Rangers fall to Kings in OT after 3rd Period Meltdown
@RNYRF Staff Report
In an often one sided game by the Los Angeles Kings The New York Rangers battled to take a 3-1 lead in the 3rd period only to allow the Kings to pull out a win just 1:34 into the overtime period by Anze Kopitar.
The first period started the way the game finished with the Kings dominating most of the play keeping the puck in the Rangers zone until scored on an unassisted rush into the Kings end putting one past goaltender Johnathan Quick at 11:34 of the opening period. The Rangers lead was short lived as just 19 seconds later the Kings took a 2 on 1 odd man rush into the Rangers end on a delayed penalty call and Dustin Brown beat Henrik Lundqvist to tie the game at 1. Towards the end of the period the Rangers playing their 2nd game in consecutive nights seemed to get their legs back and continued that pace into the 2nd period of play. At 13:05 of the middle period Dan Boyle put the Rangers in the lead 2-1 on a nice feed from Viktor Stalberg. The Rangers would take the lead into the 3rd period and add to it with a goal by Kevin Hayes just 2:46 into the closing period. Exactly 2 minutes later the Kings answered back on a goal by Kyle Clifford bring them within 1 goal of the game leading Rangers. In a situation that Rangers fans have seen too many times this season the Rangers had a late game meltdown in their defensive end. Kings Anze Kopitar scored the tying goal with just over 4 minutes remaining in regulation sending the game into 3 on 3 overtime for the second time in as many games between the 2 teams. Kopitar then scored the game winning goal in OT to send the Rangers on to San Jose with just 1 point earned.
Ranger goaltender Henrik Lundqvist ended the night with 33 saves. Both The Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and Kings coach Darryl Sutter used their coach's challenge during the game to contest goals due to goaltender interference, both coaches lost their challenge along with their 1 timeout.
The good news for the Rangers is that their Division Rivals, the New York Islanders lost in regulation to the Nashville Predators and moved ahead another point to claim second place in the Metro by 3 points.
The Rangers end their 3 game California road trip on Saturday afternoon vs the San Jose Sharks.
NYR Alumni Birthdays 3/18
John Hughes D (1981 Playoffs) Bob Nevin RW (1963-1971)
TODAY IN NYR HISTORY MARCH 18
1956: Gump Worsley becomes the last Rangers goaltender to play every second of every game in a season. Worsley appears in all 70 contests, becoming the second goalie to do so.
1989: Tony Granato scores his 36th goal of the season, establishing a Rangers rookie record for goals in a season.
2014: Henrik Lundqvist becomes the winningest goaltender in franchise history with his 302nd victory when the Rangers defeat the Senators, 8-4.
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