Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers edge New Jersey Devils in shootout (Highlights)
Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers edged the New Jersey Devils by a tally of 3-2 in a shootout.

  • New York Rangers 3 (23-10-1, 47 pts)
  • New Jersey Devils 2 (12-12-7, 31 pts)
  • NHL, Final, Box Score
  • Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
This one turned out to be a much different contest than what we witnessed seven days ago. Instead of a 5-0 shutout (in favor of blue), the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils treated the Madison Square Garden faithful to a thriller.

It was an OT thriller ending up in a 3-2 shootout victory for the Blueshirts.

Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes each scored in a four-round shootout ending with a poke-check by Henrik Lundqvist.

Speaking of Lundqvist, back from his short hiatus, started his third straight game, and while he didn’t pick up his second straight shutout, he did stop 29 of the 31 shots he faced. The win now puts him at 389 for his career, tying Dominik Hasek for the most by a European-born goaltender in NHL history.

On the other end, Cory Schneider was equally brilliant. Without him, New Jersey could have been facing a large, early deficit. He wound up collecting 25 saves.

Twice New York eliminated single-goal deficits. The first time saw Mats Zuccarello find Chris Kreider with this nifty pass near the halfway point of the final period:

The Devils, however, wouldn’t be outdone. Adam Henrique owned Dan Girardi behind Lundqvist and found Miles Wood for the go-ahead goal just 2:22 after the Kreider tally:

All that goal did was set up the dramatics, as, with just over a minute remaining, Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan hooked up for a clutch beauty:

The other regulation goal-scorer was ex-Ranger and Islander P.A. Parenteau. He opened the scoring on the night with a power-play goal early in the second period.

Rick Nash, though he didn’t register a point, was fabulous. His speed and power did everything put the puck past Schneider in this one.

The Rangers have now won three straight and six of their last seven games.

After playing two games in as many nights, both teams will now take Monday off prior to getting back to action on Tuesday night. The Rangers will head to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins while the Devils will welcome in the Predators.

Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Member: Pro Football Writers of America. Coach: Port Jervis (NY) High School. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. SEO: XL Media. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). SEO: XL Media. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com