Rangers 3, Blackhawks 2
CHICAGO -- The New York Rangers scored three goals in the first period and held on for a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Center Oscar Lindberg, defenseman Kevin Klein and center Derek Stepan each scored for New York. Left winger J.T. Miller added two assists for the Rangers (1-0-0).
The Blackhawks received goals from left wingers Artemi Panarin and Teuvo Teravainen. The loss spoiled a festive night for Chicago (0-1-0), which celebrated its title before the game while the Cubs celebrated an NL wild-card win in Pittsburgh.
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32 of 34 shots to improve to 6-1-2 against the Blackhawks.
Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford turned aside 24 of 27 shots.
The Blackhawks thought they tied the score at 3 with one minute remaining when right winger Patrick Kane dislodged the puck from beneath Lundqvist's pads. However, officials ruled that Lundqvist had frozen the puck.
The Rangers opened the scoring 1:43 into the first period on Lindberg's first career NHL goalMiller slipped a pass to Lindberg, who ripped a one-timer from the right of the crease.
Panarin answered with his first career NHL goal to even the score at 1 with 5:36 to go in the first period. Kane found Panarin alone in the slot to set up the goal.
A one-timer by Klein made it 2-1 with 3:22 remaining in the opening period.
The Rangers increased their lead to 3-1 when Stepan punched in a goal with 59 seconds remaining in the first period. Right winger Kevin Hayes missed wide on a breakaway opportunity, but he retrieved the puck and flipped a pass to Stepan before Crawford could recover.
Chicago cut the deficit to 3-2 on a one-timer by Teravainen with 13:05 left in the second period. Teravainen beat Lundqvist glove-side after taking a pass from right winger Marian Hossa.
NOTES: Blackhawks players lined the ice for a pregame ceremony as the franchise lifted its 2014-15 Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters of the United Center. ... Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist started his 10th consecutive season-opening game for the team. The only goaltender with more season-opening starts for the Rangers is Ed Giacomin, whose 11-season streak ran from 1965 to 1975. ... Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane skated on a line with C Artem Anisimov and LW Artemi Panarin. Kane is the subject of a law-enforcement investigation near Buffalo, N.Y., but he has not been charged. ... C Jarret Stoll made his Rangers debut after spending the previous seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. ... The Blackhawks presented Rangers G Antti Raanta with his Stanley Cup ring. Raanta was 7-4-1 for Chicago last season before the Rangers acquired him in June.