#NYR game winner hugs pic.twitter.com/USIxwcZRFu
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 19, 2018
It was smiles all around as the New York Rangers managed to come back and beat the Ducks at Madison Square Garden.
- Anaheim Ducks: 1 (19-12-5, 43 points)
- New York Rangers: 3 (15-13-5, 35 points)
- ANA Goals: Pontus Aberg (11)
- NYR Goals: Vladislav Namestnikov (4), Kevin Hayes (9), Filip Chytil (6)
- NHL. Final. Boxscore.
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
The New York Rangers went into Tuesday’s game cold, losing six of their last seven games and were facing the dangerous Anaheim Ducks. But the Rangers were able to pull off a 3-1 win, sweeping the season series against the Ducks, thanks to some late game heroics by Kevin Hayes.
With 40 seconds left in the third and Anaheim on the power-play, Hayes scored the go-ahead, shorthanded goal to win the game for the Rangers.
Thanks to some great defensive play, both teams were not able to get many shots off. But the Rangers would solve the Ducks defense in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals, this effort snapped the Rangers losing streak at three games.
Neither team was able to break through in the first period.
The first great chance for the Rangers came at the hands of Boo Nieves. After killing off a penalty, Nieves was able to skate around Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm for a chance alone in front of the net. Ducks goalie and former Ranger Chad Johnson stopped the shot with the pad.
The Ducks best chance of the period came seven and a half minutes in. Adam Henrique found himself in front of the net with the puck after a scramble below the redline. Alexandar Georgiev was up to the challenge, stopping the shot with his shoulder.
[membership level="0"] [/membership]The Rangers had another great opportunity after Ryan Getzlaf coughed up the puck on a power-play. But Vladislav Namestnikov and Hayes did not bury the opportunity. What followed was a scuffle between Namestnikov and Getzlaf that ended the Anaheim power-play.
In the second, nobody sustained pressure until Anaheim spent around a minute and a half in the Ranger zone. But even then, the Ducks were not able to get a shot off until the end of that pressure.
The teams continued to not get chances, it seemed at this point that whoever made the first mistake would lose the game. That first mistake belonged to the Rangers.
With just under six minutes left in the second, Pontus Aberg threw the puck to the net from behind the line, bouncing it off Mika Zibanejad and into the net to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
Doesn't matter how you score, just matters that it goes in the net!#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/hUD477wW6S
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 19, 2018
Shortly after, the Ducks had a two on one where they failed to get a shot off. Immediately after, the Rangers had a three on one where they could not even connect on a pass and then took a penalty for too many men on the ice.
On that penalty kill, Georgiev made an outstanding save on Ondrej Kase to preserve the one-goal deficit. Kase had a point-blank opportunity after the puck deflected to him in front of the net, but Georgiev had an answer with the glove.
The game stayed 1-0 heading into the third period. The Rangers only had 10 shots at this point and the Ducks outscored their opponents 18-4 in the third period of their last 10 games.
The odds were not in the Rangers favor, but they came out a different team in the third. The Rangers had seven of the first eight shots in the third.
Their hard work did pay off with 10 minutes left. Namestnikov buried a pass from Brett Howden to tie the game at one. The goal gave the Rangers life in a matchup where just one goal has a lot of value.
This was an NHL 94 goal. Vesey made the big-play at the d-blueline. Howden with the NHL 94 pass. Namestnikov finishes. 1-1 game. #NYR pic.twitter.com/tXY52A6hzu
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) December 19, 2018
After adding two more assists tonight, Namestnikov has five points in five games since coming back from concussion protocol, including two goals.
Two and a half minutes left, Filip Chytil had an opportunity but ran into Johnson with the help of a push by Ducks defenseman Josh Manson. Chytil was called for goalie interference with 2:35 remaining.
The Ducks only had one shot at this point in the third period and were 0-for-3 on the power play. The Rangers gave up a power-play goal in their last six straight games. Now the odds were stacked heavily against the Rangers.
But shortly after drawing a penalty, Namestnikov passed it up the boards to a streaking Hayes. Coming up the left wing, Hayes moved in on the breakaway, shooting in five-hole on Johnson. It appeared the Anaheim goalie made the stop. But the puck trickled through Johnson’s legs across the goal line, to give the Rangers the lead.
What a play by Namestnikov. Kevin Hayes wins it shorthanded. 3-1 final. #NYR pic.twitter.com/WUOuebpqLm
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) December 19, 2018
With little time remaining, the Rangers still had to hold off the Ducks. Anaheim is tied for the league lead in comeback wins with 12. But Chytil, as if to redeem himself for his penalty, put in an empty-netter with 18 seconds left to secure the win for the Rangers.
Hayes was named number one star of the game with the game-winning goal. Namestnikov was named second star with three points, one goal and two assists. Georgiev was the third star in his return to the lineup.
Tuesday was Georgiev’s first game back with the team after being sent down to the Hartford Wolfpack. Georgiev stopped 14 shots on just 15 opportunities.
With this win, the Rangers are now 15-13-5 sitting in fourth of the Metropolitan Division. The Blueshirts trail the New York Islanders by one point for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers now have an opportunity to get their game back on track, but will face another dangerous team. The Blueshirts will faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotia Bank Arena this Saturday.
