Mika Zibanejad scores in overtime as Rangers beat Jets 3-2 for perfect road trip
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored 4:34 into overtime, and the New York Rangers beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Monday night for their fifth straight win.
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin celebrated his 32nd birthday with a goal and two assists, stretching his season-opening point streak to nine games. Chris Kreider scored his sixth goal for New York, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 27 shots.
The Rangers closed out a 5-0 road trip. It was the first time in franchise history that the team had a perfect trip of at least five games.
“Everyone wants to go home, but we were determined to finish it off the right way and I thought we did and just battled through it and try to get these two points and this one feels really good,” Zibanejad said.
Zibanejad's winning one-timer was set up by Panarin. Ranger coach Peter Laviolette said Panarin is doing some “pretty special” things.
“The last one, just the game-winner, to be able to just part the way down the middle of the ice like that, push people off and then draw them in, and then have the vision to make the play to Mika, that’s a unique player and he’s playing really well for us right now,” Laviolette said.
David Gustaffson and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets in front of 11,898 fans at Canada Life Centre, the second-highest attendance of the season.
Cole Perfetti had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for Winnipeg, which is riding a five-game point streak (3-0-2).
The teams were tied 1-1 going into the third period.
Panarin scored the game’s first goal when he redirected a pass from former Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba into the net with 1:36 remaining in the opening period.
Gustaffson tied it 28 seconds later with his second goal of the season.
New York got the game’s first power play 1:06 into the second and almost scored. Vincent Trocheck's shot hit Hellebuyck’s pad, then the post and sat on the goal line. Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon swooped in and swiped it away.
Ehlers beat Shesterkin with a wraparound at 5:08 of the third. It was his second goal of the season and 400th career point.
“I was pretty bad last game,” Ehlers said. “I’ve had a lot of bad games. I’m still gonna have a lot of bad games. I just tried to get back out there and skate and create something. Be better. I think I managed that pretty good.”
Kreider tipped in an Adam Fox shot on the power play to tie it at 13:12.
Winnipeg went into overtime on the power play after New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren was called for tripping with 19 seconds remaining in the third.
The Jets haven’t scored in their last 13 power plays.
“We had a chance to win that thing in the overtime 4-on-3 and didn’t get it done,” Winnipeg interim coach Scott Arniel said. “Tonight, their power play scored, ours didn’t, and that’s the difference in the game. It really was."
The Jets honored former captain Blake Wheeler with a video tribute midway through the first period.
Wheeler spent 13 seasons with the organization, including his last 12 with the Jets after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011. The final year of his contract was bought out in the offseason and he signed a one-year deal with the Rangers.
“I’ve used the word grateful a million times now, but that was the first emotion,” Wheeler said of the tribute.
“I was choking back some tears but, overall, you just feel a little uncomfortable having all of that for you.”
UP NEXT
Rangers: Return home to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Jets: Travel to Vegas to play the Golden Knights on Thursday.
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