Alexis Lafreniere netted the overtime winner and Mika Zibanejad scored twice as part of a three-point performance to lead the host New York Rangers a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Filip Chytil found the back of the net twice and Artemi Panarin collected two assists for the Rangers, while goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves.
Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane both collected one goal and one assist for the Flames, while Tyler Toffoli and Michael Stone tallied once apiece. Mikael Backlund had a pair of assists and goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 shots for Calgary.
An entertaining, back-and-forth affair ended 97 seconds into overtime when Lafreniere buried a rebound chance following a sprawling Markstrom save.
It was a wild finish to a game that featured all kinds of thunderous body checks and a trio of fights.
Chytil continued his hot streak when he opened the scoring at the 5:37 mark of the first by using his wheels to lead a two-on-one rush and burying a shot from the right circle.
Coleman replied five minutes later when he pounced on a loose puck for his 11th goal of the season.
Chytil put the Rangers ahead a second time at 2:02 of the second period. He intercepted a pass and sped away for a breakaway, which he finished with a snap shot from the slot for his 18th marker of the season and sixth in a four-game streak.
Toffoli’s power-play goal with 3:35 remaining in the second period — a perfect shot from the left dot off the post and in for his 19th goal of the campaign — again tied the clash.
After Zibanejad’s power-play goal with 14 seconds remaining in the second frame put the Rangers ahead a third time, Mangiapane’s controversial goal tied the game at 6:38 of the third period. Mangiapane used his skate to redirect a shot into the cage. Following a lengthy review, the score stood.
Stone gave the Flames their first lead of the night just over two minutes later when he unloaded a rocket of a point shot for his fifth of the campaign.
Zibanejad’s second goal of the game — and 24th of the season — set up by Panarin made it a 4-4 game with 7:05 remaining in regulation.
New York won for the third time in four games. Calgary fell to 3-1-1 in its past five.
–Field Level Media
