New York Rangers overcome shaky start but fall to Flyers in a shootout

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Apr 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes (13) scores the game winning goal in penalty shots against New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Rangers wanted to shake off a bad game on Friday against the Islanders. Maybe they wanted it too badly because overly aggressive play and a shaky Igor Shesterkin had them in a hole early versus the Flyers.

In the end, the Blueshirts roared back in the third period but fell in the shootout.

Recap: Flyers 4 vs Rangers 3 (SO)

Kevin Hayes scored with the only goal of the shootout as the visiting Philadelphia Flyers recovered after blowing a three-goal lead and recorded a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers Sunday night.

Cam York and Owen Tippett scored in a 50-second span as the Flyers (22-36-11, 55 points) opened a two-goal lead in the opening 6:44 of the game. Joel Farabee scored 44 seconds into the third period before the Rangers stormed back.

Shesterkin made 23 saves as the Rangers (44-20-6, 94 points) moved within four points of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes and two ahead of the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division.

New York Rangers shaky start

rangers flyers
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

York opened the scoring by scoring his third after Nate Thompson cleanly won an offensive zone faceoff from Copp. Thompson dished the puck to York, who ripped a slap shot from above the right faceoff circle over Shesterkin’s glove.

Tippett scored moments after New York’s Julien Gauthier misplayed the puck in the neutral zone. Hayes gained possession and Tippett finished the play with an off-balance wrist shot from the middle of the slot that sailed by Shesterkin’s pad.

Coach talked about it before the game, all you can do is focus on the next one,” Ryan Lindgren said during the MSG intermission. “It’s going to be a big two periods here and we’ve got to bounce back.”

Rangers explode in the third period, fall in shootout

Panarin scored New York’s first goal by deflecting a shot by Jacob Trouba when he stuck his stick out and lifted the puck into the net 38 seconds after Farabee converted a tap-in during a 2-on-0 rush.

Zibanejad got New York within 3-2 when he seized a loose puck and lifted the rebound of Frank Vatrano’s blast from the right side into the vacated right side of the net after the initial shot hit Jones in the mark.

Just 12 seconds after Zibanejad scored, Andrew Copp netted the game-tying goal with 4:20 to go when he streaked through the slot, got past Philadelphia defenseman Ivan Provorov and deflected Panarin’s backhand pass into the net.

“Really good comeback by us in the third,” Copp said. “Even though we didn’t get the extra point the confidence we gained from the way we played is going to happen in the playoffs that’s for sure.”

Backup goalie Martin Jones made 43 saves and then stopped Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Filip Chytil in the shootout. Jones ended Philadelphia’s four-game losing streak when sprawled out in the crease and made a right pad save on Chytil.

Hayes scored the game-winner against his former team when he lifted a soft shot over Igor Shesterkin’s blocker and stick in the third round of the shootout.

“It was a good point, no doubt,” Gerard Gallant said after the game. “Being down 3-0, to battle back to get that point– it’s a big point.”

Notable Rangers

  • Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 of 26 shots
  • Andrew Copp has points in 7 of his 8 games with the Rangers
  • Artemi Panarin recorded 1G and 1A for another multipoint game

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–Field Level Media contributed to this article.

Anthony Scultore is the founder of Forever Blueshirts and has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL... More about Anthony Scultore

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