Mika Zibanejad's OT goal gives Rangers road-trip record
New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad (93) scores the winning goal against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during overtime NHL game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. Credit: AP/FRED GREENSLADE
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — In their 97-year history, the Rangers had never before gone on a road trip of at least five games and won them all.
Until now.
Mika Zibanejad’s one-timer with 25.4 seconds left in overtime — his second goal of the season and second in two games — gave the Rangers a 3-2 comeback win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night at Canada Life Centre. It also gave them a sweep of their season-longest five-game road trip through three different time zones. They return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
“It’s awesome,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said of the Rangers sweeping a five-game trip for the first time. “Any time you can grab a record like that, I think it’s pretty special. This franchise has been around for a long time, and so that’s a pretty big record. The fact that we were able to take on five games and push through them with wins . . . it’s exciting.’’
The trip started for the Rangers in the Pacific time zone, moved to the Mountain and went back to the Pacific before ending in the Central.
They looked strong in two of the first three games of the trip but then needed overtime to win the last two games.
“This game is the last game of the road trip. Especially when you’ve won four, it’s, I mean, you can say now when we won, everyone wants to go home,’’ Zibanejad said. “But we were determined to finish it off in the right way, and I thought we did.’’
The Rangers did have to battle. They trailed 2-1 in the third period before Chris Kreider’s power-play goal tied it with 6:48 left in regulation. Then Ryan Lindgren was called for a tripping penalty with 18.8 seconds left, which meant the Rangers would need a huge penalty kill at the end of regulation and the start of overtime. They got it.
“Massive, obviously,’’ Zibanejad said of the kill. “Especially when it carries over to overtime, where it becomes a four-on-three. Everyone did a good job with just, really, eliminating any big chances. And I think we get a little bit of a confidence boost and a little bit of momentum after that happens.’’
Nikolaj Ehlers had scored on a wraparound at 5:08 of the third to put Winnipeg ahead 2-1, but the Jets took a couple of penalties late in the period and the Rangers made them pay.
After failing on their first crack at it, the extra-man unit broke through on the second opportunity when Kreider tipped in Adam Fox’s shot at 13:12 to make it 2-2. The goal was Kreider’s sixth of the season and fourth on the power play.
Artemi Panarin, who turned 32 on Monday, had opened the scoring late in the first period, driving the back post and redirecting Jacob Trouba’s pass with his backhand, getting it behind Connor Hellebuyck at 18:24 for his fifth goal of the season.
The goal extended Panarin’s season-opening point streak to nine games, which tied him with Rod Gilbert (in 1971) for the fourth-longest point streak to open a season in team history. Gilbert holds the record with 14 to start the 1972 season.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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