Rangers rally past Golden Knights
NEW YORK -- Mika Zibanejad's power-play goal with 5:49 remaining was the exclamation point on a third-period rally that lifted the New York Rangers to a 6-4 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Zibanejad also assisted two of the Rangers' other three third-period goals.
Jimmy Vesey, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich and Michael Grabner also scored for the Rangers (4-7-2). Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 shots.
Reilly Smith had two goals for the Knights, with Oscar Lindberg and David Perron also scoring. Vegas goalie Maxime Lagace made 32 saves in his first career NHL start.
Vesey gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead 2:45 into the first period, banging home a puck from just outside the crease off a feed from David Desharnais.
The Knights responded quickly, as Lindberg's fifth of the season at 5:22 evened the score at 1. The former Ranger trailed the play and chipped a pass from Alex Tuch over a fallen Lundqvist.
Smith sent the Knights to the first intermission ahead 2-1 by pouncing on a rebound and shooting past a diving Lundqvist with 39 seconds remaining.
The Rangers tied the game at 2 just 1:29 into the second period on a Zuccarello goal that was reminiscent of Vesey's in the first period, as Zuccarello was on the doorstep to finish a pass from Rick Nash.
Smith's second goal at 7:06 gave the Knights a 3-2 lead. There was a scramble in front after Jonathan Marchessault's redirection was stopped by Lundqvist, but Smith was there to lift a backhand into the wide-open net.
Perron was awarded a penalty shot with 1:01 remaining in the period when he was hooked by Kevin Hayes. Perron used the opportunity to beat Lundqvist five-hole and give the Knights a 4-2 lead through two periods.
Kreider made it 4-3 at 5:31 of the third period with a power-play goal, scoring off the rush on a cross-ice pass from Zibanejad.
Buchnevich completed the comeback at 9:46, when a Knights turnover led to Zibanejad drawing the defense to him in the slot and sliding the puck to Buchnevich for the goal into a vacated net.
After Zibanejad's go-ahead goal, Grabner scored into an empty net with 1:14 remaining to seal the win.
NOTES: The Golden Knights recalled G Dylan Ferguson from Kamloops of the WHL on an emergency basis after placing G Oscar Dansk (lower body) on injured reserve. Dansk, a third-stringer, got hurt Monday night in Brooklyn against the New York Islanders. ... Golden Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) is considered day-to-day. ... Rangers D Brady Skjei played in his 100th career regular-season game. ... Rangers D Nick Holden was a healthy scratch. ... There was a moment of silence before the game to recognize loss of life due to the attack that took place in lower Manhattan earlier in the day.