Kaapo Kakko scored the tiebreaking power-play goal with 24 seconds left as the New York Rangers ended their first five-game losing streak in over three years with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon.
The Rangers, who squandered a two-goal lead early in the third period, were on the power play after the Canadiens’ Kirby Dach was called for high sticking on Mika Zibanejad behind the New York net. The Rangers cashed in after Montreal could not clear the defensive zone.
Zac Jones made a backhand pass to the middle of the slot to Will Cuylle, who did the same to Kakko. Parked at the right side of the crease, Kakko lifted a one-timer over goalie Sam Montembeault’s shoulder for his fourth goal of the season.
Kakko’s game-winner ended New York’s longest losing streak since the final week of the 56-game 2021 pandemic-shortened season. The goal came after the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored about 10 minutes apart to tie the score 3-3.
New York’s Artemi Panarin and Zibanejad scored power-play goals in the opening 40 minutes. Vincent Trocheck scored in the waning seconds of the first period to help the Rangers jump out to an early lead.
Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves a week after allowing six goals in a 6-2 road loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 23.
Mike Matheson also scored for the Canadiens. Montembeault made 24 saves.
The Rangers went ahead 9:02 into the contest when Panarin lifted a shot from above the left circle over Montreal defenseman David Savard and into the upper corner of the net.
Montreal tied with 8:13 left when Matheson entered the offensive zone, stepped into a shot above the right hash marks and ripped a shot over Quick’s right shoulder.
After surviving Montreal’s attempts at going ahead, the Rangers cycled the puck around the offensive zones in the final seconds of the first and took a 2-1 lead when Trocheck tipped in Alexis Lafreniere’s shot from the right point with four seconds left.
New York expanded its lead when Zibanejad faked a one-timer, waited for Chris Kreider to get in front of the net and sent a shot from between the circles by Montembeault.
Caufield put a shot from the right circle by Quick at 4:16 into the third, and Suzuki slid the puck into the open net to forge a 3-3 tie nearly 10 minutes later.
–Field Level Media
