Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey scored 94 seconds apart in the second period and the New York Rangers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
The Rangers improved to 9-0-2 in the past 11 meetings with the Sharks and rebounded from their 6-3 loss Tuesday to the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets. New York turned it on Thursday in the latter portion of the second after a slow start, falling behind in the opening three minutes.
Zibanejad, who committed two turnovers that led to Winnipeg goals Tuesday, scored his first goal in nine games with 8:21 remaining and Vesey scored the tiebreaking tally with 6:45 remaining. Vincent Trocheck netted New York’s third goal of the period with 3:39 left after interfering with goalie Mackenzie Blackwood’s stick to nullify a goal by Adam Fox about two minutes earlier.
New York’s Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves after allowing five goals apiece in his previous two starts.
Timothy Liljegren scored 2:51 into the contest and Fabian Zetterlund scored a power-play goal with the extra attacker with 27 seconds left in the game for the Sharks, who are 5-3-1 since opening with a nine-game skid (0-7-2). Blackwood made 32 saves one game after getting a 44-save shutout over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
For the third straight home game the Rangers fell behind within the opening three minutes.
After the Rangers failed to clear the puck from behind their net, Liljegren gained possession near the right point. His shot hopped over Vesey’s stick and beat Shesterkin, who was screened in front.
Zibanejad tied the score by beating San Jose defenseman Henry Thrun to a loose puck at the right side of the crease and hammered in the rebound of Fox’s shot into the vacated side of the net.
The Rangers went ahead when Vesey got a return pass from Sam Carrick and beat Blackwood with a backhander shortly after an offensive zone turnover by San Jose rookie Macklin Celebrini. After Fox’s goal was disallowed, Trocheck eluded Tyler Toffoli and tipped in a pass from Artemi Panarin just above the left side of the crease.
Zetterlund scored on Shesterkin after controlling a loose puck in the crease.
