After quickly falling behind 2-0, Michael Grabner and the New York Rangers fly back to knock off Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- New York Rangers 5 (14-5-1, 29 pts)
- Pittsburgh Penguins 2 (11-5-3, 25 pts)
- NHL, Final, Box Score
- The Igloo, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The two teams did not disappoint.
Early on it was all Pittsburgh. More specifically, it was all Jake Guentzel who not only picked up his first NHL goal during his very first NHL game, he did it twice against Antti Raanta. The first one came at the 1:02 mark early on (on a short-side shot Raanta would love to have back) and the second 13:12 into the opening frame.
As hot as the Pens were early is as furious as the Blueshirts comeback became.
At the 4:51 mark of the second period, Rick Nash capitalized on a loose puck in front of Marc-Andre Fleury to net his eighth of the season:
Something kind of Nashty gets the Rangers on the board. 2-1 Pens lead after Rick Nash goal. #NYR pic.twitter.com/ay9UcnpFNm
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 22, 2016
Then, a little under 10 minutes later, that machine known as Michael Grabner did it yet again. He tallied his 12th of the goal of the season to tie things up, now tied with Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine for the NHL lead:
Michael Grabner is a machine. He ties Cindy Crosby with 12 goals on the season. 2-2 game. #NYR pic.twitter.com/2YJBDpUAnG
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 22, 2016
The game-winner came via the shorthanded variety as the two best friends that anybody can have teamed up again. Kevin Hayes looked for J.T. Miller and it worked without the latter even realizing:
How did the Rangers take the lead at The Igloo? Like this, via shorty …#NYR pic.twitter.com/k3kZVLIuXx
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 22, 2016
12:46 into the third, Hayes added one to make it 4-2 after Ryan McDonagh made a tremendous play keeping the puck in the zone and eluding a Pitt defender. This was Hayes’s ninth of the season.
Derek Stepan added an empty-netter with 1:23 left. While he was looking to make a pass from his own zone, the puck found its way into the unattended net.
Raanta — starting in place of Henrik Lundqvist who was hard at work on Sunday night — stopped 29 of 31 Penguins shots. McDonagh finished a +5 in the game while his partner, Dan Girardi, finished +4.
This was a gritty, offensive show New York put on against one of the better teams in the NHL. This is especially the case coming off the terrible injury news surrounding Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Furthermore, they completed the comeback on the second night of a back-to-back situation.
New York is now four points clear of the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. Next up will be these very same Pens on Wednesday night at the Garden.
The @NYRangers are feelin' pretty good after three straight goals have them up 3-2. #NYRvsPIT pic.twitter.com/HUvT3kr7NS
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2016
Guentzel Family throw their hat in the ring for family celly of the year. #NYRvsPIT pic.twitter.com/xuZgkNXJi8
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2016
Make it goal number two in his NHL debut. What a start for @jakenbake20. #NYRvsPIT pic.twitter.com/tg40rvImxE
— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2016
How @jakenbake20 started his NHL career:
First Game.
First Shift.
First Shot.
First Goal. pic.twitter.com/rBc0vuXifL— NHL (@NHL) November 22, 2016
#NYR score FIVE unanswered to take this one 5-2 over the Penguins!!! pic.twitter.com/UtY2oLZRGJ
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 22, 2016
There's nothing quite like your first NHL goal. pic.twitter.com/JXHf8AP9eh
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 22, 2016
