Mika’s OT goal lifts Rangers over Isles
When the puck came to Mika Zibanejad in overtime, he knew what he wanted to do.
Zibanejad scored 28 seconds into the extra period and the Rangers recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and beat the rival Islanders 4-3 Tuesday night in Uniondale for their eighth win in nine games.
On the winner, Artemi Panarin stole the puck and had a breakaway, but as he crossed the blue line, all three Islanders skaters converged on him and knocked the puck away. However, he managed to swat it to the middle and it went to Zibanejad, who fired it past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov,
“The puck popped out and I just felt like shooting, and it went in,” Zibaejad said of his 29th goal of the season and 100th with the Rangers. “I thought it was my opportunity to do something. Luckily went in.”
Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Greg McKegg and Brett Howden also scored and Ryan Lindgren had a career-high two assists to give the Rangers their franchiserecord eighth straight road win. They have also won 11 of 14 overall to pull four points behind Columbus for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
“We're finding a way right now and that's what we need going forward,” Zibanejad said. “Right now we're just really consistent the way we play and the way we manage games.”
Alexandar Georgiev, starting for the first time in nine days with Igor Shesterkin sidelined with a rib injury, stopped 42 shots to beat the Islanders for the third time in four starts this it season.
“This time of year, any team that wins a game in the National Hockey League your goalie better be good, and our guy was really good tonight,” Rangers coach David Quinn said.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored and got into a fight in his Islanders debut one day after being acquired in tradedeadline deal with Ottawa. Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson also scored, and Mathew Barzal had two assists as the Islanders lost for the fifth time in seven games (2-4-1). Varlamov finished with 24 saves.
With Varlamov pulled for an extra skater, Nelson tied it 3-3 with just under 18 seconds to go as he tipped a pass from Devon Toews past Georgiev from the bottom of the left circle.
“We stuck with it, found a way to get a point that could be crucial down the stretch,“Nelson said.
Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba leveled the Islanders' Michael Dal Calle nearly six minutes into the third. Pageau and Josh Bailey both went at Trouba, with the newcomer getting there first and trading punches with Trouba before they wrestled to the ground. Pageau and Trouba were both given 5-minute fighting majors, and Pageau also got a minor as an instigator and a 10minute misconduct.
“The way the guys welcomed me here, I'm sure someone would have stepped up for me,” Pageau said. “I thought it was a high hit. That's why I did it.”
Howden then pushed the Rangers' lead to 3-1 as he deflected Brendan Smith's onetimer from the right point at 9:34.