New York Rangers lose ground in Metro race, fall to Bruins
It wasn’t the outcome the New York Rangers were looking for, but unfortunately they fell to the Bruins on Saturday afternoon in Boston.
The Blueshirts now sit two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes (110) with each team having three games remaining, including a head to head on Tuesday night. Earlier today, the Canes roared back from a 2-0 hole against the New Jersey Devils and won in OT.
However, if anyone was expecting these Rangers to sulk they’d be very wrong.
On to the next one,” Barclay Goodrow said afterwards. “Now we are on to Carolina at home.”
Recap: Bruins 3 vs Rangers 1
David Pastrnak recorded a goal and an assist to reach the 500-point mark for his NHL career to lift the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the visiting New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
Pastrnak had missed the previous eight games due to injury.
Taylor Hall and Trent Frederic also scored goals for the Bruins (48-25-5, 101 points), who have won three of four following a Thursday loss in Pittsburgh and snapped New York’s four-game win streak.
Also returning from injury were Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark, who made 30 saves, and defenseman Hampus Lindholm.
Boston scored one goal in each period.
Mika Zibanejad scored the lone New York goal. Igor Shesterkin made 32 saves for the Rangers (51-22-6, 108 points).
Ullmark stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first.
New York Rangers lose ground
Pastrnak scored the opening goal with 35 seconds remaining in the opening period. The top-scoring winger buried a one-timer off Charlie McAvoy’s feed through the slot.
Hall doubled the home team’s lead 1:07 into the second, outracing Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren and beating Shesterkin with a wrister upstairs.
The Rangers got a goal back on the power play at the 2:58 mark as Zibanejad ripped a shot from just outside the crease, taking a feed from Chris Kreider after a scramble in front.
Boston gained its two-goal advantage again at 9:37 as Frederic benefited from a fortunate bounce. Craig Smith followed up on Charlie Coyle shot that took a long carom off the back wall. His shot was stopped by Shesterkin but the rebound from Frederic snuck in underneath his arm.
Boston failed to score on three power-play opportunities and is in a 0-for-32 drought over the last 10 contests.
The Rangers played without Filip Chytil, Andrew Copp and Kaapo Kakko, who are all day-to-day and expected to return for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We had some pretty good looks but (Ullmark) made some good saves,” Zibanejad said.
Boston salvaged the final of three regular-season meetings with its Original Six rival.
“They play a real good defensive game,” Gerard Gallant said of the Bruins. “I thought we played okay for the most part. They had their full lineup and were excited to play well.”
Notable Rangers
- Igor Shesterkin stopped 32 of 35 shots
- Mika Zibanejad picked up a PPG for his 29th of the year. He now has 80 points.
- Alexis Lafrenière is on a two game point streak (2A)
Tomorrow (Sunday, April 24): Day Off
Next Game: Tuesday, April 26 vs. Carolina Hurricanes (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG)
*Schedule subject to change
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–Field Level Media contributed to this post game report.
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