In Dallas, the New York angers’ Zac Jones, Julien Gauthier, and Vincent Trocheck scored within a 2:7 on Saturday in the third period to break open a tight, 3-3, affair with the Stars.
“Good road game. Two good points,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “There was some sloppy play in the second, back and forth wide-open. But I thought in the third we played really good, obviously got some great goals.”
Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves for the Rangers in the win.
Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson scored in the middle frame for the Stars as two clubs skated a 3-3 tie after 40 minutes of play.
“Our [defensive] zone kind of got away from us in the third,” Robertson said. “All our wins were tight, nothing really blew the game wide open. We’ve never dealt with that this season. We have a big leadership group, lot of people that have been in this situation. We’re all waiting to respond on Tuesday (against the Los Angeles Kings).”
Trocheck, who had a pair of strikes, and Mika Zibanejad hit off power lay goals in the second period.
Robertson had a second waved off in the early third period that would have put Dallas up, 4-3; the wave off was for offside on a coach’s challenge.
“I think he obviously left so there’s an injury there,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer said. “The doctors are seeing him now, I’m sure there will be some tests. I’m sure we’ll have some updates tomorrow. It looked like he caught his skate foot on the post. … Fluky thing.”
The win helped erase some of the stick of the previous three games for the Rangers, including a 2-0 loss to the New York Islanders earlier in the week.
Mason Marchment staked Dallas to an early 1-0 lead in the first period.
Gauthier’s goal came 19 seconds after Jones’ game-winner. Sammy Balis tossed the puck out to a streaking Gauthier who split the Dallas defense and took the puck of the goalie’s stick went right, and writed home the goal as he was falling to the ice.
“Pretty sure I had him,” Gauthier said about beating Wedgewood to the puck on the play. “I was pretty much full speed and I was like, ‘This might be a tough timing for him.’ I had pretty good odds that it was going in.”
Chris Kreider responded with a tap-in off a pass from Kaapo Kakko for a 1-1 tie in the first.
For Jones, it was his first career NHL goal, it sneaked through a screen by Joe Pavelski and past the netminder for the game-winner.
“Once you get the first one out of the way, then the ball starts to roll,” Jones said. “To help the team get a win tonight, that was huge. Means more than the first goal for sure.”
New York was 2-for-5 on the power play.
Trocheck’s second goal was on a delayed penalty against the Stars.
“First (goal), on the power play, it was just a great seam pass from Mika,” Trocheck said. “[Panarin] wasn’t out there, so I just tried to find some open ice on the other side.”
The Stars were scoreless in four chances, including two late in the match.
“We didn’t do enough to dictate the game for sure, and you want to dictate here at home,” DeBoer said. “They should have to adjust to us, and I didn’t think that was the case.”
Jake Oettinger made eight saves before leaving the game early in the middle frame, he yielded two goals. His departure was due to an apparent lower body injury.
Scott Wedgewood made 13 saves on 17 shots he faced through the rest of the match.
“Next man up mentality,” Wedgewood said. “Obviously, he’s a big part of us. He’s proved it early, he’s been on an elite level. Just do what I can to help the team win and fill those shoes.”
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