NEW YORK — The Rangers found their stride late again Sunday, using a three-goal third period to put away the Utah Mammoth 4-2 at Madison Square Garden for a third straight victory.
Vladislav Gavrikov opened the scoring and helped create the decisive goal, while Igor Shesterkin turned aside 28 shots for New York. The Rangers are 3-1-0 and have started 2-0 at home after dropping their first seven games at MSG last season.
Quick facts
- Final: Rangers 4, Mammoth 2 at Madison Square Garden.
- New York has won three in a row and is 3-1-0.
- Utah fell to 2-1-0 in its first loss of the season.
- Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves and added an assist on Eeli Tolvanen’s empty-netter.
- Rangers center Joseph Veleno left with a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return.
Gabe Perreault snapped a 1-1 tie 3:15 into the third. Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere came down on a 2-on-1, with Lafreniere’s shot from the left circle stopped by Karel Vejmelka. The rebound kicked into open ice above the left hash marks, where Perreault buried it.
J.T. Miller gave the Rangers breathing room at 12:47. Gavrikov fired from the point, and Miller drove the blue paint, with the puck changing direction off his skates and slipping past Vejmelka for a 3-1 lead.
Utah made one last push when Andrew Peeke wired a shot from above the right circle over Shesterkin’s glove at 14:57. Tolvanen sealed it into an empty net with 1:15 remaining, with Shesterkin collecting the assist.
Gavrikov had given New York the first lead late in the opening period. Pavel Dorofeyev’s forecheck broke up Anders Lee’s attempt to move the puck out, and Adam Fox sent it across from the right point to Gavrikov. His wrist shot found a lane through traffic at 17:18.
The Mammoth answered on the power play at 14:29 of the second. Logan Cooley missed on a breakaway, but Utah recovered possession on the forecheck. Shesterkin stopped Clayton Keller from the slot, only for Nick Schmaltz to collect the rebound and score his fourth goal of the season.
Vejmelka finished with 18 saves for Utah. Schmaltz and Peeke supplied the Mammoth scoring in a game where New York’s third-period pressure made the difference.
