Chris Kreider snapped a third-period tie with his 300th career goal and Alexis Lafreniere recorded his first career hat trick in the New York Rangers’ 8-5 victory over the host Arizona Coyotes on Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.
Lafreniere added two assists and Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists as the Rangers (50-20-4, 104 points) scored five times in the third to win their fifth straight. New York reached 50 wins for the sixth time in team history.
Kreider snapped a 3-3 tie 5:45 into the third with his milestone goal on a deflection of a pass by Lafreniere. Kreider’s 35th goal occurred after he had a goal disallowed due to goaltender interference late in the second.
Lafreniere scored New York’s first goal and set up a tally by defenseman Ryan Lindgren. He also scored New York’s third goal before setting up Kreider’s milestone.
Kreider was not the only Rangers player to reach a milestone. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for his 392nd regular-season victory to surpass Ryan Miller as the winningest American-born goalie.
Zac Jones also scored and Barclay Goodrow added a short-handed tally as the Ranger scored three times in a span of 3:48 in the third before Arizona cut it to 6-5 on goals by Lawson Crouse and Logan Cooley.
Panarin and Lafreniere finished off New York’s latest win by scoring empty-net tallies.
Matias Maccelli, Clayton Keller and Nick Bjugstad scored in the second, but the Coyotes (31-38-5, 67 points) were unable to win a third straight.
Arizona goalie Karel Vejmelka allowed six goals on 30 shots.
Lafreniere opened the scoring by finishing off a two-on-one with Vincent Trocheck with 5:45 left in the first and Lindgren converted Fox’s pass from the corner for a 2-0 lead 1:59 into the second.
After Maccelli scored, Lafreniere scored from close range 6:45 into the second after Trochek pressured Alex Kerfoot into a turnover behind the net.
The Coyotes cut the deficit to 3-2 with 8:54 left on Keller’s backhander from the left side of the crease.
The Rangers nearly took a 4-2 lead with 3:21 left in the second when Kreider lifted a rebound into the net but officials determined Jack Roslovic interfered with Vejmelka. The Coyotes tied it with 41.7 seconds left in the period when Bjugstad lifted the puck by Quick from between the circles.
–Field Level Media