NEW YORK (AP) — Two of the New York Rangers’ younger players helped veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist get a big milestone win.
Filip Chytil and Brett Howden scored to back Lundqvist’s 437th career win as the Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 Monday night. Lundqvist tied Jacques Plante for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time list.
“The guy knows how to win hockey games,” alternate captain Marc Staal said of the 36-year-old Lundqvist. “You have to be an elite competitor and elite goaltender to have that many wins, it’s that simple. He is brought that his entire time here.”
The Rangers improved to 6-0-1 in their last seven, getting their longest points streak since an 11-0-2 run Oct. 18 to Nov. 15, 2015.
Lundqvist stopped 25 shots, including two big saves on Vancouver’s rookie sensation Elias Pettersson in the closing seconds to preserve the win.
“We have to keep same mindset as when we started the season,” Lundqvist said. “A lot of teams in the league in the same boat, will come down to how hard you want to work. It’s about being consistent — you can beat any team in the league”
Nikolay Goldobin scored and Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves for the Canucks, who snapped a six-game point streak (4-0-2).
The 19-year-old Chytil tied the score 1-1 with 7:18 left in the second on a rebound from the left side for his first of the season. After earning a spot on the roster out of training camp, he struggled to find the back of the net in the first 18 games. Rangers coach David Quinn said earlier in the day he had not lost faith in the talented teenager and was rewarded for his patience. Chris Kreider and Neal Pionk assisted on the play.
The 20-year Howden got the game-winner with 8:41 left in the third when he snapped a wrist shot past Markstrom. Jimmy Vesey and Jesper Fast assisted on the play. Howden missed one game earlier in November for precautionary reasons after a scary collision with the end boards against Buffalo.
“You can play your young players and win. That’s what we have done so far,” Quinn said after the victory. “We want to win right now. That was our goal from day one and that is our goal right now.”
It was the first time two players 20-years-old or younger scored for the Rangers since Daniel Goneau and Christian Dube did it in October 1996.
Goldobin gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 3:16 of the second. Shortly after exiting the penalty box, Goldobin picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and started an odd-man rush for Vancouver. The Russian winger kept it himself and wired a wrister into the top corner. Tyler Motte and Ben Hutton assisted on the play.
The Canucks thought they doubled their advantage less than a minute later when Michael Del Zotto’s shot hit both posts and the cross bar. The referees initially called the play a good goal on the ice but it was later overturned after a video review.
“It’s tough right now, but I thought we played a really good road game,” Markstrom said. “We created a lot of chances and could’ve scored a lot of goals. We have to keep working. The good thing with this league is that there’s a game tomorrow.”
Hurricanes 3, Blackhawks 2, OT
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sebastian Aho scored 1:16 into overtime and Carolina spoiled Cam Ward’s emotional return to Raleigh.
Teuvo Teravainen and Micheal Ferland scored power-play goals 66 seconds apart late in the second period for Carolina, which has earned points in three straight and beat Chicago for the second time in four nights.
Ward stopped 37 shots in his return to PNC Arena, Jonathan Toews scored a deflected goal and Alex DeBrincat added a goal, but the Blackhawks lost their eighth straight.
Carolina’s Scott Darling made 33 saves against his former team.
Blue Jackets 2, Stars 1
DALLAS — Pierre-Luc Dubois scored midway through the third period to lift Metropolitan Division-leading Columbus.
Dubois took a pass from Cam Atkinson behind the net and backhanded the puck under the crossbar with 9:39 left for his eighth goal.
Atkinson had scored the game’s first goal in the second period.
Alexander Radulov, who returned to the Stars’ lineup, tied the game in the second period.
The Blue Jackets extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2) and are two points ahead of the New York Rangers in the division. Columbus has won its last seven games against the Stars.
Dallas maintained fourth place in the Central Division.
Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Dallas’ Anton Khubodin each had 26 saves.
Ducks 2, Predators 1, SO
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pontus Aberg and Rickard Rakell scored in the shootout, John Gibson made 34 saves and the Ducks dealt Nashville its first road loss of the year.
Rakell scored in the fourth round of the shootout to give the Ducks the 2-1 lead.
Gibson then stopped Kevin Fiala for the win.
Ryan Getzlaf scored in regulation for Anaheim, which improved to 2-2 in shootouts.
Fiala scored in regulation and Kyle Turris in the shootout for Nashville, which had a five-game winning streak snapped. Pekka Rinne made 29 saves. It was the Predators’ first shootout of the season.
