Rangers' Chris Kreider scores twice to beat Bruins in high-scoring game at MSG

If there were any doubts about the Rangers’ fast start and how they would stack up against the NHL’s elite, Saturday’s game showed there should be no cause for concern.

The Blueshirts faced their biggest test against the mighty Boston Bruins, who entered with the best record in the league.

After the Rangers squandered an early two-goal lead, they got a pair of goals late in the second period from Jimmy Vesey and K’Andre Miller to regain control en route to a 7-4 win at the Garden.

The victory, the third in a row for the Rangers (15-3-1) and 13th in 15 games, pulled them into a tie with Boston (14-3-3) for most points (31) in the Eastern Conference.

“We talked about before this back-to-back [including Friday’s game against the Flyers in Philadelphia], if we win these two games, we might be top of the league,’’ said Vesey, whose goal on a delayed penalty at 16:37 of the second period broke a 3-3 tie and put the Rangers in front to stay. “I think that’s where we are now, and [with a] day off tomorrow, it’s a good spot to be.’’

“I mean, I think we all knew this, that we had a really good team,’’ said Miller, whose one-timer off Mika Zibanejad’s drop pass made it 5-3 at 19:36 of the second period. “But I think we can just build off of this. I still don’t think we’ve played our best hockey, which is kind of scary and fun to say at the same time. But yeah, I think figuring out what we have done to get all the success and keep it, I think that’s the biggest thing.’’

Chris Kreider had two goals, one each on the power play and the penalty kill, to lift his total to 13. His power-play goal in the first period to make it 2-0 was the 99th of his career. He is one behind Adam Graves for fourth in franchise history.

Kreider’s shorthanded goal put the Rangers ahead 3-2 at 18:41 of the period after Boston tied it on goals 22 seconds apart by Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie.

Jonathan Quick made 27 saves to earn his sixth win of the season in seven starts (6-0-1). His last start was the 1-0 win in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, but he said he didn’t care whether he won a high-scoring or low-scoring game.

“They’re both worth two points,’’ he said with a grin. “I don’t care, I’ll take either one.’’

He added, “You know, obviously, how great a team they’ve been in the past few years. It’s a game you want to give your best effort. And you know, we’re able to get the two points, right?’’

Nick Bonino scored his first goal as a Ranger at 5:58 to open the scoring and Kreider’s first goal prompted Boston coach Jim Montgomery to call his timeout to settle his team down. The Bruins responded with goals by Coyle and Geekie, prompting Rangers coach Peter Laviolette to call his timeout to “reset’’ things.

“Well, it worked for them,’’ Laviolette said when asked about taking his timeout.

After Kreider scored his second goal, David Pastrnak scored 26 seconds into the second period on the same Boston power play to make it 3-3.

Vesey and Miller scored at the end of the second period and Tyler Pitlick scored his first goal as a Ranger at 1:26 of the third on a nifty backhand pass in front from Vesey to make it 6-3.

Coyle scored again for Boston to cut it to 6-4, but Artemi Panarin, who had gone three games without a point after opening the season with a club-record 15-game point streak, scored his 11th goal of the season to make it 7-4.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

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.