Eight Rangers score in rout of Penguins
RANGERS 8 PENGUINS 4
Artemi Panarin scored a goal and added three assists, Adam Fox notched a goal with two assists and the Rangers beat the Penguins, 8-4, on Tuesday night at the Garden.
Colin Blackwell, Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko and Pavel Buchnevich also scored for the Rangers, who extended their point streak to four games (3-0-1). It was the first time in 11 years that eight Rangers scored in a game.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 42 shots and recorded his third consecutive victory.
Jared McCann, Mike Matheson, Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin scored for Pittsburgh, which lost for the second time in seven games. Casey DeSmith allowed four goals on eleven shots before he was replaced by Tristan Jarry. Defenseman Kris Letang chipped in with two assists.
The Rangers led 3-0 midway through the first period.
Blackwell opened the scoring with his 10th of the season after his pass attempt deflected off a Penguins defender and surprised DeSmith at 1:35. Blackwell became the sixth member of the Rangers to score 10 or more goals this season.
ISLANDERS 1, CAPITALS 0
Brock Nelson scored with just under seven minutes left and Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots as the Islanders edged Washington to pull even with the Capitals for first place in the East Division.
Varlamov and Vitak Vanecek matched each other save for save for more than 50 minutes before Nelson scored his team-leading 14th goal, assisted by defenseman Ryan Pulock at 13:05 of the third period.
Varlamov earned his fourth shutout this season and the 31st of his career. It was the first time he blanked his former Capitals team in a regular-season game.
The Islanders improved to 16-1-2 at Nassau Coliseum, remaining the only team in the NHL with just one regulation loss at home.
SABRES 5, DEVILS 3
Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin scored and set up the winning goal by Casey Mittelstadt as the Sabres snapped a 10game road winless streak with a victory over the Devils.
Ramus Asplund, Brandon Montour and Rasmus Ristolainen also scored for the Sabres, who recently snapped an 18-game winless streak.