POST GAME RECAP & BOXSCORE
Hats Off To Nash As Rangers Beat Panthers 5-4 In Overtime
In an incredibly wild game Saturday night at BB&T Center--one that featured a little bit of everything--the Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in overtime on Rick Nash's third goal of the night. The win came after New York let a late two-goal lead slip away, but still forced overtime after a huge penalty shot save by Henrik Lundqvist.
The Rangers were awarded a power play 1:12 into overtime, and Nash netted the game-winner at 2:01 off a Dan Boyle feed.
Mats Zuccarello posted a three-point game with a goal and two assists, and Lundqvist made 39 saves for New York in the win.
With the scored tied 2-2 midway through the third, Derek Stepan made a terrific play in his own end of the ice before sending a long outlet pass to a streaking Zuccarello. The speedy Rangers winger broke in alone on Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo before making several dekes and finally depositing his tenth goal of the season into the net at 10:16.
Zuccarello, who assisted on a pair of goals by Rick Nash earlier in the game, now has a team-high 21 points in 20 games. It was his fourth three-point effort already this season, and third in the past five contests.
Viktor Stalberg then added his second goal of the season 1:58 later, boosting New York's lead to 4-2. Oscar Lindberg earned the primary assist with a pass from behind the net, and J.T. Miller atoned for two earlier penalties by assisting on Stalberg's goal, as well.
That goal proved to be critical when the Panthers scored two goals in a span of 39 seconds late in the third. The Panthers first scored on the power play with 2:28 remaining in regulation. Aleksander Barkov was credited with his fifth goal, and the Panthers finished the night 2-for-6 on the power play.
Jaromir Jagr then wired his eighth goal into the cage with 1:49 left to play and incredibly the game was tied 4-4.
On the very next shift Florida's Reilly Smith was hooked by Dan Boyle on a breakaway and was awarded a a penalty shot with 1:42 remaining in regulation, the second penalty shot of this wild contest. Lundqvist made a sprawling pad save, though, ultimate
Saturday's first period was one of the most entertaining 20-minute segments so far this season. Even though only one goal was scored, there were 26 combined shots on goal, scores of big-time saves by a pair of big-time goaltenders, a penalty shot for one team and a 5-on-3 power play for the other, and plenty of physical--at times chippy--play.
The only goal of the first period was scored by Nash, and it provided New York with a much-needed early lead after Thursday's frustrating last-minute defeat in Tampa. Nash deftly handled a quick Ryan McDonagh pass in his skates, and roofed a shot over the outstretched gloved hand of Luongo from below the right circle at 11:08, his first goal in five games.
Nash's score was preceded by an interception in the Panthers zone by Zuccarello, who flagged down an attempted clear inside the blue line. He then found McDonagh in the left circle, and the team captain zipped a cross-ice feed to Nash on right wing for the game-opening goal.
By time Nash scored a dizzying number of key moments had already taken place. Just 2:33 into the game a rising snap shot off the stick of Stepan caught Luongo in the side of the mask, sending the Panthers goalie down the ice. Shaken up, Luongo removed his mask and was allowed sufficient time by the officials to regroup.
Meanwhile at the other end of the ice Lundqvist was busy stopping several Grade A scoring chances, including one at 6:07 following a blind pass into the middle of the ice by Lindberg which led to a break-in for Florida's Derek Mackenzie.
Eight seconds later Chris Kreider became the first Ranger in franchise history to be awarded a penalty shot in consecutive games, drawing the call after bursting past both Panthers defensemen before being hooked on his way to the goal. However for the second straight game Kreider was denied on the penalty shot; and he is now 0-for-3 in his career on penalty shots.
Nash took an interference penalty 25 seconds after Kreider's failed penalty shot, and Jarret Stoll followed him to the box at 7:26, handing the Panthers one minute 14 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play. The Rangers second-ranked penalty kill was put to the test against a Panthers power play that had converted at better than 30 percent on home-ice this season coming into the game.
The difference was Lundqvist, who was simply sensational as the Rangers killed off both penalties. He made five saves, including three in rapid-fire sequence--a pair on Nick Bjugstad from the right post and an open rebound attempt from a few feet out on Aleksander Barkov.
Bjugstad did gain some revenge early in the second period, scoring the tying goal at 6:46. After several clutch saves by Lundqvist, his teammates could not find a way to clear the puck out of the zone, and Florida made them pay when Brandon Pirri found Bjugstad in front for his seventh goal of the season.
Though outplayed for large stretches of the middle twenty, the Rangers were able to once again grab a one-goal lead by hopping on the back of Nash, who powered his way to the net and snuck a short side wrist shot past Luongo at 13:22, his second goal of the night and fourth of the season.
Before the period ended, though, the Panthers once again pulled even. Pirri's right wing slap shot, with Dan Boyle sitting in the penalty box for New York, deflected off Jokinen in front and past Lundqvist with 2:03 to play. Florida outshot New York 15-9 in the second period.
The Blueshirts return home to host the Nashville Predators Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
BOXSCORE:
Scoring Summary
1st Period
11:08 NYR Rick Nash (3) Slapshot - ASST: Ryan McDonagh (5), Mats Zuccarello (10) 1 - 0 NYR
2nd Period
06:46 FLA Nick Bjugstad (7) Tip-in - ASST: Brandon Pirri (5), Jussi Jokinen (9) 1 - 1 Tie
13:22 NYR Rick Nash (4) Snap shot - ASST: Mats Zuccarello (11), Marc Staal (6) 2 - 1 NYR
17:57 FLA PPG - Jussi Jokinen (5) Slapshot - ASST: Brandon Pirri (6), Reilly Smith (7) 2 - 2 Tie
3rd Period
10:16 NYR Mats Zuccarello (10) Snap shot - ASST: Derek Stepan (6) 3 - 2 NYR
12:14 NYR Viktor Stalberg (2) Snap shot - ASST: Oscar Lindberg (6), J.T. Miller (7) 4 - 2 NYR
17:32 FLA PPG - Aleksander Barkov (5) Snap shot - ASST: Aaron Ekblad (4), Jussi Jokinen (10) 4 - 3 NYR
18:11 FLA Jaromir Jagr (8) Wrist shot - ASST: Aleksander Barkov (4), Aaron Ekblad (5) 4 - 4 Tie
OT Period
02:01 NYR PPG - Rick Nash (5) Snap shot - ASST: Derick Brassard (8), Dan Boyle (4) 5 - 4 NYR
shots by period
Period NYR FLA
1st 13 13
2nd 9 15
3rd 8 15
OT 1 0
Total 31 43
Team Stats
Category NYR FLA
Power Plays 1/2 2/6
Hits 28 22
Faceoff Wins 34 45
Giveaways 3 11
Takeaways 6 4
Blocked Shots 12 8
Penalty Minutes 14 6
3 STARS OF THE GAME
1. RICK NASH NYR
2. HENRIK LUNDQVIST NYR
3. JUSSI JOKINEN FLA
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