Goaltender Jonathan Quick was back in the net for the Rangers Sunday night when they hosted the Blue Jackets in the finale of their three-game homestand at Madison Square Garden. For a time, though, despite how well Quick played, the Rangers were stymied by the play of Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins, and perhaps by the decision of the NHL’s situation room in Toronto, which denied them what could have been the tying goal late in the second period.
But Alexis Lafrenière’s second goal of the game, with 11.7 seconds remaining and the Blueshirts skating 6-on-5, forced overtime and extended the Rangers’ point-streak to 10 games.
Then, Lafreniere scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory and a sweep of the homestand.
Quick was solid in net with 26 saves as Igor Shesterkin missed his fourth straight game. Quick is 4-0-1.
Artemi Panarin had two assists to extend his point-streak to start the season to 14 games, which tied the franchise record held by Rod Gilbert (1972-73).
A pair of goals 19 seconds apart midway through the second period had given Columbus a 3-2 lead, but the Rangers (11-2-1) thought they had tied it late in the period on a goal by rookie Will Cuylle. However, after a lengthy video review, the play was ruled no goal.
The Rangers had a great chance to tie the score when they had a five-on-three advantage for 1:09 early in the third period. But despite all the pressure they put on Merzlikins (37 saves), they failed to score.
The Rangers, who entered the game without Shesterkin, defenseman Adam Fox and center Filip Chytil, finished without defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who left at 1:30 of the third period after he was slammed into the boards by the Blue Jackets’ Sean Kuraly.
Kuraly was initially given a five-minute major penalty for boarding, but after a video review, it was reduced to a minor penalty. It was that penalty, and a high-sticking call against Justin Danforth against Artemi Panarin, that gave the Rangers the…
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