COLUMBUS (OH) – Rookie Jimmy Vesey scored 13:28 into the third period to give the New York Rangers the 3-2 lead and they never looked back. Despite not having played a full game since 2016, backup goalie Antti Raanta made 30 saves in a spectacular performance to give the Rangers their sixth win in the past six games and tied them in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sergei Brobrovsky made 20 stops on 23 shots.
“You always want to give your best and keep it going” Raanta remarked referencing their winning streak. “You don’t want to be the guy ruining the winning streak”.
The Blue Jackets opened up the scoring when former Rangers Brandon Dubinsky slammed home a behind the back pass from Brandon Saad. Saad was the first to the puck behind the goal line to Raanta’s right side and his last second dish found its way to Dubinsky’s stick for his eighth of the year.
In his first game back from injury, Dan Girardi notched a shorthanded goal, his second of his career, to tie the game 12 seconds into the second period. J.T Miller notched an assist on the play, extending his point streak to seven games (two goals, nine assists).
After some back and forth in the third period, Kevin Hayes was able to give the Blueshirts their first lead of the game.
Hayes intercepted a broken up play at center ice for a breakaway when he was able to deke Bobrovsky and slide home his 15th on the year through the five-hole.
“I kind of cheated and thought he was going to go D-to-D” said Hayes, “luckily he did. I got a breakaway and saw the five-hole open up”
The Jackets put the Rangers on their heel after that for seven straight minutes until they got a bi of puck luck, courtesy of Miller’s skate. After a shot went wide by Marc Savard, Nick Foligno was able to throw the puck on net which found Miller’s skate and beat Raanta for Foligno’s 19th of the year.
Vesey was able to break the tie late in the game when he came streaking down the right side and went back-hand to fore-hand in an instant and beat Bobrovsky top corner for the 3-2 lead.
Vesey started off the season scorching hot, scoring six goals in 10 games. Since then, he has added only six goals in the last 44 games. After being jumbled around going from first line to fourth, to back to first, to back to fourth recently, head coach Alain Vigneault decided to start him on fourth line against the Blue Jackets but moved him back up to first line with Rick Nash and Mika Zibanejad during the second period.
The move paid off as the rookie gave the Rangers their 37th win of the year, tied for second most the team has earned through the first 56 games of the year.
The Rangers next game will be against their New York rival the Islanders on Thursday at 7pm in Brooklyn.
The Blue Jackets look to bounce back when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday at 7pm.
Follow Danny on Twitter: @Danny_PJones
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