By Canadian Press

Zibanejad, Panarin lead Rangers to 5-2 win over Canadiens

Apr 7, 2024 | 8:23 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, and the New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Sunday night.

Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere also scored, and Igor Shesterkin had 26 saves to help the Rangers get their 53rd win to tie a franchise record set in 2014-15. New York has won eight of its last nine games and 13 of the last 16 contests at home.

The Rangers had 110 points to lead Boston by three points for the most in the NHL. New York is also five points up on Carolina for first in the Metropolitan Division. All three teams have four games remaining.

Cole Caulfield and Alex Newhook had goals for Montreal, which has lost three straight. Mike Matheson had two assists and Cayden Primeau finished with 41 saves.

Kreider tipped in Panarin’s shot 3:59 of the third to snap a 1-1 tie. It was Kreider’s 38th goal this season and his 109th career goal on the power play, moving him past Rod Gilbert for second-most in franchise history. Kreider has goals in five of his last six games.

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Panarin then scored his team-leading 46th at 6:09 to put the Rangers ahead 3-1. The 32-year-old Russian forward has 115 points, trailing only Jaromir Jagr’s 123 in 2005-06 for the most in franchise history. 

Newhook made it 3-2 with 7:47 to go with his 13th.

Zibanejad scored his second of the night and 26th of the season with 3:04 remaining before Lafreniere completed the scoring with an empty-netter with 1:15 left for his career-high 27th.

Caufield opened the scoring with 30 seconds remaining in the first period, banking the puck off Shesterkin from behind the net. The goal was his 24th and came in Caufield’s 200th NHL game. 

Zibanejad tied it with a power-play goal with 7:29 remaining in the second. Panarin had an assist on the play to extend his points streak to nine games. Fox also had an assist to give him points in 12 of his last 14 games.

Before the game, New York’s Vincent Trocheck received the annual Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, voted by fans and presented to the Rangers player who goes “above and beyond the call of duty.” 

The award, first given to Jan Erixon in 1988, honours the New York police officer who was shot in Central Park in 1986 and left paralyzed from the neck down. McDonald publicly forgave the teenager who shot him and became a symbol of grace, generosity and determination. He died in 2017.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

Rangers: Visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Allan Kreda, The Associated Press