Rangers Win an Overtime Thriller against the Canadiens

Outlasting Montreal in the extra period

New York, NY- The New York Rangers honored some of their former players before their Original Six match-up against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. They had a back-and-forth game that many thought wouldn’t end with so many chances going against each other, but when they got to overtime, the Rangers put their stamp on the full two points as they defeated Montreal by a final score of five to four.

Three quick goals to put the Rangers behind

The Rangers started strong when the faceoff started the game. They had the advantage in shots and had control of the puck for the majority of the time in the opening session. But one moment started the Canadiens’ dominance. Nick Suzuki skated down the near side toward the end line and saw Zachary Bolduc sneaking in behind Carson Soucy. The quick pass allowed Bolduc to put his blade down and redirect it in at 12:41 of the first period.

Then a second goal came quickly, just over two minutes later. The Canadiens crashed the net trying to force the puck in, but when it was sent back to the far point, that’s when Arber Xhekaj just snapped a wrist shot towards the net. For Igor Shesterkin, there was a lot of traffic in the net, and he never saw the puck coming from the Canadiens and his own teammates as it went in at 14:10 of the first period.

Montreal’s third goal started from the far corner and along the far boards. Two quick passes from Joe Veleno to Lane Hutson. Who flicked a backhand pass to Jake Evans inside the far faceoff circle and ripped a rising shot off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the three-goal lead at 16:18 of the first period.

Quick turnaround for the Rangers

The Rangers finally got on the board, and they started the comeback toward the backend of the first period. They got a power play and began to work their magic. The second power play unit was out there when Conor Sheary had control of the puck, entered the Canadiens zone, but lost it just inside the blue line.

He got it back at the far point, found Will Cuylle down the boards. Cuylle skated toward the net and made the pass to Noah Laba, who took two whacks at the puck and finally scored to put the Rangers on the board and cut the deficit to two goals at 18:49 of the power play.

Then a big call came for the Rangers when they retrieved the puck at the far corner inside their own zone. A long pass that sprung Artemi Panarin into a breakaway, but was caught, grabbed, and spun around in front of the Canadiens’ net, the referee called for a penalty shot in favor of the Rangers.

Panarin picked up the puck at center ice and skated toward the near side. When he got toward the near faceoff circle, he turned toward the slot, outwaited the goaltender for a few moments, and snapped a hard shot that hit the inside of the near post, rimmed around inside the net, and the Rangers saved themselves from a disaster inside the first period at 19:08.

Another quick chance for Montreal

The Canadiens restored their two-goal lead in the second period, buzzing inside the Rangers’ zone. Hutson got control of the puck and skated down the ice inside the Rangers’ zone. He positioned himself to the far side and saw Josh Anderson skating down the near side. Made the pass to Anderson, and on a one timer, Anderson ripped it home at 3:17 of the second period.

The Rangers score two goals quickly

This Rangers team continued to fight back, despite being down by two goals. Laba was battling along the near boards. He got control of the puck and threw it across to the top of the far point to Matthew Robertson. His shot missed the net and went off the end boards, but Will Cuylle was at the right place at the right time, taking the puck at the near post and banking it off the goalie and in at 7:22 of the second period.

Then the Rangers tied the game up when Sheary stole the puck at the end boards and skated with it to the far corner. A pass back to the far point to Robertson, who shot it on the net, never got through. But J.T. Miller pucked up the loose puck and gave a quick backhander past the pads of the goalie to tie the game at 7:58 of the second period. The Rangers scored two goals in 36 seconds to tie the game at four apiece.

Overtime winner on the power play

The Rangers got a chance to win the game when the Canadiens committed a penalty in the overtime period. Jake Evens was called for slashing Artemi Panarin, and the Rangers quickly went to work. Vincent Trocheck down low on the far side went back to the far point to Mika Zibanejad. He found Miller wide open inside the near faceoff circle, and Miller ripped it for the one time and went short side inside the near post at 2:56 of Overtime on the power play to win the game.

“Well, when you look at the first period, we actually felt like we had a really good start. I thought we, you know, we were playing on our toes. We were controlling territory. We had some looks in the offensive zone. We didn’t give up a shot on goal until the first goal scored with… seven minutes plus. And so we go for almost 13 minutes.

We don’t give up a shot on goal in the first period. So, you know, that would suggest, I think, that we had the start that we were looking for. We felt like we were playing pretty well, you know. I was talking to coaches on the bench, you know. They scored that first goal, and then you know, they get the next one. We felt on the bench that we were playing pretty well. There were a couple of breakdowns that ended up in the back of our net.

I contemplated. Calling the time out. But we didn’t feel like it was necessary based on the way the group was playing. So we just try to hang in there to the end of the period. You know, it’s, so I’m not sure that. I’m not sure that things have changed. You know, I felt like the way we started the game, certainly the guys. The guys were just from a mindset. or a preparation standpoint, I think we were ready from the drop of the puck,” said Head Coach Mike Sullivan

HOME COOKING: New York has earned points in four-straight games at home (2-0-2).

UP AGAINST MONTREAL: The Rangers extended their point streak against the Canadiens to nine straight games, tied for their longest point streak against them since the 1939-40 season. New York has recorded multiple multi-goal comeback wins against Montreal in a single season for the second time since 1967-68 and the third time in franchise history (2019-20 & 1941-42).

J.T. MILLER: Scored the game-winning, overtime goal, his second of the season, and tallied his second multi-goal game of the year. He has registered six points (1G-5A) through his last six games.

ARTEMI PANARIN: Scored his first career penalty-shot goal, becoming the fifth Rangers player to score one against the Canadiens and the first to do so since Camille Henry (Mar. 8, 1958). His penalty shot goal was the first by a Ranger since Dan Boyle’s on Dec. 9, 2015, and the first at home since Sean Avery’s on Feb. 14, 2010. He has recorded seven points in his last six games, leads the Rangers in points (33), and his 11 goals this season are tied for the most on the team.

MIKA ZIBANEJAD: Tallied his 14th assist of the season on J.T. Miller’s game-winning, overtime goal. He has recorded 10 points through his last 10 games (4G-6A).

WILL CUYLLE: Skated in his 200th career NHL game, scoring his ninth goal of the season and recording his 10th power play point with an assist on Noah Laba’s goal. The Rangers’ record this season every time Cuylle has scored a goal is 8-0-0.

NOAH LABA: scored his first career NHL power play goal and notched his second multi-point game of the season.

IGOR SHESTERKIN: appeared in his 300th career NHL game.

New York Rangers News:

• Rangers outskated by Young Blackhawks side
• Rangers Fall in Overtime again to the Golden Knights
• Rangers edged in Overtime by Avalanche after a well played game

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