Hat trick by any means is still a hat trick.
On Friday night, the New York Rangers’ Michael Grabner potted the second of his two empty net goals to complete a natural hat trick i a 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes 
on Broadway.
David Desharnais scored on yet another muffed puck by Canes’ goalie Scott Darling, this a stick handling flub in the middle frame.
“That was a huge mistake by me,” Darling said. “That got them back in the game.”
Paul Carey also scored for the Rangers.
Henrik Lundqvist made saves to pick up the win.
Justin Williams scored I the lone goal for the Canes when his shot from the right wing fooled Lundqvist for a 1-0 lead.
“It was definitely a test after that goal,” Lundqvist said after giving up the goal just 56 seconds into the game.
“We’re a more confident group now,” Lundqvist said. “I feel better about my game. I think as a group we feel better. I feel as though I answered, and as a group we did.”
The Rangers now play three games against opposition above them in the division.
“You could put yourself in a hole pretty quickly if you don’t muster out some points,” the Rangers’ Marc Staal said. “Our division is insane right now how close it is and I think it’s going to be that way right to the end. We have a pretty talented division so you definitely have to be up for these games and make ’em count.”
[WATCH: All Hurricanes vs. Rangers highlights]
Darling made 21 saves in the loss.
“Earlier in the season, letting up one early goal led to three early goals. I think we have done a good job of recognizing, like tonight, that’s a fluky goal. It’s a long season and some of those are going to go in, but we responded well. We know that [Lundqvist] isn’t going to let up many of those and that’s just one we have to get back for him,” the Rangers’ Kevin Shattenkirk said after his team yielded the early lead to Carolina.
You must be logged in to post a comment.