The New York Rangers have made it a habit of fighting through adversity this season, and on Tuesday night they showed that again.
After allowing two straight goals in the second and third to fall behind 3-2, the Rangers battled back to tie the game in the final frame and Adam Fox found the back of the net 55 seconds into overtime to secure the 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The win was New York’s fifth win in their last seven games.
Artemi Panarin and Fox charged out of their own zone and into the Ducks’ zone. Panarin had fox on his left side, fed him the puck in the slot and the Long Island native buried the puck past John Gibson for the win.
“When I saw the two-on-one chance (my legs) get a little second win there, especially with Bread,” Fox said. “I’ve played those two-on-ones a few too many times in practice, so I tried to do what the forwards do against us.”
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The win was the 20th time that the Rangers had mounted a comeback effort to pull out a victory this season.
“There’s definitely no quit in the group,” Chris Kreider said. “There’s a really good attitude regardless of where we’re at in the game. I think we lost that a little bit on the road trip, or got away from it rather. But obviously found that in early Dallas and found a little later than we would have liked tonight.”
The Rangers had found themselves in a similar situation in the Lone Star State after falling behind 2-0 against the Stars in the first. Tuesday in Manhattan was a bit of the opposite with the Rangers taking an early lead before it slipped away late in the second and midway through the third.
The Rangers responded quickly after the Ducks captured the lead, tying things just over three minutes later on the man-advantage. Kreider deflected a shot wide of the Ducks’ net, but bounced right to him and Kreider put it past Gibson for the tying goal with 6:20 left in the game.
“I think the skill level is there, the talent level is there,” head coach Gerard Gallant said about his team’s resilience. “They’re never going to quit. A 3-2 game in your own building. You’re getting a lot of chances, a lot of shots, so they felt comfortable. We feel comfortable playing those games. I wish we were up by two goals at that point, but you find a way.
“When you’re having a good year like we’re having you find a way to win those games sometimes.”
The Rangers jumped out to an early lead less than five minutes into the first period. Brodzinski took a pass n the neutral then raced into the Ducks’ end, firing a shot just above the faceoff circle and past Ducks’ starter John Gibson.
The goal was Brodzinksi’s first goal of the season and the first time he’s found the back of the net since Feb. 26, 2021, against the Boston Bruins.
A goal scorers goal from Jonny Brodzinski!!! pic.twitter.com/TEGZJwfWoV
— x – Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) March 15, 2022
The Ducks managed to tie the game with a little more than five minutes to go in the first when Max Comtois was credited with a fluky goal. Troy Terry flung the puck towards the net, but it hit his own guy and he picked up the rebound.
On the wraparound attempt, his shot hit off Comtois and got by Rangers’ starter Alexander Georgiev.
Mika Zibinijad broke the 1-1 tie at the 3:06 mark of the second off a one-timer from the side of the net. Adam Fox hit Zibinijad with a quick pass near the left faceoff circle for his 24th goal of the year.
However, New York’s lead evaporated less than two minutes later after Cam Fowler snuck a shot by Georgiev during an Anaheim power play.
Anaheim took the lead in the third period when Derek Grant was sprung free on a home run pass and beat Georgiev on the breakaway at 10:35 of the third.
Tuesday’s game was women’s empowerment night at Madison Square Garden. US Olympic hockey stars Abby Roque and Amanda Kessel were in attendance and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul dropped the ceremonial puck drop.
The Governor was loudly booed by the 18,006 fans in attendance.
