Chris Kreider gives Rangers OT win over Flyers, Igor Shesterkin gets shutout
The New York Rangers were saved by Chris Kreider in overtime to start a four-game homestand with a 1-0 win versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
It should’ve been an easier win based off the 36-19 shot advantage the Blueshirts enjoyed, but Carter Hart came up big. When he wasn’t able to stop it, his best friends did as the Rangers hit the posts four times.
“That was a good one,” Gerard Gallant said. “I didn’t think we would have our legs after that tough travel (back from Arizona). Guys played really well and really hard. At the end of the day it was a great win.”
Recap: Rangers 1 vs Flyers 0 (OT)
1st Period
The two bitter rivals appeared to be feeling each other out in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Aside from the Garden Faithful giving former Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo a loud chorus of boos every time he touched the puck, it was a bit of a snoozefest.
There were a handful of lively moments, including Ryan Lindgren making a great defensive play on a Travis Konecny wraparound with Igor Shesterkin trying to get to the opposite post.
The Rangers outshot the Flyers 9-7 at the end of one period of play.
2nd Period
New York found their legs in the middle frame and really took it to the Flyers sending a barrage shots at Carter Hart.
The Flyers goaltender was extremely sharp, but also got some help when a Mika Zibanejad shot from the slot rang off the post. That wasn’t the only one either as Chris Kreider on a shorthanded breakaway was able to beat Hart but heard the sound of metal.
The Blueshirts outshot the Flyers 13-4 in the period, but the game remained scoreless.
3rd Period
Philadelphia tightened things up in the third period in an effort to limit the Rangers shots, which they were able to do for the most part.
Alexis Lafrenière had a golden opportunity to give the Blueshirts a lead but rang it off the post as well. It was the team’s fourth time hitting the iron in the game.
A late power play with 4:35 left was given to the Rangers when DeAngelo lifted one over the glass for a delay of game penalty. However, the kill gave Philly life and they had two glorious chances to win it that Shesterkin denied.
The Flyers outshot the Rangers 8-7 as the teams headed to OT.
OT
Much like the game, the Blueshirts came out firing and forced Hart to make several big stops.
New York would not relent and finally on their sixth shot of the extra session, Kreider got his second breakaway. This time there was no post, just a nice deke and a backhand game-winner.
“A little panic set in when I saw Mika just give it to me,” Kreider said. “I tried to shoot low blocker earlier in the game so I figured I fake it and do Mika’s backhand move. It was an exciting ending.”
Notable Rangers
- Igor Shesterkin recorded his first shutout of the season (19 saves)
- Chris Kreider recorded his 4th goal of the season (team-high 7 shots)
- Mika Zibanejad picked up the lone assist
Tomorrow (Wednesday, November 2): Practice at MSG Training Center (12:00 PM ET)
Next Game: Thursday, November 3 vs. Boston Bruins (7:30 PM ET – TV: ESPN PLUS/HULU)
*Schedule subject to change
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