Hayes Leads Rangers To Shootout Win Over Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Hayes had the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout, giving the New York Rangers a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

After Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Shattenkirk scored in the shootout for New York and Jonathan Huberdeau tallied for Florida, Hayes beat goalie Roberto Luongo as the Rangers broke their three-game losing streak.

Hayes also had a pair of assists.

Zibanejad, Vladislav Namestnikov, Matt Beleskey and Fredric Claesson scored for the Rangers, who improved to 5-1 in shootouts and swept the season series from Florida 3-0.

Keith Yandle, Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov had goals for the Panthers, who finished 3-2-3 in their eight-game homestand. Huberdeau added a pair of assists.

New York's Henrik Lundqvist had 27 saves, and Luongo finished with 22. Lundqvist stopped the Panthers' first attempt in the shootout, by Barkov.

The Panthers were looking to finish strong in the finale of the two-week stretch at home, but the Rangers, whose last game was on Sunday, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Zibanejad grabbed a rebound off a long shot by Hayes and slid it past Luongo at 3:37 of the first period for his ninth goal.

With New York on the penalty kill late in the period, Hayes won a race to the puck near the end boards and fed Namestnikov, who slipped in the short-handed goal, his third tally this season, at 18:10.

Yandle blasted in a power-play goal 57 seconds into the second period for his fifth goal, and Huberdeau scored his ninth goal off a turnover in the neutral zone at 4:14 to tie it at 2.

Beleskey deflected in Brady Skjei's shot for his first Rangers goal at 6:28 for a 3-2 lead, but Ekblad roofed his seventh goal over a lunging Lundqvist at 18:20 as the period ended tied at 3.

Claesson scored his second goal at 1:32 of the third period when he whistled in a shot from the left circle for a 4-3 lead, but Barkov's 11th tally on the power play at 10:51 evened it at 4.

NOTES: The game featured two goaltenders inside the top 10 in career wins — Luongo in fourth (476) and Lundqvist in seventh (440). Luongo and Lundqvist rank first and second, respectively, among active NHL goalies in career appearances, wins and shutouts. ... Zibanejad had six points (three goals, three assists) in the three games against Florida. ... Huberdeau recorded his 300th NHL point with his goal and has multi-point outings in seven of his last eight games. ... The Panthers have power-play goals in eight straight games and 18 of 19. ... Florida scratched F Nick Bjugstad (upper body), who missed his first game this season.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At Tampa Bay on Monday.

Panthers: At St. Louis on Tuesday.

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