Rangers finish off four-game sweep of New Jersey Devils

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Another birthday for the New York Rangers. Another big day for the birthday boy.

A day after Pavel Buchnevich scored a hat trick on his big day, Mika Zibanejad celebrated his 28th birthday and helped the Rangers cap a four-game sweep of the Devils with a game-winning, power-play goal with three minutes to play in a 5-3 win on Sunday.

The win kept New York four points behind Boston in the East with 11 games left in the regular season. The Bruins, who have played two fewer games, beat Washington 6-3 earlier Sunday.

''We put ourselves in a good spot so we try to take the game one at a time,'' said Zibanejad after the Rangers extended their season-high point streak to six games (5-0-1). ''Sounds very cliche but that's all we can do. Just worry about the next game and try to get the two points and move on, but that's our focus right now.''

The Rangers haven't made life easy on themselves. They opened a four-goal lead on Saturday and saw New Jersey get within one, and then had a three-goal lead Sunday only to see the Devils tie the game.

''We found a way to get it done,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''Playing a team four times in a row and you come up with four wins, I don't care what it looks like, I don't care how many leads you blew, I don't care; it doesn't matter. It really doesn't if you find ways to win and that's what we did.''

Chris Kreider, Vitali Kravtsov, Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Strome also scored for the Rangers, who are 13-4-3 in their past 20 games. Alexandar Georgiev, who had to leave the ice late in the first period when his knee locked after being hit by a shot, returned at the start of the second period and finished with 25 saves.

Mikhail Maltsev, Marian Studenic and Nico Hischier scored for the Devils, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game. Mackenzie Blackwood had 21 saves as the Devils lost their sixth straight and fell to 1-8-2 in their past 11.

''It's frustrating,'' Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. ''I'm trying to make sure I can keep them up. But I asked a lot. I thought we got a lot out of them. I thought we battled back hard.''

Zibanejad, who has points in six straight games, got the winner on the Rangers sixth power play after being set up between the circles by Strome.

Strome was awarded a goal late after being hooked on a breakaway with the Devils net empty.

''We don't really care how we score the goals, as long as we got at least more than them and you get the two points,'' Zibanejad said.

The Rangers opened a 3-0 lead in the second period, getting a power-play goal by Kreider, Kravtsov's first NHL goal and another by Lafreniere.

Maltsev scored late in the second and tallies by Studenic - his first in the NHL - and Hischier in the opening 5:30 of the third to tie the game.

Igor Shesterkin made two saves late in the first period before Georgiev returned for the final 40 minutes.

ANGRY HUGHES

Devils center Jack Hughes, the top pick in the 2019 draft, was so annoyed with a second-period penalty call for tripping, he slammed his stick against the glass. He got a 10-minute misconduct for that one.

Coming into the game, Hughes had been called for one minor penalty in 43 games this season. He had 10 minutes in 61 games last year. He surpassed the total in one fit of anger.

The Devils' goals came with Hughes in the penalty box.

ANOTHER DEVILS DEBUT

Forward Nolan Foote became the sixth Devil to make his NHL debut this season. He joins Maltsev, Studenic, Ty Smith, Yegor Sharangovich, Tyce Thompson in the group. He got an assist on the Hischier goal

Foote's father, Adam, won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001 with Colorado in a 19-year career. His brother, Cal, is a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

NOTES: Rangers D Anthony Bitetto played for the first time since Feb. 24, a span of 27 games. D Libor Hajek got the day off. ... Kreider's goal was his 10th on the power play, among the best in the league. His 19 goals overall are tied with Pavel Buchnevich for the team lead. ... Devils F Andreas Johnsson snapped a 13-game point drought with an assist on Studenic's goal.

UP NEXT

Rangers: head to Long Island to face the Islanders on Tuesday.

Bailey, Beauvillier lead Islanders to 6-1 win over Rangers

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) Josh Bailey had two goals and an assist in his return from a two-game absence, Anthony Beauvillier added a goal and three assists, and the New York Islanders beat the Rangers 6-1 Tuesday night.

Jordan Eberle and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had a goal and an assist, and Brock Nelson also scored. Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots to improve to 17-9-3.

''We had a really solid game,'' Pageau said. ''To have Josh back in the lineup, it's big, not only on the ice, but to have him in the locker room, just the influence he has on everyone. ... Beau was everywhere tonight on the ice. He was moving his feet, winning all his battles. It was a fun game for sure.''

The Islanders won their second straight and seventh in the last 10 to pull into a tie with Washington atop the East Division ahead of a stretch of three straight games against the Capitals. Pittsburgh, which held on to beat New Jersey 7-6, remained one point back in third.

''We were able to create, get some good looks and have a solid game,'' Bailey said of playing on a line with Pageau and Beauvillier. ''It's just one game and you look to just keep moving forward.''

Kevin Rooney scored for the Rangers, who had won four straight - all against New Jersey - and lost in regulation for just the second time in 12 games (8-2-2). Igor Shesterkin finished with 22 saves to fall to 0-3-1 in four career starts against the Islanders. He gave up six goals for the first time in 40 career NHL games..

''When you lose 6-1 in the fashion that we did, it certainly is humbling,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''I thought we were sloppy, I thought we were too high-risk, too east-west, weren't playing fast enough.''

The Rangers fell six points behind Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. The Bruins beat the Sabres 2-0 and have two games in hand on the Rangers.

The Islanders took a 3-1 lead into the third and scored three times in a 3:38 span midway through the period to put the game away.

Pageau fired a one-timer into the top right corner off a pass from Beauvillier for his 13th of the season at 7:44 to give the Islanders a three-goal lead. Beauvillier then set up Bailey for a one timer from nearly the same spot with 9:44 left. It was Bailey's second of the game and eighth of the season. After a Rangers turnover, Eberle beat Shesterkin for his 15th to make it 6-1 just 1:06 later.

''I didn't think we came up with the level of play we needed to,'' the Rangers' Mika Zibanejad said. ''It was disconnected. We were a little too far away from each other and couldn't really get that forecheck that we have and the offense that we usually have. ... This one stings and we got to learn from this.''

The Islanders, who scored just two goals while losing two of three on their road trip, improved to 19-2-2 at home this season. The Rangers, 4-0-2 in their last six on the road, were 9-1-2 in their last 12 games at the Nassau Coliseum.

''We just played the right way, we stayed on top of people,'' Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. ''We played more of a 200-foot game. ... It was a committed effort by everyone. I liked our whole game.''

Leading 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Islanders scored twice in a 4:07 span early in the second period to pad their advantage.

Nelson tipped Nick Leddy's centering pass in front past Shesterkin for his team-leading 16th of the season at 1:38. With the Islanders on their third power play of the game, Beauvillier, who matched his career high with four points, then scored from the right circle off a pass from Noah Dobson to make it 3-0 at 5:45.

The Rangers got on the scoreboard with just under nine minutes left in the second as Brendan Smith's shot from the right point deflected off Rooney's stick and past Varlamov. for his seventh.

Bailey, back after missing the last two games, gave the Islanders the 1-0 lead late in the first. Jean-Gabriel Pageau cut toward the net and passed across the front to Bailey, who quickly put it in past Shesterkin for with 2:18 left.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Islanders finished 1 for 3 on the power play after coming in 1 for 19 over their previous seven games. Both goals with the man advantage in that stretch have come against the Rangers. The Islanders also went 2 for 2 on the penalty kill to improve to 20 for 21 over their last nine games. The Rangers came in 9 for 23 on their power plays over their previous nine games.

''I thought we did a really good job obviously getting our power play going and we were on top of them,'' Beauvillier said. ''Our forecheck was going. It was a good game from top of the lineup and bottom of the lineup.''

BIG HIT

Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba was helped off the ice and to the dressing room midway through the first period after taking a hard hit in the corner from the Islanders' Matt Martin. Trouba stumbled as he got up and fell back to the ice. Moments earlier, Trouba had leveled Martin with a hard hit near the sideboards. The Rangers later announced Trouba would not return to the game.

SOMBER

There was a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the shooting earlier in the day at the Stop & Shop grocery store in West Hempstead, New York, about four miles from Nassau Coliseum. At least one person was killed and two were injured in the incident.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night in the opener of a two-game series and five-game homestand.

Voracek, van Riemsdyk lead Flyers past Rangers, 3-2

NEW YORK (AP) James van Riemsdyk scored two power-play goals and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night to snap a two-game slide.

Jakub Voracek scored the deciding goal for Philadelphia, and Brian Elliott made 33 saves. Ivan Provorov had two assists.

''We want to keep pushing here, there is no give up from our group,'' Elliott said. ''Tomorrow is another big test and we just got to respond the right way and comeback with another gutsy effort.''

Brendan Smith and Artemi Panarin scored New York, and Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves. The Rangers fell for the second straight game after four consecutive victories against the New Jersey Devils.

The teams will finish the eight-game season series Friday night in New York.

''We know what's at stake every game,'' Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. ''At this point there are only so many left, but we're going to keep fighting until we're officially maybe out of it. Boston winning, us losing, it hurts, but we've got a resilient group in there and I think we'll just keep fighting and take it game by game.''

Former Rangers forward Kevin Hayes won an offensive-zone faceoff prior to van Riemsdyk deflecting Provorov's shot from the point at 10:29 of the third period to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. It was the second time in six chances Philadelphia converted on the man advantage.

''Most of his goals are second opportunities in front of the net, tip ins, screens,'' Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said of van Riemsdyk. ''That's where you score the goals. You got to get in front of that net, near that blue paint. He certainly understands that. When he is on top of his game, he is doing that extremely well.''

Voracek extended the Flyers' lead to two goals with a wrist shot that sailed past the glove of Shesterkin at 14:07. Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere assisted.

Philadelphia evened it at 1 late in the second period with an odd deflection off the face of van Riemsdyk. Travis Konecny's shot deflected off Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller's stick before hitting van Riemsdyk and trickling into the back of the net. The power forward immediately went to the locker room following the play but would return early in the third period.

''Ultimately, I know that's my bread and butter, being in front of the net especially on the power play and being a productive player there,'' van Riemsdyk said. ''But, it's that fine line of just standing in front of the goalie and also just playing hockey and being a part of making more plays.''

Smith opened the scoring with a slap shot from the top of the right circle shortly after New York's power play expired at 9:55 of the first period. Miller and Filip Chytil assisted on the play.

Zac Jones picked up 9:45 of ice time in his NHL debut Thursday. Jones recently turned pro after leading the University of Massachusetts to the college championship this season. New York selected Jones in the third round of the 2019 NHL draft.

''I thought he got better and better as the game went on,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said of Jones. ''Not an easy situation to be put in and I thought he handled himself well.''

Elliott's best save of the game came midway through the second period to keep the Flyers deficit at one. Ryan Strome slid the puck from the slot over to Panarin before Elliott made a lunging glove save.

''There is no doubt when a goaltender does that for you it brings a tremendous amount of confidence to the rest of the group,'' said Vigneault. ''When your goaltender is making the saves, it permits you to go out there and feel that there are some plays that you might be able to make and play a better game.''

Joel Farabee had an opportunity to give the Flyers a one-goal advantage late in the second period when he was awarded a penalty shot after being taken down on a breakaway. Farabee tried a series of dekes that resulted in a backhand chance that Shesterkin calmly turned away.

Panarin trimmed the Flyers' lead to 3-2 at 18:00 of the third period with a slap shot from the left point.

RESTED FLYERS

The Flyers had their first three-day break in game action in over two months since a pause in their season in mid-February due to COVID-19 prior to the victory against the Rangers. This was the third time this season they have had three days or more between games.

GROUP EFFORT

The Blueshirts are the only NHL team that has five players who have 40 or more points this season (Pavel Buchnevich, Fox, Panarin, Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad). In addition, the Rangers are one of only two NHL teams that have four players who have 16 or more goals in 2020-21 (along with Florida; Chris Kreider, Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad, Panarin).

TRI-STATE-AREA

The Rangers are currently in the midst of a 17-game stretch where they solely play in the New York Metropolitan area. The stretch began April 6 and is scheduled to end May 6 when the the Rangers travel to Boston.

Georgiev has 26 saves as Rangers beat Flyers 4-1

NEW YORK (AP) Alexandar Georgiev stopped 26 shots, Pavel Buchnevich and rookie Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and an assist, and the New York Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 Friday night for their fifth win in seven games.

Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil also scored and Artemi Panarin had two assists to help the Rangers bounce back one night after a 3-2 loss to the Flyers. New York pulled back six points behind Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division. The Rangers have eight games remaining while the Bruins have 10.

''It is just important to focus on the day-to-day, worrying about the things we can control,'' Kreider said. ''I thought we defended better. I thought we were a lot more crisp throughout.''

Oskar Lindblom scored for Philadelphia and third-string goalie Alex Lyon finished with 20 saves.

Georgiev, who improved to 8-5-2 this season, has allowed two goals or fewer in five of seven career appearances against the Flyers, including one goal or fewer in four of those games. The Bulgarian-born goalie has won four of his last five appearances against Philadelphia including a 26-save shutout in a 9-0 win in his last appearance against Philadelphia on March 17 at home.

''We just played our game, didn't force anything,'' Georgiev said.

The Flyers continued their second-half swoon during the abbreviated 56-game season in which division rivals face each other eight times. Philadelphia was 11-4-3 after beating Buffalo on Feb. 28 but have gone 10-15-4 since to fall nearly out of the playoff race under former Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.

''We had a lot of Grade-A opportunities to fight our way back into this game,'' Vigneault said. ''Their goaltender was in the right place at the right time tonight.''

Kreider opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 6:02 of the first, sliding the puck past Lyon. It was Kreider's 20th goal this season, marking the sixth time the veteran forward has reached that mark. It was also Kreider's 11th power-play goal this season.

Panarin and Adam Fox registered assists on Kreider's goal. It was the 100th assist as a Ranger for Panarin, who signed a free agent in July 2019. Panarin has points in eight of his last nine games against Philadelphia.

Lindblom tied it at 6:47 with his seventh goal, guiding the puck past Georgiev. Lindblom had just one point in his previous 14 games.

Buchnevich put the Rangers ahead 2-1 at 7:56 with his 20th, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Lafreniere.

The teams played a scoreless second during which the Flyers had a golden opportunity to tie the contest when they had a two-man advantage for more than a minute late in the period. But the best save of the sequence belonged to Lyon, who denied Chytil on a breakaway just after the forward left the penalty box.

''It was a huge kill for us, the guys really stepped up,'' added Georgiev. ''It was a long 5-on-3. I just tried to be in position for anything.''

Lafreniere made it 3-1 at 9:24 of the third for his ninth of the season. Buchnevich and Zibanejad assisted. Zibanejad has seven goals and 10 assists this season against the Flyers, including two six-point games. His performance another confidence boost for the 19-year-old Lafreniere, the first overall pick by the Rangers in last year's draft who is appreciating the opportunity to play with skilled line mates Zibanejad and Buchnevich.

The Rangers have are 12-2-0 in contests in which Lafreniere has a point this season, including an 8-1-0 record in games in which the young forward has scored.

''I'm just trying to learn every day at practice and get better,'' Lafreniere said. ''It's great for me to play with Mika and Buch. I think we are three players with great vision. We are moving the puck well. It's a lot of fun playing with them.''

Chytil completed the scoring with his eighth at 13:40, with assists to Kaapo Kakko and Panarin, who leads the Rangers with 55 points in 37 games.

The Rangers are 19-4-4 this season which Panarin has a point. The 29-year-old Russian forward has 98 points (35 goals, 63 assists) in 59 career games at Madison Square Garden, including 12 goals and 24 assists in 18 home games this season.

After beating the New Jersey Devils four straight times, the Rangers were coming off a 6-1 road loss to the Islanders on Tuesday and Thursday's dispiriting 3-2 loss to the Flyers. The Flyers had won the last two meetings between the teams, including a 2-1 decision on March 27 at Philadelphia.

Rangers coach David Quinn said despite dwindling games on the schedule, his team's focus would not ebb,

''We know the task in front of us,? Quinn said. ''We have to continue to approach each night the right way and we have a chance to win.''

QUIRKY SCHEDULE

Friday's game was the 308th all-time contest between the Rangers and Flyers and the first time in their history they played games on back-to-back days in the same city. And according to NHL Stats and Information, New York played two consecutive games regular-season games against the same opponent at the Garden on back-to-back days for the first time in franchise history, which dates back to 1926.

SURGING FOX

Fox's assist gave him 43 points (5 goals, 38 assists) in 47 games this season, surpassing his rookie season points total of 42 points in 70 games. His 38 assists leads all NHL defensemen and the 23-year-old had 10 points - all assists - against the Flyers this season.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host New Jersey on Sunday in first of four straight against the Devils.

Rangers: Host Buffalo on Sunday in first of two straight at Madison Square Garden.

Zibanejad's hat trick carries Rangers past Sabres 6-3

NEW YORK (AP) Mika Zibanejad scored three times for his third hat trick in 22 games and seventh of his career to help lift the New York Rangers past the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 on Sunday night.

Kaapo Kakko added two goals and Kevin Rooney had an empty-netter for the Rangers, who pulled within four points of Boston for the final playoff spot in the East Division after the Bruins lost 1-0 to Pittsburgh earlier Sunday.

Adam Fox had three assists and Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves to improve to 4-0-1 in his career against Buffalo.

The Rangers won for the seventh time in their last 10 games and improved to 5-1-1 against the Sabres this season, including 3-0-0 at home. The teams meet again Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

''We can't control what's going on around the league,'' coach David Quinn said regarding the playoff race. ''We've just got to keep taking each game as it is and keep playing meaningful hockey until someone tells us these games aren't meaningful.''

Jeff Skinner, Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart scored for the Sabres. Dustin Tokarski made 23 saves.

Zibanejad opened the scoring 4:49 into the first period with a hard wrist shot from the right wing.

Skinner tied it less than two minutes later, stopping teammate Colin Miller's shot from the point with his stick before backhanding the puck past Shesterkin. Skinner has three goals in his last 11 games after scoring just three in his first 35 games of the season.

Kakko gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead midway through the first with a one-timer off an impressive pass from Fox.

''That's his vision,'' Kakko said of Fox. ''He's a great player and when he's got the puck at the blue line, just be ready, he can do something like that.''

Fox has 11 points - one goal, 10 assists - in seven games against the Sabres this season.

Filip Chytil had a great chance to add to the Rangers' lead later in the first but missed an open net, shooting just wide.

Zibanejad scored his second of the night shortly after, making the score 3-1.

With Rasmus Dahlin in the penalty box for interference, Zibanejad redirected a pass from Artemi Panarin to beat Tokarski from the slot.

Zibanejad completed his hat trick 2:05 into the second period when he gave New York a 4-1 lead. Controlling a pass from Pavel Buchnevich between his legs as he crossed the blue line, Zibanejad carried the puck deep before scoring from a tight angle.

''I've probably had better games than tonight where I didn't have three goals,'' Zibanejad said. ''The puck just seemed to go in today. When you have that feeling, you just keep shooting.''

Buffalo had an opportunity to cut into the Rangers' lead midway through the second period when Ryan Strome and Buchnevich committed back-to-back penalties. With just six seconds remaining in the second power play, Olofsson found the back of the net to make the score 4-2.

Following a shot by Buchnevich, Kakko jammed home the rebound to score on the power play 7:06 into the third period, giving New York a 5-2 lead. With an assist on the goal, Zac Jones earned his first career point in his third NHL game.

''It was a pretty easy one, if I say so myself,'' Jones said. ''Just give the puck to Buchnevich, let him do what he does.''

Reinhart cut the Rangers' lead to 5-3 midway through the third period. Tokarski recorded the secondary assist on the goal, earning his first point since Jan. 17, 2015.

''They play a wide-open game,'' coach Don Granato said of the Rangers. ''They sling pucks, east-west, spread the ice out very well. We dug ourselves too big of a hole.''

Zibanejad had a chance for a fourth goal with a short-handed breakaway with less than four minutes remaining, but couldn't score.

RANGERS DUO HURTING SABRES

With their assists, Fox and Panarin became the first Rangers to record at least one point in five straight games against the Sabres in a single season since Pete Stemkowski in 1973-74.

RANGERS SPECIAL TEAMS KEY

The Rangers outscored the Sabres 2-1 on the power play and added a short-handed goal, making them 16-3-2 this season when outscoring their opponent on special teams.

DEFENSEMEN MOVES

Miller returned to Buffalo's lineup in place of William Borgen, who was rested after returning from a two-month injury layoff to play Thursday and Friday. ... Jacob Trouba missed his third straight game for the Rangers due to an upper-body injury.

Lafreniere, Zibanejad help Rangers top Sabres, 3-1

NEW YORK (AP) Alexis Lafreniere scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the New York Rangers beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Mika Zibanejad and Brendan Smith also scored and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves as New York improved to 9-2-0 in its last 11 home games. Ryan Strome added two assists.

Sam Reinhart scored and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 38 saves for Buffalo, which has lost three of four.

Midway through the third period, Strome's aggressive forecheck created a turnover behind Buffalo's net, which led to Lafreniere's 10th goal of his rookie season. The sequence started after New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren aided Shesterkin to keep the game tied at 1.

''He did a great job calling for the pass,'' Strome said of Lafreniere. ''I heard him so when I spun, I saw him. Great shot by him. He's elevated his game. You can see the confidence. I mean, realistically he would only be about halfway through his first NHL season. He's picked up his game significantly.''

Zibanejad doubled New York's advantage with a power-play goal at 13:49. The Rangers hit two posts during a 5-on-3 advantage but eventually cashed in when Chris Kreider set up the Swedish center with a cross-ice backhand pass. It was Zibanejad's 20th goal of the season - the fourth time he has reached that milestone with the Rangers and sixth overall.

The Rangers have won seven of nine and trail the Boston Bruins by four points for the final playoff spot in the East Division.

''The old sports cliche - we just have to have be ready to win hockey game on Thursday,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''That's all we can manage, that's all we can focus on, that's all that matters. We are still playing meaningful hockey; we have a chance.''

Reinhart made it 1-1 in the final seconds of the second period with a one-time blast from the slot on the power play. Reinhart is tied for the NHL lead with 14 goals on the road this season.

Buffalo's alternate captain has five goals in the team's previous three games and has recorded 14 points in the 15 games Buffalo has played in April.

''We did a good job creating chances, we definitely could have limited a few more for them,'' Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt said. ''We created chances and the goalie played well. There are sometimes where you we got to bear down and finish some of those. I guess that's a positive, you always want to be creating chances.''

Smith opened the scoring early in the second period with a powerful slap shot just inside the blue line. Dylan Cozens failed to clear the puck from the Sabres defensive zone and Smith hammered the loose puck past Luukkonen at 2:22.

''We know what the scoreboard is saying but it ultimately lies with us,'' Smith said. ''We kind of hold our own fate. If you look too far in the future it looks like an impossible task, but if you take them day by day, game by game, it's more manageable and that's what we've been talking about.''

Luukkonen made his NHL debut and recorded his first career victory with a 36-save performance against the Boston Bruins last week. The Sabres selected the 22-year-old goaltender in the second round of the 2017 draft.

''I liked his confidence tonight,'' Sabres interim coach Don Granato said. ''His body language was very good, he was into it. That was really nice to see, that's a big one, that's everything to be confident.''

Buffalo will miss the playoffs for a 10th straight season, tied for an NHL record. The Sabres set a shootout-era record of 18 games without a victory (0-15-3) from February 25 to March 29, ending any hope of reaching the postseason.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The Rangers have outscored opponents 54-25 over their last 11 home games. New York has earned a point in 11 of its last 13 at home (10-2-1).

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

The Blueshirts are the only team that has five players (Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome) who have recorded at least 44 points in 2020-21. No other team has more than three. New York is also the only team that has four players with 17 or more goals.

TRI-STATE AREA

The Rangers are in the midst of a 17-game stretch in which they solely play in the New York area. It began April 6 and will end May 6 when the Rangers travel to Boston.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Varlamov gets 3rd shutout vs. Rangers in Islanders' 4-0 win

NEW YORK (AP) Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season and 250th career win as the New York Islanders beat the rival Rangers 4-0 Thursday night.

Leo Komarov, Oliver Wahlstrom, Anthony Beauvillier and Mathew Barzal scored, and Brock Nelson and Scott Mayfield each had two assists for the Islanders. Coming off three straight losses to first-place Washington, they won for the third time in eight games (3-4-1) to remain one point ahead of fourth-place Boston in the East Division.

''The locker room's buzzing right now,'' Wahlstrom said. ''That's a really big win for us. We're grinding a little bit for the past week and just to see everyone smiling again and put on two inches, that was awesome. It's a big win for sure.''

Varlamov had seven saves in the first period, 10 in the second and eight in the third for his 33rd career shutout and fourth win in five starts against the Rangers this season.

''It was a big game and we did an outstanding job defensively,'' Varlamov said. ''We didn't give up many chances. They had a couple of power play opportunities. We defended our net really well. I got to give credit to the team.''

Varlamov became the first goalie to shut out the Rangers three times at Madison Square Garden in one season.

''I like to play at Madison Square Garden,'' Varlamov said. ''Every time I play here it's very special to me. There's a lot of history in this arena. ... Every time I play here I try to have fun.''

Igor Shesterkin finished with 23 saves, falling to 0-4-1 in five starts against the Islanders.

The Rangers, who had won three straight and seven of the their last nine, fell six points behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot in the East. The Rangers have five games remaining and Boston has six - including two against each other.

''They were just on top of us,'' Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. ''They were moving a little quicker and cycling the puck real well and keeping us in the D zone. It was definitely tough to get odd-man chances or really second-chance opportunities, so credit them for that.''

The Rangers and Islanders meet again Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum.

With the Rangers on a power play trailing 3-0, they pulled Shesterkin for a 6-on-4 advantage with about 7 minutes left. Barzal came out of the penalty box, picked up a loose puck and scored into an empty net with 5:34 left for his 14th.

''There's a lot to like about (the game),'' Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. ''We were connected in all three zones. We just stayed with it. I liked the fact we didn't deviate the whole game and we were hard to play against. It was probably frustrating for them, and it was our game.''

Beauvillier pushed the Islanders' lead to 3-0 at 1:03 of the second period as he got a pass from Scott Mayfield, skated back into the right circle and fired it past Shesterkin for his 11th.

Varlamov made a nice glove save on rookie Vitali Kravtsov with 3:16 left in the second to keep the Rangers off the scoreboard.

Komarov gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the season. Nick Leddy brought the puck up the left side, passed to Jordan Eberle by the side boards, and Eberle sent a pass across to to Komarov, who quickly fired it past Shesterkin from the right faceoff dot 6:27 into the game.

With the Islanders on their second power play of the game, Wahlstrom got a pass from Nelson, skated between the circles and fired it past Shesterkin with 7:21 left in the opening period to make it 2-0. It was Wahlstrom's 10th of the season and first since March 25 at Boston.

''It was obviously nice,'' Wahlstrom said of his goal. ''The most important thing is just this win. Yeah, it's awesome I scored a goal but the win was just special for this room and everybody involved. I think we just carry on from this and get our game back to where it should be.''

SHESTERKIN GETS THE NOD

Shesterkin got the start in goal even though backup Alexandar Georgiev had a 9-2 record with a 1.70 goals-against average in nine career games against the Islanders. Rangers coach David Quinn pointed to Shesterkin's strong play since returning from an injury in late March - he was 9-4-2 with a 2.51 GAA in that stretch coming in - as the deciding factor.

LINDGREN SHAKEN UP

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren was shaken up after hitting the side boards hard while making a hit on the Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck 4 1/2 minutes into the third period. Lindgren was down on the ice for several minutes before being tended to and helped off the ice.

RANGERS LINEUP

Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba missed his fifth straight game due to an upper body injury sustained from a hard hit by the Islanders' Matt Martin in the teams' last meeting on April 20. Trouba took part in the Rangers' morning skate and Quinn said he is ''getting close'' and is day-to-day.

The Rangers were also without forward Chris Kreider, who missed the morning skate for ''maintenance'' and was a game-time decision.

BARZAL FINED

Barzal was fined $2,000 by the NHL as a supplementary discipline for diving/embellishment early in the second period of the Islanders' game against Washington last Thursday night. He was not penalized for the play during the game. It was the second time he was cited for the infraction. As per the collective bargaining agreement, he was issued a warning after a game against the Flyers on Jan. 30. The fine goes to the NHL Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Islanders beat Rangers 3-0 to clinch playoff spot

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) Anthony Beauvillier scored twice and Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots for his league-leading seventh shutout of the season as the New York Islanders beat the rival Rangers 3-0 Saturday night to clinch a playoff spot for the third straight year.

Mathew Barzal added a breakaway goal and Josh Bailey had three assists to help the Islanders beat the Rangers for the sixth time in eight meetings this season, including the last three by a combined 13-1 margin. A smattering of fans at Nassau Coliseum chanted ''we want playoffs'' as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock above center ice.

''I thought we did a good job of setting the tone early,'' Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. ''I thought we stayed on task. We didn't deviate. And we got the result we wanted.''

The 33-year-old Varlamov, who had three shutouts against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, added another as the Islanders dominated from start to finish. The Islanders have 10 shutouts overall in 51 games. Varlamov, who has three straight shutouts - including a 1-0 shootout loss to Washington - has not allowed a goal in 213 minutes, 56 seconds.

''I appreciate everything they do for me,'' Varlamov said of his teammates. ''This is beautiful.''

Alexandar Georgiev finished with 22 saves for the Rangers.

With Boston's win over Buffalo earlier Saturday, the Rangers trail the Bruins by eight points with four games remaining. Boston thus needs to earn just one point over its last six games to eliminate the Rangers.

The Rangers lost in last summer's play-in round to Carolina while the Islanders reached the conference finals where they lost to eventual champion Tampa Bay in six games.

The Islanders are third in the East Division, one point ahead of Boston. They are four points behind first-place Pittsburgh and two ahead of Washington. The Islanders and Capitals have four games left while the Penguins have five remaining.

Rangers forward Ryan Strome said his young team could regard recent losses to the experienced and postseason-tested Islanders as educational.

''This team is built to have a good playoff run. This is a good lesson for us,'' said Strome, who played four seasons with the Islanders. ''They have a lot of good attributes we can learn from.''

Beauvillier opened the scoring at 4:39 of the first period. Bailey and Nick Leddy assisted. That continued a season-long trend as the team that scored first won all eight meetings.

Barzal made it 2-0 at 16:22, beating Georgiev with on a breakaway with a backhand. Bailey had the lone assist. Barzal, who snapped a 12-game goal drought with an empty-net goal against the Rangers in Thursday's 4-0 win at the Garden, has seven goals and 25 points in 20 career games against the Rangers.

Beauvillier got his second of the night 62 seconds into the second with a shot from the the right circle that eluded Georgiev to the stick side. It was the 13th goal this season for Beauvillier and his 13th career goal in 21 games against the Rangers. Bailey and Brock Nelson had assists.

''It's easy to get fired up to play the Rangers,'' the 23-year-old Beauvillier said. ''At the Coli, you can feel the energy. I really enjoy playing the Rangers.''

Varlamov made 10 saves in the first, eight in the second and 10 more in the third. His best save came 12 minutes into the first period when he denied Pavel Buchnevich on a 2-on-1 with Artemi Panarin. He foiled Buchnevich again at 10:49 of the third on close-in shot from the crease. Varlamov improved to 19-9-4 on the season, his second with the Islanders.

''I'm really happy for Varly,'' Trotz said. ''He will tell you it's a team thing but this says a lot about our team - that's our 10th shutout.''

The Rangers, playing without injured defensemen Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren plus bruising forward Chris Kreider were overmatched by the more disciplined Islanders.

Finnish defenseman Tarmo Reunanen played in place of Lindgren, who was hurt in last Thursday's game. Forward Morgan Barron, a sixth-round draft pick by the Rangers in 2017, made his NHL debut on a line with center Kevin Rooney and fellow winger Julien Gauthier. The 22-year-old Barron played for three years at Cornell before skating with AHL Hartford this season.

''We were missing key guys, that's a tough pill to swallow,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said.

The contest marked the 132nd meeting between the teams at Nassau Coliseum, which the Islanders will leave following this season for their new home at Belmont Park beginning this fall.

The Islanders are 68-51-8-5 against the Rangers on Long Island since the franchise began play in 1972. The Islanders also won seven of eight meetings between the rivals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn where the Islanders played after leaving Nassau Coliseum the previous time in 2015.

Trotz added that he was particularly pleased to see his team clinch at home against a long-time rival like the Rangers.

''I look around our room and see guys like Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Cal Clutterbuck - guys who really cut their teeth in this building,'' Trotz said. ''I thought it was important in the last game to get a victory in this building.''

The Islanders also continued to dominate teams when they score at least three goals.

They are 23-4-3 this season when they achieve that mark and under Barry Trotz, who became their coach to start the 2018-19 season, the Islanders are 89-9-10 when scoring three of more goals.

IRONMAN NELSON

Islanders forward Brock Nelson passed captain Anders Lee for the third-longest consecutive game streak in club history by playing his his 296th straight game. Nelson trails only Bob Nystrom (301) and Billy Harris (576) for longest consecutive game streaks in franchise history. Lee's streak ended with he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Devils on March 11. Forward Mathew Barzal has played 283 straight games and defenseman Ryan Pulock has a streak of 246 consecutive games.

MAY GAMES

Because of the quirky pandemic-condensed schedule, the Islanders were playing only the second regular-season May game in their history on Saturday. The previous May regular season game was May 2, 1995, at Nassau Coliseum, a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders were facing the Rangers in May for the first time in any venue since sweeping their rivals in the 1981 semifinals, when they won the final game of the series on May 5th at Madison Square Garden.

UP NEXT:

Rangers: Host Washington on Monday in first of two straight at Madison Square Garden.

Sprong sends Capitals to 6-3 win, Rangers eliminated

NEW YORK (AP) Daniel Sprong's tiebreaking goal early in the third period propelled the Washington Capitals to a 6-3 victory over the fading New York Rangers, who were knocked out of playoff contention Monday night.

Nic Dowd, Conor Sheary, Garnet Hathaway, Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson also scored for the Capitals as they snapped a two-game skid. Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves to earn the 19th win of his rookie season.

''It's a gutsy win,'' Capitals defenseman John Carlson said after returning from a two-game absence. ''These are important points, important games for us as a team. I think there were a lot of guys battling extra hard. It wasn't the easiest of games the way it played out. I liked the way we stuck with it, overcame some adversity throughout different points of the game.''

Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Kaapo Kakko had a goal for New York, which dropped its third consecutive game. Artemi Panarin added two assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 34 shots, but the young Rangers were eliminated from the postseason picture when Boston beat New Jersey.

''Just another level of disappointment,'' coach David Quinn said. ''Just didn't get enough done this year. Had some great moments, some great stretches, but just wasn't enough.''

Alex Ovechkin returned to the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury but went to the locker room after playing 39 seconds in the first period and did not return. Washington's captain remains one goal from tying Marcel Dionne for fifth on the NHL's career list.

Sprong put the Capitals ahead 4-3 at 4:37 of the third. Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith misplayed a puck that set up Sprong for his 12th goal of the season.

''He is trying to attack the game with speed. He is a fast player and I think the goals are a result of that,'' Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. ''When he is moving, he is dangerous. . The last five or six games, he has played well, he has stood out.''

Backstrom provided insurance when he flipped the puck over Shesterkin's glove at 11:41 to make it 5-3.

Hathaway knotted the game at 3 with his sixth of the season at 18:30 of the second. Dowd stripped the puck from 21-year-old defenseman K'Andre Miller prior to a scramble in front that Hathaway eventually capitalized on.

''I thought it was a good forecheck by us and that's something we take a lot of pride in,'' Hathaway said. ''It's a line goal for sure - they don't have to be pretty.''

New York erased a 2-0 deficit with three consecutive goals.

Zibanejad notched his second of the game on the power play at 2:30 of the second. Ryan Strome found the Swedish center all alone in the slot after receiving a cross-ice pass from Panarin.

Kakko gave New York a 3-2 advantage at 4:35 with a skilled forehand-backhand maneuver. Alexis Lafreniere fooled Washington defenseman Zdeno Chara with a deke to his backhand to set up Kaako.

Zibanejad trimmed the Rangers' first-period deficit to one goal with his 21st of the season at 18:00. Panarin received a pass outside the blue line, then gracefully spun into the offensive zone and found a streaking Zibanejad. The goal snapped a Rangers scoring drought of 144:11 that included back-to-back shutout losses against the New York Islanders.

The Capitals gained a two-goal advantage with first-period goals from Dowd and Sheary just 92 seconds apart.

Dowd opened the scoring when his wrist shot zipped through the legs of Shesterkin at 14:12.

Washington doubled its advantage when a puck eluded several Rangers skaters and found its way to Sheary's stick before a turnaround wrist shot. Michael Raffl and Wilson assisted.

Panarin did not return after a second-period quarrel that led to a double-minor penalty and 10-minute misconduct for Wilson. The bruising forward added an empty-net goal late in the third.

''I figure you should have some more respect for the game and for the players,'' Zibanejad said of Wilson's play. ''I don't honestly know where to start, it's just horrible. Zero respect. I don't know why I'm surprised, but yeah, just horrible.''

ROSTER SHUFFLING

Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and goaltender Ilya Samsonov did not dress for disciplinary reasons after being late to a team function. . F T.J. Oshie missed the game while attending to a personal family matter. . D Justin Schultz unexpectedly did not participate in warmups due to a lower-body injury. As a result, Washington was only able to dress 17 skaters (11 forwards, six defensemen) instead of the permitted 18.

BALANCED ATTACK

The Rangers are the only NHL team that has five players with at least 44 points (no other team has more than three). New York is one of two clubs with three players who have 20 or more goals (Pittsburgh is the other).

TRI-STATE AREA

The Rangers are in the midst of a 17-game stretch in which they only play in the New York metropolitan area (11 games at MSG, four at Nassau Coliseum and two at Prudential Center in New Jersey). It began April 6 and will end Thursday when the Rangers visit Boston.

UP NEXT

The teams conclude their eight-game season series Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Capitals beat Rangers 4-2 in fight-filled game

NEW YORK (AP) T.J. Oshie had a hat trick, Vitek Vanecek made 19 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the depleted New York Rangers 4-2 in a fight-filled game Wednesday night.

Oshie beat Alexandar Georgiev 12 seconds into the middle period with a shot from the right circle with Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich in the penalty box.

Oshie scored again at 8:26 of the second - again with Buchnevich penalized for a high-sticking major - his 20th goal of the season.

Oshie, whose father died this week, completed his hat trick with an empty net goal at 18:20 of the third.

''We are trying to be there for him and take care of him and he ends up taking care of us,'' Dowd said of Oshie who was surrounded in a giant group hug from teammates at the Capitals bench.

Nic Dowd also scored for Washington at 14:48 of the second with assists to defenseman John Carlson and Dmitri Orlov, his second of the game.

Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere ruined Vanecek's shuout bid at 1:15 of the third period with his 11th goal of the season. Fellow rookie forward Morgan Barron scored his first NHL goal at 18:44 to complete the scoring.

Vanecek, the 25-year-old rookie from the Czech Republic, improved to 20-9-4 this season. Vanecek was elevated into a key role for the Capitals when former Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist signed with Washington but couldn't play because of a heart condition requiring surgery.

Georgiev made 31 saves.

The Capitals moved into a first-place tie with idle Pittsburgh in the East Division. Washington has three games left while the Penguins have two.

''I thought our guys really hung together and stuck together, did what we needed to do and got to the two points and heading home,'' Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. ''I think the way we just stuck up for each other and played for each other the entire night, I thought we did a good job just staying disciplined as well. It was the game that was kind of dealt to us and I thought our guys did a terrific job with it.''

The dismal loss - the Rangers' fourth straight - came in their home finale and on the same day the organization stunningly fired President John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton. The team said former Ranger Chris Drury would take over both jobs.

''It's obviously a crazy day. You add in the anxiety or anticipation all day from our group, and then waking up from a pregame nap with the whole set of news,'' Rangers forward Ryan Strome said. ''It's never easy, I think, in pro sports. It's a tough business.''

The contest also followed Monday's 6-3 loss to the Capitals in which Washington forward Tom Wilson pummeled Rangers top scorer Artemi Panarin after Wilson had punched Buchnevich during a scrum near the Capitals net. The loss eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Wilson was assessed 14 minutes in penalties but not tossed from the game. On Tuesday, the NHL fined the Capitals agitator $5,000 leading the Rangers to issue a scathing statement criticizing the league and its director of player safety, George Parros.

Wednesday's game had six fights in the first period, commencing with a center-ice brawl right off the opening faceoff. Rangers center Kevin Rooney fought Dowd; winger Phil DiGuiseppe went with Washington's Garnet Hathaway while Colin Blackwell battled former Ranger Carl Hagelin.

Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith then took on Wilson at the 50-second mark. Smith received an extra two-penalty for instigating the fight with Wilson, who was booed loudly every time he skated on the ice.

''I think it was good. We were just trying to stick up for our teammate,'' Smith said. ''It was a good response for sure.''

Rangers Ryan Strome battled Lars Eller of Washington and Rangers defenseman Anthony Bitetto fought Washington's Michael Raffl at 4:14 of the first.

Wilson left the game after the first period. with an upper-body injury after skating four shifts for a total of two minutes and 36 seconds.

The penalty boxes were overflowing for both teams. At one point, there were six Capitals crammed into the visiting box.

In addition to their leading scorer Panarin - who was hurt in Monday's skirmish with Wilson - the Rangers were also without injured defensemen Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren and forwards Chris Krieder and Brett Howden.

''When you play for each other and do things for other people, there's no better felling about creating unity and feeling like a team,? Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''I think we took a step forward as a team.''

MISSING OVECHKIN

The Capitals were without captain Alex Ovechkin again Wednesday night. Ovechkin skated only 39 seconds Monday night before leaving the game. He also missed the previous four games with a lower-body injury. Ovechkin needs one goal to tie Marcel Dionne at 731 for fifth place all-time.

RANGERS' HOME SUCCESS

The Rangers finished 14-11-3 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have a .500 points percentage or better at home for the 16th straight season back to 2005-06. That is tied for the longest streak in franchise history with the first 16 seasons in franchise history from 1926-27 to 1941-42.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Visit Boston for final two games of regular season Thursday and Saturday.

Rangers fire president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton

Chris Drury will be the new team president and general manager

The New York Rangers fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday, according to Larry Brooks of The New York Post. Chris Drury, who currently serves as the team's associate general manager, will be the new team president and general manager.

The firings come one day after the Rangers released a statement related to the Tom Wilson incident from Monday. In that statement, the Rangers wrote that they believe George Parros -- the NHL's Head of Safety -- is "unfit to continue in his current role."

However, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that Davidson and Gorton being let go isn't related to that statement. According to TSN, the decision was made because the Rangers "underachieved" during the 2021 season.

During Monday's game between the Capitals and Rangers, a brawl started when forward Pavel Buchnevich had a scoring chance in front of Capital goalie Vitek Vanecek. Buchnevich ended up falling to the ice following play being whistled and Wilson delivered a punch to the back of Buchnevich's head while he was down.

Rangers forward Ryan Strome was able to pull Wilson off of Buchnevich, and then Artemi Panarin got involved and jumped on Wilson's back in an effort to defend his teammates. Wilson pulled the Rangers star down to the ice and began punching Panarin when he tried to get up.

Panarin ended up receiving a two-minute penalty for roughing. Meanwhile, Wilson was able to return and scored a goal in the third period for Washington.

Following the game, Wilson was fined $5,000, which is the maximum fine allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NHL specified that the fine is for Wilson punching a defenseless Buchnevich -- not for throwing Panarin to the ice. Hours after the NHL revealed that Wilson was only going to be fine and wasn't suspended, they released the statement calling out Parros.

The Rangers fell out of playoff contention on Monday following that 6-3 loss to the Capitals. They are currently 26-21-6 and face the Capitals again on Wednesday night.

Bruins beat Rangers 4-0 for 5th victory in 6 games

BOSTON (AP) Patrice Bergeron scored in his fourth straight game, Jeremy Swayman needed to stop only 15 shots for his second career shutout and the Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers 4-0 on Thursday night.

Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo also scored and Brad Marchand and David Krejci had two assists apiece to help the Bruins win for the fifth time in six games. The teams will meet again on Saturday in Boston.

The Rangers, in the midst of a tumultuous week that included the firing of the club's president and general manager, were listless from the start and lost their fifth straight. New York had just four shots on goal in the first period and three in the second.

''We didn't lay down. I know the shots were what they were and it looked ugly at times, but these guys competed,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said. ''There's a lot of good here right now. It's just unfortunate that we're in this position. ''

Swayman managed to stay sharp despite most of the action occurring at the other end of the ice until the third period.

''We did a real good job in front of our goaltender. We did not give up much tonight,'' Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. ''Obviously, we had a team come in here that went through an emotional process yesterday. But still, you've still got to play the game and I thought we did a really good job in front of him.

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin had a much busier night, stopping 30 shots and preventing the New York from a larger rout.

Swayman, playing exactly a month after his NHL debut, won for the fifth time in his last six starts.

''He's having a blast and he's playing well,'' McAvoy said. ''Seeing his attitude, the way he does it and how he carries himself, he loves to have fun at the rink and it's awesome and it's contagious.''

The Bruins gave Swayman a lead to work with 7:11 into the game, when Marchand fed Bergeron from behind the net for a one-timer from the right circle.

Marchand picked up another assist on a pass setting up McAvoy's power-play slap shot that put Boston up 2-0 with 1:25 left in the first period.

DeBrusk beat Shesterkin on a breakaway 14:01 into the second period to put the Bruins up 3-0. It was just the fifth goal of the season for DeBrusk, who hadn't scored since April 10.

Carlo hadn't scored since Feb. 1, missing much of March and April with injuries before returning to the lineup this week. He scored on a funny angle Thursday, skating with the puck down to the goal line and firing a shot toward the front of the net, where it deflected off of Shesterkin's right skate and into the net 1:07 into the third period to put Boston up 4-0.

It was the Rangers' first game since owner James Dolan fired team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday. That came a day after the club's public criticism of NHL head of player safety George Parros about a melee with the Washington Capitals on Monday drew a $250,000 fine from the NHL.

''Obviously, we all know the situation that we're in,'' Quinn said. ''Every team goes through rough stretches with injuries during COVID. Ours happens to be at the end of the season when we're out of the playoff hunt, playing a team vying for a Stanley Cup, after an emotional 48 hours for everybody - for a variety of reasons.''

NOTES: The Rangers were without star center Artemi Panarin, who was injured during the chaos at Washington that ended his season. The Rangers were also without injured defensemen Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren and forwards Chris Krieder and Brett Howden. . LW Pavel Buchnevich was out of the lineup for New York as he served a one-game suspension for cross-checking Washington's Anthony Mantha on Wednesday night. ... Bruins F Charlie Coyle, who missed the third period Tuesday at New Jersey with an undisclosed injury, was out of the lineup.

Zibanejad scores 2 in 3rd as Rangers edge Bruins 5-4

BOSTON (AP) Mika Zibanejad scored two of New York's four third-period goals, and the Rangers ended their season with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday to halt a five-game losing streak.

Alexis Lafreniere and Vitali Kravtsov also scored in a wild third when the Rangers turned a 2-1 deficit to a 4-2 edge. K'Andre Miller added a goal for the Rangers, and Keith Kinkaid made 28 saves before leaving with an injury midway into the third. Igor Shesterkin finished up in net with seven saves.

New York, which was eliminated from the playoffs, will finish in fifth in the NHL's East division. It ended a strange week for the Rangers, who fired their president and general manager and were fined by the NHL.

''The last 10 days or so have been kind of crazy,'' said Zibanejad, who finished up with 24 goals and 26 assists. ''We got the win and got to finish up the season in somewhat of a nice way.''

David Pastrnak scored his 200th career goal, Brad Marchand had his team-leading 28th, and Patrice Bergeron and Nick Ritchie also scored for the Bruins, who had earned at least a point in their previous six games (5-0-1). Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots.

''They definitely came up hard and I felt like we weren't ready,'' Pastrnak said. ''We've got to learn and move on.''

Boston leads the New York Islanders by one point and can clinch third in the East by earning two points in its final two games. The Bruins host the Islanders on Monday night and visit Washington on Tuesday night.

Zibanejad tied it 2-2 with a wrister from the slot 5:01 after Pastrnak scored on a one-timer from the right circle 21 seconds into the third.

''It's just perplexing how it all happened at once,'' Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of the Bruins falling apart.

Lafreniere cut in alone and slipped a backhander over Rask at 7:26. Kravtsov then one-timed in a shot in at 9:36.

Marchand's power-play goal sliced it to 4-3 with 5:52 left in the third, but Zibanejad's second of the game and 200th of his career made it 5-3. Bergeron scored with Rask pulled for an extra skater, but the Rangers held on.

''You're talking about an elite hockey player,'' Rangers coach David Quinn said of Zibanejad. ''To finish with 50 points after the start he had shows the type of player he is.''

Ritchie, voted the club's Seventh Player Award by the fans for someone who ''exceeded expectations,'' tied it after Miller had moved New York ahead 6:21 into the second.

''I think we can learn from that,'' Ritchie said. ''You never give up in a hockey game or get complacent.''

Kinkaid was solid through two periods, stopping 27 shots - 18 in the second - and even had a little luck when Pastrnak fired a shot off the crossbar.

A WEEK TO FORGET

The Rangers closed their final week of the season with the firing of the team's president and general manager, a night filled with fights against Washington in response to the Capitals' Tom Wilson not being suspended and a $250,000 fine from the NHL for the club's public criticism of the league's head of player safety George Parros about Wilson's punishment of only a fine for his actions during a melee on Monday.

Associate general manager Chris Drury became the new president and GM after owner James Dolan fired president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton on Wednesday.

''It's been difficult, but it was great to finish the way we did,'' Quinn said. ''It's exciting for us to get Chris's first win as a general manager.''

DECISION TO MAKE

The Bruins will have to decide who backs up No. 1 goalie Rask in the playoffs.

Rookie Jeremy Swayman has been outstanding, going 7-2 with a 1.44 goals-against-average in nine starts, and veteran Jarsolav Halak has playoff experience.

''It's Tuukka first, we know that,'' Cassidy said before the game. ''Certainly, Swayman has done everything we've asked. A good problem to have when you have three capable goaltenders.''

NOTES: Pastrnak's goal was his 20th, the fifth straight season he's reached that mark. . Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich returned to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for high-sticking Washington's Anthony Mantha on Wednesday. . Cassidy said forward Ondrej Kase, out since Jan. 16 with an upper-body injury, had a good practice Friday with ''a little more exertion'' and that it ''bodes well'' for him possibly playing in one of the final two games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Training camp next season.


SEASON OVER. NO PLAYOFFS

Rangers fire head coach David Quinn after three seasons with team

Quinn's firing is the latest change in what has turned into a front office makeover for the Rangers

David Quinn's time in New York is up. The New York Rangers announced on Wednesday morning that they dismissed the head coach of his duties. A search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Quinn's assistant coaches David Oliver, Jacques Martin and Greg Brownas were also fired.

Goalie coach Benoit Allaire was the lone coach from Quinn's staff that was not fired.