Adam Fox, Ryan Strome and Kevin Rooney scored in the first period as the visiting New York Rangers recorded a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J.
The Rangers won their third straight and for the sixth time in eight games (6-2-0) by beating the Devils for the second time in three days. The Devils lost their fifth straight, fell to 1-8-0 in their past nine games and also lost a ninth straight home game, equaling the franchise record set during the 1985-86 season.
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Fox and Strome scored in the opening 7:15 while Rooney scored late in the first after the Devils tied it by goals from P.K. Subban and Mikhail Maltsev.
Libor Hajek scored early in the second and Filip Chytil tallied in the third period for New York. Strome added his second tally by shooting into the empty net with 73 seconds left in the game.
Subban, Maltsev and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils, who are getting outscored 37-16 during their home losing streak.
New York goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 24 saves and picked up his fourth career assist by setting up Fox’s goal.
New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood allowed a season-high five goals on 27 shots.
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An eventful opening 20 minutes ended with the Rangers holding a 3-2 lead.
Fox scored on a power play 2:06 in during a double minor high-sticking penalty on New Jersey defenseman Sami Vatanen.
Georgiev left the puck for Fox, the defenseman skated around the Rangers’ net and completed an end-to-end rush by getting past four defenders.
Strome made it 2-0 after Kaapo Kakko pressured Yegor Sharangovich into a turnover along the right boards in the Devils’ defensive zone. Kakko fed Chris Kreider, who whipped a backhanded pass to Strome, who flipped a backhander over Blackwood.
The Devils tied it with two goals in 17 seconds when Subban’s rising slap shot from the left point sailed by Georgiev with 5:06 remaining and when Maltsev finished off a breakaway.
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Less than two minutes after the Devils tied it, New York regained the lead when Rooney finished off a 2-on-1 with Chytil.
New York went up 4-2 just 65 seconds into the second period Hajek’s goal went up 5-2 when Chytil slid a backhander past Blackwood midway through the third.
–Field Level Media