Mika Zibanejad scored two power-play goals to highlight a four-goal third period for the New York Rangers, who handed the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights a 5-1 loss on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
Zibanejad also had an assist and Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere also scored goals for New York, which won its second straight game. Artemi Panarin added three assists, Adam Fox had two assists and Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves for the Rangers, who improved to 8-4-1 on the road.
Jonathan Marchessault scored for the third straight game for Vegas, which fell to 7-6-0 at home. Logan Thompson finished with 32 saves.
New York held the Golden Knights to just five shots on goal over the first 25 minutes and took a 1-0 lead at the 6:49 mark of the first period on Kakko’s fifth goal of the season. K’Andre Miller flicked a shot from the right point that Kakko, set up in the slot, deflected past Thompson’s blocker side for his first goal in eight games.
Vegas took advantage of a five-on-three power play in the second period to tie it. Chandler Stephenson sent a cross-ice pass from the right circle to Marchessault stationed near the left side of the goal line. Marchessault then roofed a one-timer inside the top far post for his 11th goal of the season.
The Rangers scored four times on five shots over a 5:36 span in the third period to blow the game open. The first came at the 5:59 mark on a power play, when Zibanejad connected on a one-timer from the top of the left circle off a Panarin pass.
Chytil made it 3-1 just 24 seconds later with a wrist shot off a saucer pass from Barclay Goodrow that went under Thompson’s glove. It was Chytil’s fifth goal of the season.
Lafreniere increased the lead to 4-1 at 7:52 with his fifth of the season. His wrist shot from the right side of the crease went over a sprawled Thompson, who had lost his stick on the play.
Zibanejad followed his with his second power-play score of the period during a five-on-three power play, one-timing another Panarin pass from the left circle for his 15th goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
