The New York Rangers were able to overcome a sloppy two periods and steal a victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
- Vancouver Canucks 3 (11-9-4, 26 points)
- New York Rangers 4 (13-9-2, 28 points)
- VAN Goals: Loui Eriksson (3), Jake Virtanen (3), Sam Gagner (3)
- NYR Goals: Jesper Fast (4), Michael Grabner (10), Jimmy Vesey (5)
- NHL, Final (SO), Boxscore
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
It didn’t look like the Rangers were going to steal this game down two with just over two minutes to play in the second period. The Rangers were turning the puck over, playing one of their sloppiest games of the season. But they found a way to come back and overcome adversity like they have done all season.
Throughout this recent winning streak for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist has been put to the test and has been passing with flying colors. He was put to the test once again in this one with Vancouver outshooting the Rangers 11-4 in the first period.
The Rangers came out slowly in this one yet again, with six giveaways in the period, one leading to a Loui Eriksson goal.
Vancouver gave the Rangers a chance to get back into the game early on, but the Blueshirts’ sloppy first continued. There were several instances where Ranger players were misconnecting on passes and falling down on the ice. Everyone knew what the message was going to be in the second period: wake up.
But the Rangers did not come out as sharp as they had hoped for in the second period. Jake Virtanen would score at the 7:21 mark of the second period and it wasn’t looking good for the Blueshirts’.
Jesper Fast is having a great week for the Rangers and that continued in this one. Fast deflected a Nick Holden shot past Jacob Markstrom to give the Rangers some life going into the third.
Jesper scores!!! Assisted by Holden & Smith. NYR down 2-1 after two pic.twitter.com/VBqnjXw3ZV
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 26, 2017
The Rangers only had 11 shots through two periods, but this goal lit a spark that the team so desperately needed, giving them a chance to come back and they did. Michael Grabner tied this one quickly just 19 seconds into the third.
But Vancouver would tie it 41 seconds later.
But this Rangers team never quits and Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey showed that. Nash fed Vesey on a beautiful spinning pass to tie this at three.
This one would require overtime where the Rangers were mostly outplayed by the Canucks. Henrik Lundqvist would have to make big saves to force this to a shootout.
On the 12 year anniversary of the Marek Malik shootout goal in the 15th round, this game had the feel of going that long. The Rangers would bail out Henrik Lundqvist who allowed two goals in the shootout to set up Jimmy Vesey to be the hero again.
Saves on Gagner, Miller, and Hutton. Then Vesey scores to win it in round 7 pic.twitter.com/fGV9DKmnrC
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 26, 2017
Vesey would convert in the seventh round of the shootout and the Rangers would go on to win their eighth straight home game. After dropping two games to the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, the Rangers have now won four in a row. They will look to extend that streak when the Florida Panthers come to town on Hockey Fights Cancer night at the Garden Wednesday.
