The Vegas Golden Knights controlled the game until Mika Zibanejad and the New York Rangers officially took over in the third period.
- New York Rangers 6 (4-7-2, 10 pts)
- Vegas Golden Knights 4 (8-3-0, 16 pts)
- VGK Goals: Oscar Lindberg (5), Reilly Smith (3), Reilly Smith (4), David Perron (4)
- NYR Goals: Jimmy Vesey (2), Mats Zuccarello (3), Chris Kreider (3), Pavel Buchnevich (5), Mika Zibanejad (8), Michael Grabner (4)
- NHL, Final, Boxscore
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
The New York Rangers were presented with a golden opportunity to rebound from a tough loss against the Montreal Canadiens with the Vegas Golden Knights in town for the first time ever.
Not only did New York come away with the win, it came via a feel-good situation by overcoming a 4-2 third-period deficit and taking it by the final of 6-4.
In net for Vegas was their fourth-string goaltender Maxime Lagace in his first NHL start and Jimmy Vesey took advantage of that 2:45 into the first period.
#GottaSeeIt: Jimmy Vesey gets a pass from behind the net and buries for a #NYRangers goal. pic.twitter.com/ONjY7eqqwd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 31, 2017
That lead didn’t last too long as former Ranger Oscar Lindberg made his former team pay.
#GottaSeeIt: Oscar Lindberg nets the rebound in his former stomping grounds to get the #GoldenKnights on the board. pic.twitter.com/kh42EQWN6q
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 31, 2017
From this point on Vegas was the better team, outshooting the Rangers 14-9 in the first period. It looked like New York would get out of the period tied but then Reilly Smith capitalized on a big rebound to give Vegas the lead with 39 seconds to go in the first.
Reilly Smith (Miami U) makes it 2-1 @GoldenKnights after one. #yoga pic.twitter.com/jOleZ6ftl1
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) October 31, 2017
The Rangers came out as the aggressive team in the second period and would tie it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, 1:29 into the period.
#GottaSeeIt: #NYR's Mats Zuccarello scores off of a turnover by the #GoldenKnights to tie things up. pic.twitter.com/A5rSZXyfTP
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 1, 2017
Henrik Lundqvist was seeing his first action after having a full week off. He looked fresh and was the Rangers best player on the ice, the problem though was that his team wasn’t on that level.
Rielly Smith’s second goal of the game is a perfect example of that.
VGK 3rd goal, Smith from Marchessault & Karlsson. pic.twitter.com/bKn4zaRXhA
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 1, 2017
Lundqvist went on to make quality save after quality save, evidenced by the two saves below:
Hank pic.twitter.com/Eat0sc8mgT
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 1, 2017
But on that same play, David Perron was awarded a penalty shot and he converted.
https://twitter.com/NHLNews_PR/status/925523130298306560
Despite not looking good and down by two, the Rangers came out and controlled the third period. It all started with David Perron taking a double minor and Chris Kreider converting.
Kreider makes it a one-goal game on the power play, from Zibanejad and Zuccarello pic.twitter.com/4mypQnqYvC
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 1, 2017
Pavel Buchnevich would continue his goal-scoring streak to tie things at four.
Buchnevich from Zibanejad to tie 4-4 in the third pic.twitter.com/8KJQ09TNZq
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 1, 2017
With the Rangers back on the powerplay and all tied up, Mika Zibanejad would complete his three-point night scoring the go-ahead goal.
Pavel Buchnevich really set this PP goal up digging low and throwing high to Zuc. Zibanejad. 5-4 #NYR as they come all the way back. pic.twitter.com/NitThqsLmY
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 1, 2017
Michael Grabner would the secure the victory for the Rangers adding an empty-net goal for the Rangers fourth unanswered goal in the period.
The Rangers will be back in action Thursday night when they hit the road and face the Tampa Bay Lightning.
