Chris Kreider scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of the shootout, leading the New York Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
Kaapo Kakko tallied a goal and an assist. At the same time, Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere also found the net, helping the Rangers secure their third consecutive win and extend their dominance over the Devils with their seventh straight victory in the series. Alexandar Georgiev recorded 24 saves.
Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt each contributed a goal and an assist for New Jersey, with Dougie Hamilton adding another goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 30 saves before leaving in the third period due to concussion protocol, and Jonathan Bernier made eight saves in relief.
Kakko, Artemi Panarin, and Ryan Strome scored in the shootout for New York, while Bratt, Hamilton, and Andreas Johnsson found the net for New Jersey.
“To be honest with you, (Kreider) was hiding at the end of the bench,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said.
Bratt had a prime opportunity to win overtime on a breakaway, but Georgiev made the crucial save.
“Just make the saves; that’s my job,” Georgiev said. “The guys were so clutch. It’s nice to get rewarded.”
Kakko, who secured his first two points of the season, gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead 6:29 into the third period. Following a give-and-go with Strome, Kakko charged towards the net and scored his first goal of the season.
“I knew it was going to come. Today was the day,” Kakko said. “The first goal is sometimes the hardest after 10 games.”
Blackwood left the game shortly after Kakko’s goal, entering concussion protocol and being replaced by Bernier.
Zacha tied the game with 2:44 remaining in regulation, netting his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
“We never gave up,” Zacha said. “I think we kept pushing, never backed down from being offensive.”
The Devils earned a point, moving to 3-1-1 in their last five games.
“It turns out to be a real good point for our club,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “To bounce back and score late, we’ve got to take those points.”
Trailing 1-0 after the first period, Fox tied the game early in the second. Blackwood stopped Lafreniere’s shot, but Fox intercepted the clearing attempt and backhanded it into the net. Fox now has 16 points, tying him with Nashville’s Roman Josi for the most by a defenseman this season.
Lafreniere put the Rangers ahead 2-1 by knocking in the puck after Jacob Trouba’s shot landed behind Blackwood with 8:36 left in the second period.
New Jersey quickly responded with a power-play goal from Hamilton, who fired a wrist shot past Georgiev, marking his 350th career point.
“They’ve got defensemen who can move the puck real well,” Gallant said. “They found the middle of the ice a few times. That gave us some trouble for sure.”
Bratt opened the scoring for the Devils on a breakaway, slipping the puck between Georgiev’s legs at 15:23 of the first period. Bratt has scored in back-to-back games and has at least a point in four consecutive games.
Sammy Blais was helped off the ice early in the third period after a collision with Subban, appearing to injure his right leg.
NO LOVE FOR P.K.
The Madison Square Garden crowd booed Subban whenever he touched the puck. The animosity traces back to an Oct. 5 preseason game, when Subban’s tangle with Ryan Reaves resulted in an injury. Kreider later challenged Subban to a fight in that game. The fans’ disdain grew further after Blais’ similar incident on Sunday.
INJURY UPDATES
Due to concussion protocol, Igor Shesterkin was available to back up Georgiev after leaving Saturday’s game. Devils forward Tyce Thompson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury from Thursday’s game against the Islanders.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night.
- Rangers: Host Montreal on Tuesday night.
