centering the top line against the Rangers in place of Nico Hischier, came in without a point, while Kakko has one goal.

With the Devils leading 3-1 after two periods, Ryan Strome sent a pass in front to Fast from the left corner, and Fast poked it into the open net for his first at 2:22 of the third.

Hall nearly restored New Jersey's two-goal lead at 7:08, but it was waved off because the officials said Hall pushed it in with his hand. Hynes challenged and the call stood, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty.

Moments after a Devils power play expired, Gusev intercepted Artemi Panarin's pass, skated in and beat Georgiev for his third with 7:39 remaining.

Subban, who joined the Devils in an offseason trade, added an empty-netter in the final minute.

With the score tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, Palmieri got the puck off the faceoff, brought the puck into the right circle, pulled it back to get around defenseman Marc Staal and as Georgiev went down to cut off his angle, Palmieri fired it top shelf for his third at 2:18 of the second. It was New Jersey's first power-play goal of the season after they failed on their first 20 chances, including two in the first period

Nearly seven minutes into the period, New Jersey's Taylor Hall left his feet and, leading with his elbow, delivered a hard hit high on defenseman Adam Fox, who was down on the ice behind the Rangers' net for several minutes.

Wood put New Jersey up 3-1 as he deflected Tennyson's shot from the right point past Georgiev from in front with 7:35 left. Hughes got an assist, drawing a loud ovation from the crowd when it was added minutes after the initial announcement of the goal.

''I knew I assisted it,'' Hughes said. ''It's the NHL. I knew they were going to fix it. Just nice to figure out how to get on the board finally.''

The Rangers got on the scoreboard first for the fourth time in four games this season on DeAngelo's backhander off a rebound.

Coleman tied it with 7:02 remaining in the first as fired a shot from the right circle that hit Georgiev's mask, rolled down his body and went between his legs and in.

NOTES: Hischier was out with an upper-body injury and is day to day. ... New Jersey improved to 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings at home against the Rangers. ... The teams play three more times this season: Nov. 30 at Prudential Center, and Jan. 9 and March 7 at Madison Square Garden. ... The Rangers lost in regulation against the Devils for the sixth time in the last 24 meetings, falling to 14-6-4. ... The Rangers began a stretch of five games in eight days.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Washington on Friday night to complete their first back-to-back of the season.

John Carlson's 3-point night helps Capitals beat Rangers 5-2

WASHINGTON (AP) John Carlson's longtime defense partner thinks he's a future Norris Trophy winner.

That might be this season the way he's going.

Carlson added three assists to his historic start, T.J. Oshie scored two power-play goals and the Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 5-2 Friday night for their second consecutive home victory.

Carlson tied Edmonton captain Connor McDavid for tops in the NHL with 17 points and leads the league with 14 assists.

''He's been amazing so far,'' said Michal Kempny, who has repeatedly predicted Carlson would one day win the Norris as the league's best defenseman. ''He's a great guy, great teammate, obviously great defenseman. He's unreal. He's hot right now, and he's feeling it.''

The 29-year-old Carlson assisted on one of Oshie's goals and scores by Nic Dowd and Michal Kempny in the Czech defenseman's return from a hamstring injury. Kempny and Carlson played together during the Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup run.

Already the seventh defenseman in NHL history with 14-plus points in his first eight games of the season and the first to do so in 30 years, Carlson has six multipoint games in nine opportunities.

''Chances happen, chances get created and sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't,'' Carlson said. ''They seem to be going in right now, which is nice. Just keep working the same way.''

Oshie got credit for his first power-play goal when Rangers defenseman Marc Staal knocked the puck into his own net. He deflected Carlson's point shot past New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for his second.

Kempny drove to the net and scored in the first period of his first game action since tearing his left hamstring in March and undergoing surgery in April.

''I felt pretty good, actually,'' Kempny said. ''My legs felt good. Obviously not an easy situation for me. But I got to say just thank you to all of the staff, whole organization, my teammates, my family, my friends who were supporting me all the way through here and help me. It means a lot to me.''

Braden Holtby stopped 26 of 28 shots to bounce back from a rough start Monday against Colorado.

''I didn't really like how I was playing,'' Holtby said. ''It was nice to get a couple days to work on a couple things, get back to feeling comfortable in certain situations. It wasn't perfect tonight, but it's going in the right direction.''

At the either end of the ice, Lundqvist stopped Jakub Vrana on a penalty shot and made 29 saves to help keep New York in the game in the second half of a back-to-back set. Pavel Buchnevich had a power-play goal, and top offseason addition Artemi Panarin scored his third of the season for the Rangers, who have only played five games this season to Washington's nine.

Coach David Quinn was not too thrilled about how his team defended against Washington.

''We were just weren't mentally sharp at all,'' Quinn said. ''We lost our way, and no matter what structure we were supposed to be in, there was a lot of purposeless hockey tonight.''

NOTES: The Capitals have won seven in a row against the Rangers. ... Garnet Hathaway sealed it with an empty-net goal with 27.7 seconds left. ... With an assist on Kempny's goal, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin registered his 1,219th point and passed Jean Beliveau for 42nd on the career scoring list. ... Capitals D Jonas Siegenthaler played two nights after colliding with teammate Richard Panik during a game against the Maple Leafs and leaving with a left shoulder injury. Panik was placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury and will miss at least 10 games. ... F Brendan Lemieux returned to the Rangers lineup, replacing Greg McKegg. ... Nationals ace Max Scherzer dropped a baseball as part of a ceremonial faceoff to honor Washington's first World Series appearance since 1933.

UP NEXT

Rangers: After three games in 17 days to start the season, New York continues a busy stretch by hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

Canucks get off to fast start, hold on to beat Rangers 3-2

NEW YORK (AP) Vancouver captain Bo Horvat wanted to set the tone early after a tough loss the previous day. He got the Canucks started with a needed power-play goal and they bounced back with a big road win.

Brock Boeser and Jay Beagle scored late in Vancouver's three-goal first period and the Canucks held on to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday.

Elias Pettersson added two assists for Vancouver, which bounced back from a 1-0 loss at New Jersey on Saturday to win for the fifth time in six games.

''I took that onus on myself to be the guy to get the boys going,'' Horvat said. ''I was really upset about the last game, we should have scored more power-play goals and we should have at least gotten a point out of that. ... When we do lose games we're not ones to want to lose three straight, four straight and get on these losing skids. We want to bounce back and have a great game and continue winning.''

Jacob Markstrom, playing for the first time since Oct. 12, stopped 38 shots to win his third straight start after losing his first two.

''A little bit of redemption, but our team played amazing, we really did,'' Beagle said. ''Marky stood on his head. It was just a good overall win.''

Jesper Fast had a goal and an assist, and Artemi Panarin also scored for New York, which has lost four straight - including three in four days after playing just three times in the previous 14 days. Henrik Lundqvist finished with 40 saves.

''We should be so eager to get out there,'' Lundqvist said. ''But sometimes it's hard to get going. That desperation should always be there. Especially losing three in a row.''

Rangers coach David Quinn shook up his lineup during Friday's 5-2 loss at Washington, moving Chris Kreider to the top line with Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Pavel Buchnevich was dropped to the second line, and rookie Kaapo Kakko down to the third. Buchnevich ended up on the fourth line during the second period but was back on the second later in the game.

Down 3-1 after 40 minutes, the Rangers came out aggressive in the third and controlled much of the play while outshooting the Canucks 17-6 in the final period.

''We knew they like to play wide-open,'' Beagle said. ''They have a lot of guys that run and gun. They love to go east-west and hardly ever dump it. ... We got the job done.''

Panarin got the Rangers to 3-2 as he got a pass from Fast from behind the net, and quickly put it past Markstrom for his fourth at 5:31.

New York had several flurries of chances at the tying goal, pulling Lundqvist for an extra skater with 1:51 to go, but couldn't get another one past Markstrom.

''We've got to play smarter,'' Zibanejad said. ''And it just shows you can't just play for 25, 30 minutes. ... You've got to play all 60 minutes. The whole game is not going to look perfect; it's not going to be all good stuff, but we've got to learn to manage the game a little bit more.''

The Rangers finished 0 for 3 on the power play to fall to 1 for 17 with the man-advantage over the last four games.

With the Rangers trailing 3-0 after a lackluster first period, Fast got them on the scoreboard late in the second. Standing in front of Markstrom, Fast deflected Jacob Trouba's hard point shot past the goalie for his second.

The Canucks got off to a fast start with three goals in the first period while outshooting the Rangers 20-13. Vancouver scored on the power play, at even strength and short-handed.

Horvat took a pass from Pettersson and beat Lundqvist on a power play from the inside edge of the left circle for his second of the season and 100th of his career at 6:01. The Canucks came in with the league's worst man-advantage and were 0 for 12 the previous two games.

Boeser made it 2-0 with 6:26 left in the opening period as he got a pass from Pettersson between the circles and fired a shot that went off Lundqvist's glove and in for his second.

Then, with Tyler Myers off for hooking, Beagle brought the puck up the right side and beat Lundqvist on the glove side for his first of the season and fourth career short-handed goal.

NOTES: Horvat joined Calgary's Sean Monahan, Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon and Florida's Aleksander Barkov as the only players from the 2013 draft to reach the 100-goal mark. ... The teams will conclude their season series Jan. 4 at Vancouver. ... Lundqvist appeared in his 861st game, moving past Hall of Famer Gump Worsley for sole possession of 11th place on the NHL's all-time list. He is seven away from tying former goalie Grant Fuhr for 10th place. Lundqvist also tied Jean Ratelle for sixth place on the Rangers' franchise list. ... New York has given up at least one power-play goal in five of its six games.

UP NEXT

Canucks: At Detroit on Tuesday night to finish a four-game trip.

Rangers: Host Arizona on Tuesday night to continue a five-game homestand.

Dvorak scores in OT to lift Coyotes past Rangers 3-2

NEW YORK (AP) The Arizona Coyotes have been finding ways to win lately and the New York Rangers have been doing the opposite.

That form held as Christian Dvorak scored 1:04 into overtime and the Coyotes beat the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Lawson Crouse and Alex Goligoski also scored for Arizona, which improved to 5-0-1 in its last six games. Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves while holding opponents to two or fewer goals for the 13th straight start.

''We're just having fun. We feel good about our game, trying to do the right things,'' Goligoski said. ''We have everybody going.''

Tony DeAngelo scored twice and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 32 shots as the Rangers lost their fifth straight (0-4-1).

''We know we're a lot better than this,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''Our guys are fragile right now.''

On the winner, Dvorak got a pass from Goligoski and beat Georgiev with a high shot for his fourth of the season. Clayton Keller also assisted.

The Rangers trailed just 1-0 after 20 minutes despite being outshot 21-4 in the opening period and drawing boos from the home crowd as they left the ice.

''We knew after the first after we had 21 shots they would come out hard - but we held it together,'' Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. ''I like the way we played.''

The Rangers managed to tie it at 5:04 of the second when defenseman DeAngelo tapped the puck past Kuemper after Brendan Lemieux's original tip-in attempt was stopped but the goalie couldn't control the rebound. Pavel Buchnevich also assisted on the goal.

Goligoski put the Coyotes back ahead with 6:14 left in the middle period with a power-play goal as Buchnevich sat in the penalty box for tripping. Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz had assists on Goligoski's first goal this season. It marked the fifth-straight game the Rangers have allowed a power-play goal.

The Rangers again tied it with 2:00 left in the period when D'Angelo notched his second of the night and third of the season on a power play. D'Angelo scored from in front on a pass from Ryan Strome. Rookie Kaapo Kakko added his first career assist on the play.

In the third, the Coyotes had a two-man advantage for 1:36 after Strome went off for tripping at 5:40, and Brendan Smith took a delay of game penalty at 6:04. Arizona managed just one shot on goal.

Crouse opened the scoring for the Coyotes with his second goal of the season with 6:54 left in the first, knocking a loose puck in the crease past Georgiev. Linemates Christian Fischer and Carl Soderberg drew assists.

Arizona also had two power-play chances in their dominant first period but couldn't convert as Georgiev kept the home team in the game.

''Georgy played great,'' Quinn said. ''Our PK tonight allowed us to get a point.''

The Coyotes, who narrowly missed the playoffs last season, haven't reached the postseason since 2012 when they made it to the Western Conference finals. They are showing steady improvement under Tocchet, who is in his third season behind the Arizona bench now seeing collective development from young talent such as Keller, Schmaltz and Crouse plus key veterans like Phil Kessel and Derek Stepan on the roster.

''Maturity means handling prosperity,'' Tocchet added. ''It feels like we're chipping away and guys are buying in.''

The Coyotes were starting a four-game trip, which includes area games against the Islanders and New Jersey Devils plus a visit to the Sabres in Buffalo.

The Rangers continue their five-game homestand against the surging Sabres on Thursday. Buffalo is 8-1-1.

''We just have to dig our way out of this,'' added Quinn, who is in his second season coaching the Rangers after leaving Boston University for the job. ''We're not in a great spot right now.''

NOTES: The Rangers have been outscored 20-9 in their losing streak. ... The Rangers scratched F Micheal Haley. ... The Coyotes scratched rookie C Barrett Hayton, D Aaron Ness and G 0Eric Comrie. ... Schmaltz has nine points in Arizona's last six games to lead the team in scoring. ... Former Rangers forwards Derek Stepan and Michael Grabner plus backup goaltender Antti Raanta returned to the Garden with the Coyotes. ... The teams meet again March 14 in Arizona. ... The Rangers are 22-6-5 against Pacific Division teams at home since start of 2015-16 season.

Strome Scores Twice as Rangers Down Sabres 6-2

NEW YORK (AP) The Rangers were especially eager to earn a home victory against the high-flying Buffalo Sabres to stem a series of subpar results. Three first-period goals and a thorough effort sparked the home team and a solid win ensued.

Ryan Strome scored his first two goals this season and Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves as New York snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

''That was obviously a good game,'' said Strome, who had 18 goals for the Rangers last season after joining them in a trade from Edmonton. ''Regardless of who produced, we needed that one as a team. It feels good right now. We worked hard for that one.''

The Rangers have been struggling since opening the season with two wins, followed by five defeats - the most recent in overtime to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Against the resurgent Sabres, who had eight wins in their first 10 games, the Rangers came out with pace and received goals from Artemi Panarin, Brett Howden and Strome in the opening period.

Panarin, who signed a seven-year $81.5 million free agent contract last July, started the scoring with an unassisted goal at 11:41. Panarin corralled a loose puck along the right boards before swooping in and beating Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton for his fifth goal of the season. Panarin has points in last three games and five of the team's eight contests this season.

Howden made it 2-0 when he tapped the puck past Hutton at 14:32 for his second goal this season. Assists went to Brady Skjei and Jesper Fast.

Strome added to the lead with a tip-in at 19:22 with assists to Skjei and Tony DeAngelo. Strome's goal represented the 200th point of his NHL career.

''There was a lot of communication out there,'' Howden said. ''We were really helping each other.''

The Rangers held a 10-7 shots advantage after the first period but the Sabres had the better of play in the second, outshooting the home team 15-4.

Defenseman Marco Scandella put Buffalo on the board with an unassisted goal at 4:17 of the second before DeAngelo restored the three-goal lead with his third goal in two games at 13:20. Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich assisted on DeAngelo's fourth goal of the season.

Buffalo's Vladimir Sobotka narrowed the deficit to 4-2 when he scored at 19:11 of the second, beating Lundqvist for his first goal this season. Kyle Okposo and Marcus Johansson registered assists.

The teams traded chances in the third until Strome extended the lead to 5-2 with this second goal of the night, completing a two-on-one with Howden at 7:57 as the teams skated four-on-four.

''Most important is that guys know their identity and it worked out tonight,'' added the 26-year-old Strome, who has points in five of the last six games. ''It was a good statement game that we had it in us to beat a team that's 8-1-1.''

Chris Kreider completed the scoring with his first of the season at 18:44 of the third. Rookie defenseman Adam Fox had an assist - his first NHL point - and Fast added his second assist of the contest.

''We didn't show the Rangers enough respect and they punished us for it,'' Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. ''There were so many moments where we felt like we were getting back into it. We just couldn't recover from the hole we dug ourselves into.''

Rangers coach David Quinn continued reshuffling lines in search of new combinations as the season evolves. Against the Sabres, Quinn had Panarin alongside Strome and Buchnevich while heralded rookie right wing Kaapo Kakko was on a line with center Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

''It was a good step in the right direction. I give our leaders a ton of credit,'' Quinn said. ''It wasn't just the lines. A lot of guys came here with purpose tonight.''

The loss was the first for Hutton after six wins and starts this season as the Sabres fell to 1-5-2 in their last eight meetings with the Rangers.

With his 451st career win, Lundqvist moved to within three victories of Curtis Joseph for fifth place on the all-time list. The 37-year-old Swedish netminder also made his 862nd career appearance, passing Jean Ratelle for sixth-most appearances as a Ranger.

''We were patient. We played hard, waited for breakdowns and we took advantage,'' Lundqvist said. ''It was great to see. It's important to understand how you win games in this league.''

NOTES: The Rangers are 16-4-0 against Buffalo since Apr. 19, 2013 . The teams will meet Feb. 7 in New York and March 22 in Buffalo . The Rangers scratched forward Micheal Haley . The Sabres scratched forward Evan Rodrigues and defenseman John Gilmour ... The contest marked the 1,999th regular season game played by the Rangers at the current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968. ... The game marked the return of forward Jimmy Vesey, who was traded to the Sabres last summer after three seasons with the Rangers.

Up Next:

Rangers: Host Boston Bruins on Sunday night.

Marchand, Bergeron lead Bruins to 7-4 win over Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) Even though they trailed after one period, the Boston Bruins weren't too worried. They knew they were playing well and the scoring would come.

And it sure did.

Brad Marchand had two goals and three assists, the Boston Bruins scored four times in the second period and went on to beat the New York Rangers 7-4 on Sunday night.

''We did dominate that period,'' Marchand said of the first period that ended with the Rangers leading 1-0 despite Boston holding a 10-7 edge on shots. ''They had some shots on the power play but other than that, they didn't have much. ... We knew if we continued to play the same way we were going to break out, and we did.''

Patrice Bergeron scored three goals for his fifth regular-season hat trick, and Charlie Coyle and Zdeno Chara each had a goal and an assist to help the Bruins win for the eighth time in 11 games (8-1-2) this season.

David Pastrnak, who leads Boston with 11 goals, had five assists - marking just the second time in the last nine games he didn't score a goal.

''(He's) always talking, communicating, wants to create plays, change it and come up with different faceoff plays,'' Bergeron said. ''He's obviously a very smart player. He's got that instinct. ... He wants results, and when he works like that, he's getting it.''

Jaroslav Halak stopped 25 shots as Boston earned a point for the seventh straight game (5-0-2).

Michael Haley, Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider and Brady Skjei scored for the Rangers, who lost for the sixth time in seven games (1-5-1). Henrik Lundqvist had 27 saves before being pulled after two periods. Alexandar Georgiev finished with nine saves in the third.

''It's hard to figure out right now,'' Lundqvist said of the Rangers' struggles. ''We had a 1-0 lead after the first. ... We came out in the second and we weren't even close.''

The Bruins took control of the game in the second period. Pastrnak charged the net with the puck from the left side, and made contact with Lundqvist. Bergeron followed and put the puck in for his third of the season 11 seconds into the period. The goal was confirmed after a video review.

Marchand put Boston ahead 57 seconds later. He got the puck in front of the net, made a backhand-forehand move before putting a backhander past Lundqvist.

''Getting the quick two goals at the start of the second kind of got us going after that,'' Bergeron said.

Coyle made it 3-1 as he got a pass across the front of the net from Charlie McAvoy and put the puck top shelf for his first at 9:27.

Marchand got his second of the night with 7:51 left in the middle period, taking a pass from Coyle and whipping it past Lundqvist from the right side for his seventh.

Boston finished with a 21-5 advantage on shots in the second period, and 31-12 over 40 minutes.

''A lot happened in second period we need to clean up and learn from,'' New York defenseman Marc Staal said.

Chara made it 5-1 as he beat Georgiev with a slap shot from the blue line just 43 seconds into the third on the first shot the Rangers' backup goalie faced.

Buchnevich pulled the Rangers back within three at 8:15 with his second of the season, but Bergeron's second of the night and fourth of the season restored Boston's four-goal lead with 8:21 left.

Kreider scored on a rebound with 1:59 left, and Skjei pulled the Rangers within two just 21 seconds later, but Bergeron's empty-netter with 45 second left capped the scoring.

The Bruins controlled play for the opening half of the first period, outshooting the Rangers 6-0. Each team had a power play during that stretch.

The Rangers got on the board on their first scoring chance. Halak stopped Brendan Smith's shot from the left side - New York's first shot on goal - but Haley charged in and knocked in the rebound with 9:41 left in the first. It was Haley's first goal since signing with the Rangers on Oct. 1.

NOTES: Marchand extended his point streak to 10 games, with seven goals and 12 assists in the stretch. He also has an assist in nine straight games. ... Pastrnak extended his point streak to nine games with 12 assists and 23 points in that stretch. ... The teams face each other 2 more times: Nov. 29 at Boston, and Feb. 16 back in New York. ... This was the Rangers' 2,000th home game at current Madison Square Garden, which opened on Feb. 11, 1968. ... Rangers C Mika Zibanejad skated in his 500th career game. He played 6:31 in the first period before leaving after taking a hit from Bergeron in the corner. He did not return. ... Buchnevich has four goals and eight points in eight career games against the Bruins.

UP NEXT:

Bruins: Host San Jose on Tuesday night to open three-game homestand.

Rangers: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night to complete a five-game homestand.

The New York Rangers announced that forward Filip Chytil and defender Ryan Lindgren have been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Coming off a three-game weekend, both call-ups will have a slightly easier workload this week as the Rangers play one game fewer than the Wolf Pack. There is more playing opportunity next week, though, as the Wolf Pack are off for a week after Saturday’s game, while the Rangers play Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Rangers score 3 goals late in 3rd period, beat Lightning 4-1

NEW YORK (AP) ?? After being criticized by coach David Quinn following a loss in their previous game two nights earlier, the New York Rangers responded with one of their best efforts of the season.

Filip Chytil scored the tiebreaking goal in his season debut, and the Rangers scored three times in 6 1/2 minutes late in the third period to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist, and Kaapo Kakko and Adam Fox also scored for New York, which was 1-5-1 in its previous seven games. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 29 shots.

On Sunday, New York lost 7-4 to Boston, prompting Quinn to say he wanted the team to raise its 'compete level." He was much more satisfied after this win.

"Without a question, we were more engaged," he said. "We embraced the battle instead of avoiding it. Once that happens you start rolling when you get a chance. I thought we did that for 60 minutes."

Georgiev also echoed his coach's sentiment and credited the win to the team playing a complete game.

"This was one of the games where we played for 60 minutes," he said. "We didn't give them too much space and played a really good game. The young guys stepped up."

Nikita Kucherov had Tampa Bay's goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 38 saves. The Lightning dropped to 3-2-1 in their last six games.

The game was tight for the first 53 minutes with each goalie making some big stops. However, the Rangers took the lead when Buchnevich sent a pass through traffic toward the middle for a streaking Chytil, called up from Hartford of the AHL on Monday, and he reached his stick forward and tipped the puck past Vasilevskiy with 7:14 left.

Fox then made it 3-1 as he knocked in the rebound of a shot by Chris Kreider for his first NHL goal with 2:36 remaining. Ryan Lindgren, also called up from Hartford the previous day, got an assist on the play for his first career point.

The Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy for an extra skater with about 1 1/2 minutes to go, but Strome scored an empty-netter with 46 seconds left to seal the win.

"We have a lot of skill, sometimes we just don't use it," Lightning forward Brayden Point said. "Our passes are a little bit off right now. ... Sometimes pucks don't bounce your way. We just got to stick with it."

The Rangers outshot the Lightning 14-11 in each of the first two periods, and then 14-8 in the third. Quinn credited the team's puck management as "the best it's been all year."

The Lightning took the lead late in the first period, and the Rangers scored the next four - starting with a fortuitous deflection midway through the second.

Penalties on Mathieu Joseph and Ondrej Palat gave the Rangers a 5-on-3 advantage for 20 seconds near the midpoint of the middle period. Shortly after the first penalty expired, Strome sent a pass from the left doorstep back to Kakko in the right circle, and the Finnish rookie fired at the goal. It was stopped by Vasilevskiy but the rebound went to the right and deflected off defenseman Braydon Coburn's left skate and back in for Kakko's second career goal - first on a power play - at 9:37.

The opening minutes of the game featured some physical exchanges, including a fight between the Rangers' Michael Haley and the Lightning's Patrick Maroon, with Haley dropping Maroon with a right hook to the side of the head - drawing loud cheers from the home crowd.

Kucherov gave the Lightning the lead with 4:16 left in the opening period, taking a pass from Point and putting it into the left side with Georgiev out of position for his fourth.

NOTES: Lightning D Kevin Shattenkirk was back at Madison Square Garden for the first time since having the last two seasons of his contract bought out the Rangers during the offseason and subsequently signing with Tampa Bay. The New Rochelle native had seven goals and 44 assists in 119 games over two seasons with the Rangers. ... Maroon headed to the locker room shortly after going to the penalty box after his fight with Haley, and did not return to the game. ... The Rangers honored former D Dan Girardi before the game. Girardi, who retired in the offseason, had 46 goals and 184 assists in 11 seasons in New York before spending two seasons with the Lightning and totaling 10 goals and 24 assists. Girardi came out on the ice, accompanied by his wife and two children, and dropped the ceremonial first puck. ... C Mika Zibanejad, who leads the Rangers with 11 points, sat out with an upper body injury sustained in first period of 7-4 loss to Boston on Sunday night. ... New York D Marc Staal was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. ... Strome has a point in five straight games, with three goals and five assists in that stretch. He also now has four goals and seven assists in 18 career games against the Lightning.

UP NEXT

Lightning: At New Jersey on Wednesday night.

Rangers: At Nashville on Saturday night

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