Pavel Buchnevich celebrated his birthday by securing his first career hat trick, leading the New York Rangers to a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. This win marked the Rangers’ third triumph over their Hudson River rivals in just five days.
“Pavel is a highly skilled player with a great hockey IQ,” said teammate Artemi Panarin, who contributed a goal and three assists. “On his birthday, scoring a hat trick was special. He’s a key player for us, contributing in all aspects—defensively, on the penalty kill, and offensively.”
Buchnevich, now in his fifth NHL season, has made significant progress, leading the team with 19 goals despite not being on the top power-play unit. He’s also taken on responsibilities in penalty killing this year.
“I’ve grown to understand my game better,” Buchnevich explained. “It can be tough for young players to catch on quickly, but I hope to keep improving and play a solid 200-foot game.”
Ryan Strome added a goal and an assist during a three-goal first period, helping the Rangers extend their recent hot streak to 12-4-3 over the last 19 games.
“It’s encouraging to be in this position, playing meaningful hockey and just four points out of a playoff spot with 12 games left,” said Rangers coach Dave Quinn. “Anything can happen from here on out.”
Rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin appeared on track for his third consecutive shutout until the Rangers’ defense briefly faltered after taking a 4-0 lead.
Michael McLeod ended Shesterkin’s shutout streak at 152 minutes and 37 seconds, scoring from close range in the second period. New Jersey then narrowed the gap to 4-3 when P.K. Subban and Yegor Sharangovich scored within 64 seconds during a 4-on-4 in the third period.
The sudden surge prompted Quinn to call a timeout, helping the Rangers regain their focus.
After successfully killing off a Devils power play, Buchnevich and Chris Kreider added late empty-net goals to secure the win.
“We had enough chances to claw our way back into the game,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We had them on the ropes in the third period, even after their timeout. We kept pressing but couldn’t capitalize.”
The victory extended the Rangers’ point streak to a season-high five games (4-0-1), pulling them within four points of the idle Boston Bruins in the chase for the final playoff spot in the East Division. Boston has 14 games remaining.
Shesterkin finished with 30 saves, while Devils goaltender Aaron Dell made 24 saves in a losing effort. New Jersey has dropped five straight games and is 1-7-2 over their last 10.
Buchnevich ignited the Rangers’ offense and capped off the three-goal first period. He opened the scoring at 7:26, finishing off an odd-man rush with Mika Zibanejad, who tallied three assists. The next two goals came on power plays following a holding penalty on Damon Severson and a too-many-men penalty against New Jersey. Strome scored from a tight angle during the 5-on-3 advantage, and Buchnevich followed with his second goal, roofing a shot from the slot.
Panarin extended the lead to 4-0 early in the second period with a shot that deflected off Dell’s glove and into the net, bringing his career assist total to 301.
The Devils attempted a comeback but ultimately fell short.
The two teams will conclude their four-game series in New Jersey on Sunday. The Rangers have won the last five meetings and lead the series 5-2.
Game Notes:
The Rangers have scored three or more goals in 11 of their last 15 games and in 14 of their last 19. The Devils were without key players Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt, both sidelined with lower-body injuries. New Jersey defenseman Matt Tennyson returned to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 16, while forward Nate Bastian returned after missing 15 games. Dell made his first start since April 8. Shesterkin’s shutout streak against the Devils reached 199 minutes and 33 seconds, the longest by a Rangers goaltender against a single opponent in franchise history, surpassing the previous record set by Dave Kerr (198:07 against the Montreal Canadiens during the 1939-40 season).
