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Game 61: NYR 4 NJD 3, OT, New York rallies for win, Zib gets game-winner |
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Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal in 16 games in overtime to give the Rangers a 4-3 comeback win over New Jersey. New York blew a 2-0 lead in less than a two-minute span between the end of the second and beginning of the third and then gave up a third less than a minute later. But Antti Raanta rebounded from there, Adam Clendening tied with under five minutes to go in the game and Zib got the game-winner on a gorgeous goal after Raanta stoned Kyle Palmieri twice just before Zib converted his chance.
Chris Kreider scored the first of the Rangers' two first-period goals at 6:40, deflecting Dan Girardi's one-timer. The whole play started with Zibanejad beating Jon Merrill to the puck, then holding and passing it to Mats Zuccarello on the wing. Zucc went back to Girardi, whose shot was deflected by Kreider.
The Rangers made it 2-0 thanks to burgeoning chemistry between the Swedish duo of Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast. Lindberg passed the puck in center ice Nick Holden, who found Fast on the wing. Fast faked the slap shot, fooling everyone, including Cory Schneider, before finding Lindberg, who had slid down the far side wing for the goal into the empty net created by Fast's fake.
Schecter made 17 saves in the second to keep the deficit at two. Adam Henrique cut it 2-1 on a wraparound goal with 1:32 left in the second period. This one was on Raanta, who was solid throughout, but wasn't great on this goal or the following one. It then took 47 seconds for the Devils to score twice to grab the lead early in the third period.
Palmieri scored 27 seconds into the third period to tie the game, and four seconds after Chris Kreider's delay-of-game penalty at 1:10, Palmieri got a piece of Andy Greene's shot to give the Devils a 3-2 lead. The Rangers challenged for goalie interference, with Miles Wood making slight contact with Raanta, but the call stood.
Adam Clendening, playing with Kevin Klein sidelined due to back spasms, tied the game 3-3 on a one-timer with 4:25 left in the third period. The Clendening-Skjei pairing was good again, as they have been most of the season when playing together.
Klein won't play again Sunday due to his back spasms and this is where having another d-man would be nice. Brandon Pirri likely will be in again with Pavel Buchnevich sitting a third straight game. Henrik Lundqvist gets back between the pipes to face Columbus, who blew out the Islanders 7-0 Saturday.
As mentioned in the comments to the last blog, need to get Derek Stepan going. Last 16 games, no goals and six assists. In the past five games, no goals and one assist. But the good news is New York is winning even while he struggles.
I will give my views on Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith either Monday or Tuesday. By then, maybe a deal for one or both will have been reached. I saw the Marc-Andre Fleury to the Blues rumors but is he a major upgrade on Jake Allen? Does St. Louis want to tie up that much salary in both goalies, especially as Allen signed a five-year extension before the year? It may come down to who blinks first on Shattenkirk. My view has changed a lot in this one. But seeing how they have played and the opportunity that might exist given their forward depth and talent, going for it makes sense. More to come.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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