Rangers 4 Flames 3

Three Stars

1. Rangers RW Michael Grabner — With a key goal to open the second period and an assist on Jesper Fast’s goal, New York’s fourth of the game, the speedy winger was on fire.

2. Flames D Dougie Hamilton — Playing his best hockey as of late and scored a power-play marker in the first period to put the Flames on the board, his eighth goal of the season.

3. Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk — Snapped up a giveaway by New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the first period and helped contribute to Hamilton’s power-play goal. Didn’t quit all game, either. Scored on a sneaky deflection during the third period to keep the Flames in it.

NOTES:

Heading into the game, the Flames were 5-0-0 when D Dougie Hamilton OR C Matt Stajan scored. That record dropped to 5-1-0 as Hamilton scored a firstperiod power-play marker … Also, before Sunday’s game, the Flames scored 30 goals on 100 opportunities since Dec. 1 — the most prolific man advantage in that span. Ten different players have scored at least one powerplay goal over that stretch … Thanks to Hamilton’s man advantage goal in the first period, they now have nine power-play goals in their last nine games … Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault got his 599th NHL career win … New York won its second home game in their past six … C Sean Monahan is quickly approaching his 100-goal milestone. He was held off the scoresheet in Sunday’s game, leaving him stuck with 99 career goals and nine goals in his last 11 games since his 11-game goalscoring drought. Reaching 100 would make him the youngest player in Flames history to hit that milestone … RW Kris Versteeg and LW Micheal Ferland both dropped the gloves on Sunday but Versteeg made the rookie mistake of not tying down his jersey and was ejected … Versteeg, by the way, tussled with New York RW Pavel Buchnevich while Ferland went with Rangers D Kevin Klein.