Rangers edge Flames to snap streak

Henrik Lundqvist raised his arms in a game-ending celebration as if it were playoff series clincher. It likely felt that way for the New York goalie as the Rangers snapped a brutal four-game losing streak.

Lundqvist made 28 saves in relief of Ondrej Pavelec, who injured his knee during the first period of an eventual 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.

Lundqvist replaced Pavelec to start the second and made 19 saves that period then stopped all nine shots in the third to secure the win, his team’s first since Jan. 25 at San Jose before the All-Star break. It was most saves Lundqvist ever made in a relief appearance.

“We’ve been losing a lot of one-goal games, which means we are one play away, we are one save away, one goal away from getting points,” said Lundqvist, who won in relief for the third time in his 13-year career with the Rangers. “Tonight we got that goal, we got that save in the end to keep the lead.”

Mika Zibanejad scored the go-ahead goal on a power play at 12:41 of the third period off a cross-ice pass from J.T. Miller. It was Zibanejad’s 16th goal of the season.

The Rangers ended Calgary’s three-game winning streak. New York had lost 10 of its last 13 games to fall out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Rangers forward Rick Nash, likely to be traded by the Feb. 26 deadline because of his expiring contract, tied it at 3 at 6:41 of the third with his 17th goal of the season. Michael Grabner and Kevin Hayes also scored.

Matthew Tkachuk put Calgary ahead 3-2 with his 18th goal of the season at 18:27 of the second on a power play. Brett Kulak had his first NHL goal, and Curtis Lazar also scored for the Flames.