MONTREAL — A Focus on Finishing Strong
The Rangers showed that, much like their entire season, the key isn’t necessarily how you start a game; it’s how you finish it. On Saturday night, they overcame a slow start to edge out the Canadiens 4-3, snapping a three-game losing streak before returning to Madison Square Garden for two home games.
In a surprising turn, the Rangers rallied with three goals in the third period, a much-needed boost after being limited to just one goal in their last three losses.
Initially, it looked like the Rangers were in trouble, as the Canadiens quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead within just over three minutes. Their speed and quick decisions with the puck were striking.
An unfortunate bounce from defenseman Matthew Robertson, who was trying to maintain puck control, allowed Cole Caufield and July Slavkowski to capitalize and score the Canadiens’ first goal.
Slavkowski struck early, giving Montreal a lead just a minute and a half into the game.
After conceding two early penalties, the Rangers found themselves vulnerable, allowing a power-play goal from Nick Suzuki, who had a wide-open net after receiving a pass from Ivan Demidov.
By this point, the Rangers had yet to record a shot on goal.
However, a holding penalty against Josh Anderson gave the Rangers their first power-play opportunity. Mika Zibanejad seized the chance, scoring with a one-timer from the faceoff circle, bringing the score to 2-1. This marked the Rangers’ 109th power-play goal, surpassing Rod Gilbert for third place in franchise history.
As the second period came to a close, Sam Carrick dropped the gloves with Arbor Shekai. It was a spirited bout, and Carrick held his own against the Canadian enforcer. Following that fight, the Rangers seemed to find an extra burst of energy.
After an earlier power play expired in the third, JT Miller skillfully redirected a shot from Adam Fox past Montreal goalie Sam Montembeau, leveling the score at 2-2.
Rookie defenseman Robertson then made his mark by scoring his first NHL goal with a shot from the top of the zone, putting the Rangers ahead.
The Rangers clearly needed stronger offensive efforts from their top players, and that was evident on Saturday night. Zibanejad assisted Artemi Panarin in transition, and Panarin went on to score his first goal of the season, extending the lead to 4-2.
