New York Rangers edge past Carolina Hurricanes 2-1
Mats Zuccarello scored his first NHL goal and bagged an assist to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Brandon Dubinsky had two assists and Matt Gilroy added a goal for New York, who snapped their two-game losing streak. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 shots in the win.
Eric Staal scored the lone goal for the Hurricanes, who have managed to grab at least a point in five consecutive contests (3-0-2). Cam Ward surrendered two goals off 35 shots in the loss. Carolina is now in ninth-place in the Eastern Conference play-off
race.
Both teams battled to open the scoring, but could not take advantage in the first and second periods. Goalies on both sides made good saves throughout the two periods. The Hurricanes had two power-plays in the first period, but could not capitalise.
In the second period, there was even less action than the first, but New York picked up the shot totals. Rangers held a 15-8 advantage in the second period. They had one complete power-play and began a second in the waning seconds.
The Hurricanes got a major scoring opportunity with over two minutes to play in the second period when Marc Staal's shot was stopped by Ward.
A few seconds later, Alex Frolov was late in taking a loose puck when it got behind Ward. That allowed Carolina defenseman Joe Corvo to slip it out of danger in the crease.
The game stayed scoreless until the ninth minute of the final period. After Dubinsky worked the puck behind the Hurricanes net, Zuccarello threw the puck out from behind the net to Gilroy, who smashed a wrist shot through traffic to beat Ward on the stick
side for his third goal of the season.
Staal pulled Carolina even with six minutes left in third period. He won an offensive zone draw in the Rangers end, and then got a rebound off Joe Corvo’s shot. He let go a shot as he dived through the air, and beat Lundqvist for his 19th goal.
The Rangers took a 2-1 lead with less than two minutes remaining in over time. Lundqvist set the puck up for Brandon Dubinsky behind his own net. Dubinsky carried it into the Hurricanes zone, but lost control as he avoided a defender on the way to crease.
Zuccarello got the puck behind the net, came around the far post and lifted a shot over the Carolina netminder.
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