Surging Bruins Earn 3-1 Win Over Rangers
NEW YORK (AP) — Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle, Patrice Bergeron each scored, and the Boston Bruins began a four-game road trip with a 3-1 win against the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Jaroslav Halak made 25 saves as Boston picked up its ninth win in 10 games.
Mika Zibanejad scored, but the Rangers' four-game winning streak was snapped. Alexandar Georgiev made his third start in a row for New York and had 31 saves.
Coyle scored the game-winner with a short-handed goal at 18:42 of the second period. The forward stole a puck from Jacob Trouba at the blueline, then outskated everyone on the ice before converting a breakaway for his 14th of the season.
McAvoy opened the scoring at 19:18 of the first period after a puck took an odd bounce over the head of Georgiev. McAvoy tossed a shot near the net and the puck bounced off two Rangers skaters before finding the back of the net. McAvoy also scored in the Bruins' 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Zibanejad ended Halak's shutout bid with a power-play goal at 9:52 of the third period. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome assisted on the play. Bergeron added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The Rangers had an opportunity midway through the second to even the score when David Krejci was penalized for a four-minute high-sticking infraction. The Rangers' power play has been one of the top units in the NHL, but failed to come through in the middle period.
New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren was forced to leave the game after the Krejci penalty but did return to action after receiving medical treatment.
Henrik Lundqvist dressed as the backup goaltender for the seventh straight game and hasn't started since being pulled against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 3. New York has carried three goaltenders since recalling Igor Shesterkin from the American Hockey League for the second time on January 29th.
NOTES: The Bruins concluded their 10th of 13 sets of back-to-back games this season … Boston is 8-1-1 in the first game of those sets and 5-4-1 in the second half. Boston scratched defenseman John Moore, forwards Anton Blidh and Par Lindholm. New York defenseman Tony DeAngelo missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury although coach David Quinn expects him to return Wednesday. Shesterkin was sidelined for a third straight game because of an ankle injury.
UP NEXT:
Bruins: Visit Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Rangers: Visit Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
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