Jonathan Quick becomes NHL’s first U.S.-born 400-game winner as Rangers rally to defeat Vegas 4-2

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at New York Rangers
Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Jonathan Quick became the first U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to win 400 games — and helped the New York Rangers end their three-game losing streak in the process.

Quick made 34 saves for the historic win, and K’Andre Miller scored the tie-breaking goal at 11:33 of the third period as the Rangers rallied with three goals in the third period to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.

The 38-year-old became the 15th goaltender in league history to reach the 400-win mark. He joined Marc-Andre Fleury of the Minnesota Wild and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers as the only active 400-win goalies. Quick’s teammates mobbed him as the game ended, and he received a standing ovation and salute from the full house of 18,006.

Needless to say, Quick was the game’s First Star.

“It was a great effort up and down the lineup,” Quick said afterward. “Everyone competed. It was a gutsy effort by everyone.”

Asked what it meant to reach the 400-win mark, Quick said, “It means I’ve been lucky enough to play with a lot of great hockey players. I’m just grateful.”

Coach Peter Laviolette said win No. 400 means that Quick “has been really good for a long time. 400 wins — I think it’s 15 goalies have done it; (he’s the) first American goaltender, there’s been a lot of great goaltenders.

“If you watch him on a daily basis, it’s not hard to figure out why he’s reached that number. It’s his work ethic, it’s the teammate that we get to see on a daily basis. He’s a great person, works hard, total professional.”

J.T. Miller, acquired by the Rangers from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, played his first home game with the Rangers and had an assist on Mika Zibanejad’s game-tying power-play goal at 5:04 of the third period. K’Andre Miller then put the Rangers ahead when he beat Adin Hill with a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from behind the net by Zibanejad. Artemi Panarin added a power-play goal with 1:41 remaining.

Alexis Lafreniere scored early in the second period for the Rangers (25-23-4), who moved past the Montreal Canadiens into 12th place in the Eastern Conference – and are now within five points of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who own the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jack Eichel scored both goals for Vegas, which is 3-7-3 in its past 13 games after losing the opener of a four-game road trip. Hill made 24 saves.

Quick, who was 5-2-2 with Vegas in 2022-23 but did not play during the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup, signed with the Rangers before last season. He earned his 399th win by defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Jan. 2 but had been 0-1-2 since then.

“He’s one of the greatest goalies of all time,” K’Andre Miller said.

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New York Rangers 4 – Vegas Golden Knights 2

The Rangers didn’t do much offensively in the first period. Will Cuylle’s wrister on a quick 2-on-1 midway through the period was their best chance, but Hill stopped it and covered. Quick’s best save was a brilliant diving stop on Eichel 7:45 into the game.

New York didn’t have a shot on goal in the final 5:53 of the period and was outshot 14-7. The last of those 14 shots wound up being the game’s first goal.

Vegas came into the game leading the NHL with a 32.1 percent power-play success rate on the road, and they boosted that number when Eichel opened the scoring at 19:41. Ryan Lindgren was called for tripping Pavel Dorofeyev at 18:36, and the Golden Knights controlled the puck for the better part of a minute until Eichel took a pass from Mark Stone and snapped off a shot from the high slot that beat Quick, who was screened by Tomas Hertl.

But the Rangers didn’t need much game time to get even. Adam Fox made a sensational pass from the right boards through the seam to Lafreniere in the left circle. Lafreniere zipped it past Hill at 1:16 of the second period for his 14th goal of the season and first in five games.

However, New York again had no answer for Eichel, who put the Golden Knights in front for the second time at 9:16. Keegan Kolesar carried the puck into the Rangers’ zone and dropped it for Eichel, who snapped a 40-footer through the legs of Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, over Quick’s glove and under the crossbar. It was Eichel’s 18th goal and 66th point, moving him past Boston’s David Pastrnak – who had a hat trick against the Rangers on Saturday – for eighth place in the NHL scoring race.

The Rangers nearly tied the game at 13:20, when Panarin beat Hill but hit the crossbar. Chris Kreider’s blast a few seconds later caught Hill in the mask but didn’t go in. Quick kept the Rangers within a goal in the final few minutes, when the Golden Knights dominated play and held the Rangers without a shot on goal for the final 5:57 but couldn’t extend their lead.

Vegas finished the period with a 29-17 lead in shots on goal, a 51-29 lead in shot attempts, a 19-10 edge in scoring chances at 5-on-5 and a 9-3 margin in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at New York Rangers
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Rangers got their first power play of the game when Brett Howden was called for interfering with Matt Rempe 4:03 into the third period, and they turned it into the tying goal thanks to a turnover by Eichel, who tried to make a play in his own zone instead of getting the puck down the ice. Panarin kept the puck in and got it to Miller, whose blast slithered through Hill and sat in the crease before Zibanejad outfought a defender and nudged the puck over the goal line for his 10th of the season and a 2-2 tie.

Zibanejad’s goal revved up the Rangers and the Garden crowd, and K’Andre Miller’s goal nearly blew the roof off. Panarin’s goal was icing on the cake.

The Rangers are off until Wednesday, when they host the Bruins. They host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and visit the Columbus Blue Jackets – owners of the first wild card – on Saturday before a 13-day break for the 4 Nations Face-off event.

John Kreiser covered his first Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and is still going ... More about John Kreiser
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