Henrik Lundqvist became the fastest goalie to 400 wins with the help of Kevin Klein‘s two goals in the New York Rangers victory on Saturday.
- New York Rangers 4 (36-18-1, 73 pts)
- Colorado Avalanche 2 (15-35-2, 32 pts)
- NHL, Final, Box Score
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Though Kevin Klein got the Blueshirts on the board first, just 2:26 into the game, New York’s sloppy play on the defensive end of the ice and inability to break through the Avs’ defense created a lull in the action.
The game was carrying a morbid sense of feeling for a good part of the second period. Not until Klein blasted a beauty home at the 2:50 mark of the third period had momentum swung.
A little under three minutes later, Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and, finally, Rick Nash, put the Rangers up for good:
For Nash, this was his 16th goal of the campaign.
The rest of the third period saw bunches when the Avs put pressure on the Rangers defensively, but Henrik Lundqvist and company held their ground. Speaking of Hank, this victory gives him 400 for his illustrious, eventual hall of fame career. He stopped 31-of-33 shots and continued his solid play, completely reversing the previous season narrative.
Lundqvist now ranks 12th on the NHL’s all-time win list.
Kevin Hayes capitalized on an empty-net goal, assisted by J.T. Miller who now keeps his point streak going, registering 10 points over his last six games.
McDonagh’s assist on the Nash goal now puts him at the 30 mark for the season, a career-high.
Lundqvist has now won five in a row and eight of his last nine decisions. The Rangers have now won five in a row, their longest win streak of the season.
The win puts the Rangers just one point behind the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metro. Next up will be Blue Jackets in Columbus on Monday night.