Every game has carried weight since the Rangers nearly fell out of playoff contention earlier this season, but conference matchups like Wednesday night have become imperative.
The Blueshirts owed the Bruins one after suffering a multi-goal loss to them just four days ago in their house at TD Garden, so they pulled out a 3-2 win over Boston at Madison Square Garden in front of a crowd with sprinkles of fans clad in yellow and black.
Chris Kreider broke a 2-2 tie at the 11:54 mark of the third period to record his first goal at home since Dec. 2.
On the penalty kill with Matt Rempe in the box for holding Pavel Zacha, Mika Zibanejad and Kreider darted out on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush. Zibanejad carried it up most of the way before feeding Kreider, who bolted to the middle of the ice before burying the puck past Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
Everyone in blue shot up out of their seats while Zibanejad and Kreider embraced in the corner.
The goal was Kreider’s third shorthanded score of the season, as well as the Rangers’ ninth of the season, which ties them with the Lightning for the second most in the NHL.
Despite a change to the defense for the first time in 18 games, the Rangers were able to retake control of this contest.
With Urho Vaakanainen ruled out due to illness, Zac Jones was inserted into the Rangers lineup for the first time since Dec. 23.
He had served as a healthy scratch in the previous 18 straight games, as well as 20 of the last 21.
The Bruins couldn’t register a single shot on goal until 12:36 into a scoreless, low-event first period.
That’s because for 35 minutes the Rangers dictated the pace of play, generated offensive zone time and generally controlled the game.
It allowed their new-look top line, which has improved from game to game, to open the scoring just over six minutes into the middle frame.
J.T. Miller ushered the puck into the Bruins zone at full speed before lining up Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo into the end boards. The puck bounced out to Zibanejad, who found Artemi Panarin for a one-timer and the 1-0 lead.
Boston found its push, however, later in the second period.
After K’Andre Miller blocked David Pastrnak’s first shot, the Bruins forward recovered the puck and whipped it past Igor Shesterkin to tie it, 1-1.
A mere 16 seconds later, Elias Lindholm flung one from the top of the right circle and it deflected off Adam Fox’s skate and in to give the visitors their first lead of the night.
Vincent Trocheck then got a stick on a Miller shot from the top of the zone just under five and half minutes into the third to even the score for a second time.
