Stan Fischler On Rangers Cup Chances The New York Rangers defeated the Arizona Coyotes 8-5 in what was an explosive offensive contest, featuring three Blueshirt milestones. . Jonathan Quick picked up the win for the Rangers making 27 saves on 32 Coyotes shots. Karel Vejmelka stopped 24 of 30 Rangers shots in goal for Arizona. The New York Rangers celebrate with Jonathan Quick after defeating the Arizona Coyotes and recording his 392nd career win. Quick now leads all U.S. born goalies in wins. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1Mzk2Njc4Mjk4MDUyNTY0/usatsi_22907854.jpg] The New York Rangers celebrate with Jonathan Quick after defeating the Arizona Coyotes and recording his 392nd career win. Quick now leads all U.S. born goalies in wins. Alexis Lafreniere scored his first career hat trick and tallied two assists for a five-point performance, while Artemi Panarin tallied four points. Lafreniere opened the scoring, with 5:45 to go in the first period. Lafreniere carried the puck into the Coyotes zone on a 2-on-1 before electing to shoot, and he made no mistake. Panarin and Lindgren tallied the assists. New York scored the only goal of the first period and held a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. Just 1:59 into the second period Lindgren scored his third goal of the season in a sensational passing sequence, including a D-to-D pass below the offensive zone face-off dots. Lafreniere fired the puck down low to Fox, who zipped it to Lindgren, making it 2-0. The Coyotes got a goal back 6:27 into the second. Jack McBain dropped the puck to Matias Maccelli who swooped through the slot and scored. Doan was credited with the secondary assist on the goal that made it 2-1. The Blueshirts regained their two-goal lead 18 seconds later. Trocheck fed Lafreniere in the slot, who then made a beautiful dangle move before backhanding the puck past Vejmelka to make the score 3-1. Panarin added his second assist of the game with the secondary. Arizona scored twice before the end of the second period. First Clayton Keller scored with 8:54 on the clock on a sweet backhand cutting in from the left dot. Nick Schmaltz had the lone assist. In the final minute of the second Nick Bjugstad jumped on a pass from Schmaltz and fired the puck past Quick. The Coyotes tied the game at three with 42 seconds remaining in the second period. Schmaltz assisted both goals. The Rangers allowed their two-goal lead to dissipate and entered the final frame tied at three. Arizona had 11 shots compared to New York’s eight in the second. The Rangers took a 4-3 lead to open the scoring in the third with a milestone goal 5:45 in. Chris Kreider scored his 35th this season and 300th of his career, with a deflection that was assisted by Jack Roslovic and Lindgren. Zac Jones then got in on the action to give the Rangers their third, two-goal lead of the night. For Jones, it was just his second goal of the season, increasing the lead to 5-3, 7:16 into the period. Lafreniere recorded his fourth point of the night with the primary assist, and Panarin his third with the secondary assist. 2:17 later it was Barclay Goodrow’s turn as he scored while shorthanded. An errant pass to the Coyotes defended was stolen by Goodrow who slipped the puck through Vejmelka on the breakaway at 9:33, making it 6-3 for the Rangers. After three unanswered goals for the Rangers, Arizona got one back. A power play goal was finished on a nice passing play by Lawson Crouse with 7:39 to go. Cooley had the primary assist and Bjugstad had his third assist of the game with the secondary. Cooley then scored to make it 6-5, and a one-goal game with 5:34 to play. Macelli sent the puck across to Valimaki before Cooley one-timed a slapshot from the high slot past Quick. Panarin scored an empty net goal for his fourth point of the night, making it 7-5 with 2:25 remaining in the game. Kaapo Kaako assisted. Lafreniere scored his third goal of the game for the hat trick into an empty net with 15 seconds to go. Trocheck and Fox both assisted the goal. For those two it’s each their 50th assist of the season to seal the Rangers win. The win gave Quick his 392nd career win. He now leads all U.S. born goalies in wins after passing Ryan Miller.
