New York Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring during the second period of an NHL Stadium Series hockey game against the New York Islanders in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After overturning a late two-goal deficit, Artemi Panarin scored the game-winning overtime goal 10 seconds into the extra period to lift the New York Rangers to an improbable 6-5 victory over the New York Islanders in the 2024 Stadium Series on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
“This was awesome,” Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was a perfect night. The ice was great, the weather was great, two teams played hard. They had their moments, we had our moments… It was an unbelievable night.”
The Rangers (36-16-3) were trailing 5-3 inside five minutes to go in regulation, but forced overtime by scoring twice in 2:39 through power-play goals by Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad — the tying tally coming with 1:29 to go in regulation.
Panarin scored the game-winner by intercepting a Noah Dobson pass in the Islanders’ zone and deking past goalie Ilya Sorokin and the sliding defenseman, who dislodged the net in the process. While the net was off the moorings before the puck crossed the goal line, it was still deemed a good goal.
“Honestly, I don’t remember that goal very well at this point because I got flooded with a wave of emotions and excitement,” Panarin said after the game. “But I’m 80% sure the puck crossed the line and it definitely was a goal.”
The Islanders scored three goals in a 3:14 span in the first period on their way to building a 4-1 lead that initially seemed insurmountable for the Rangers. Yet the Blueshirts scored twice in the second period to cut the deficit to within one heading into the final frame.
Alexander Romanov gave the Islanders a two-goal cushion early in the third, but two late penalties on Mathew Barzal and Scott Mayfield…
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