Chris Kreider scored the go-ahead goal at 11:45 of the third Thursday to give the New York Rangers a 4-2 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.
In a seesaw game, Kreider fought off Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin near the slot, then swept the puck past the right skate of goaltender Tristan Jarry to make it 3-2.
Kreider added an empty netter with 49.2 seconds left.
It was the second of three games this week between the clubs. Pittsburgh (34-24-10, 78 points) won at home Sunday 3-2 in overtime, and they play again Saturday in New York.
Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist and Tyler Motte scored for the Rangers (39-19-10, 88), who are 4-0-1 in their past five games.
New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves.
Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist, Jake Guentzel scored, and Sidney Crosby added two assists for the Penguins (34-24-10), who lost their second straight.
Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry made 31 saves.
Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry left at 5:12 of the first after he took an elbow to the face from Motte as the two collided.
Zibanejad scored his team-leading 35th at 2:51 of the first. Artemi Panarin banked a pass off the right-wing boards to set up Zibanejad for a breakaway. Zibanejad went backhand to forehand and shot the puck over Jarry’s glove.
Pittsburgh top-line right winger Bryan Rust went to the bench briefly after blocking a shot, and Rakell took Rust’s spot with Crosby and Guentzel. Crosby intercepted a pass behind the New York net and fed Rakell with a backhand pass. Rakell lofted a one-timer over Shesterkin to tie it at 14:40 of the second.
The assist gave Crosby 82 points, assuring him of averaging a point per game for the 18th time, one season behind NHL leader Wayne Gretzky.
Motte restored the Rangers’ lead 2:13 later. He pilfered the puck from Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph and shot it under Jarrys’s pads.
Guentzel tied it 2-2 with his 30th at 9:09 of the third. He was alone in the slot when he took a feed from Crosby for a shot under Shesterkin’s pads.
–Field Level Media
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone quipped about experiencing a “warm and fuzzy” feeling after seeing Aaron Judge and Juan Soto each hit a home run in the same game…
It will be difficult for the Los Angeles Dodgers to duplicate the production they’ve put on display this week. The Dodgers will try on Thursday afternoon, however, when they attempt…
Dakota Hudson earned the final spot in the Colorado Rockies’ rotation to start the season. The right-hander still is looking for his first victory with Colorado, however. Hudson (0-4, 5.06…
Fresh off of 20-hit performance, Dodgers bid for sweep of Nats
Rockies turn to winless Dakota Hudson in finale vs. Padres
Rangers, Mariners nursing injuries entering series finale
Justin Verlander, Astros aim to slow quick-starting Cubs