Adam Fox scores early in overtime as Rangers win wild one over Flyers at MSG and clinch playoff spot
Adam Fox of the Rangers is mobbed by his teammates after his overtime goal against the Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It’s not the hockey way to be busting out the champagne and spraying it everywhere for the accomplishment of clinching a playoff spot. But inside their locker room after their wild 6-5 overtime win over the Flyers on Tuesday night at the Garden, the Rangers were pretty happy, if a little reserved.
“I mean, to be able to be the first team [in the league] to clinch is something you can hang your hat on,’’ center Vincent Trocheck said. “But I think it’s just another step on the way, I guess. And there’s a lot more things that we want to accomplish.’’
“I don’t know how much of celebration [there is], but this is what every team is fighting for,’’ Mika Zibanejad said. “Yeah, we have . . . I would say, bigger goals, but even if you one day want to lift the Stanley Cup, you’ve got to get into the playoffs first. Yeah, that’s step one for us.’’
They got there by finding a way to win without three of their six regular defensemen, all out with injuries, and their third-line center, who was out for personal reasons, with his wife about to have a baby.
They were outshot 41-27, trailed 2-0 midway through the second period, took a 3-2 lead early in the third, and then kept giving up leads — and retaking them — until Adam Fox finally ended it with his 15th goal of the season 36 seconds into overtime.
The victory gave the Rangers (48-20-4) their third consecutive playoff berth, and their third consecutive 100-point season. And, combined with the Carolina Hurricanes’ 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, the win stretched their lead over second-place Carolina in the Metropolitan Division race to three points (100-97) with a game in hand.
There were personal milestones accomplished within the victory, as well. For coach Peter Laviolette, the win was No. 800 in his career. He’s the fourth-fastest to get to 800 wins, doing so in career game No. 1,502. And Artemi Panarin had three assists, which pushed him over the 100-point mark for the first time in his career (he has 102).
After a low-event first period, the Flyers (36-27-10) went up 2-0 on second-period goals from Scott Laughton (at 2:58) and Ryan Poehling (on the power play at 11:39).
But Zibanejad’s power-play goal at 15:28 got the Rangers on the board, and early third-period goals by Jonny Brodzinski (at 1:23) and Alexis Lafreniere (his first of two, at 2:57) gave the Blueshirts a 3-2 lead.
But Travis Konecny’s goal at 6:45 tied it at 3-3, then after Trocheck scored a shorthanded goal to make it 4-3 Rangers at 9:34, Owen Tippett tied it 4-4 for the Flyers at 11:45.
Lafreniere’s second goal, at 13:59, looked like it would be the one that put the Rangers ahead to stay, but Tyson Foerster tied it again with 3:31 left, before Fox’s goal finally won it.
“It was an ‘off’ game for us,’’ Laviolette said. “And I don’t think every game can be an ‘on’ game. But what I liked was the fight in our guys . . . We got ahead of the game and then we gave it back, and we got ahead of it, gave it back, and we just kept fighting . . . I just liked the fact that we’re resilient.’’
Notes & quotes: Laviolette on getting his 800th win: “It’s a lot of good coaches that I’ve worked with, over a lot of years. A lot of great staffs . . . So many good players, organizations. And [current assistant] Michael Peca was the first to remind me that he was there for the first one. But you know, I’ve said this before, it’s an honor to be here.’’ . . . Center Alex Wennberg, whose wife was expecting to give birth any day, was a late scratch. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who was elbowed in the head by Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart during the overtime period of Saturday’s shootout win over the Panthers, did not play, and Brandon Scanlin, 24, who was called up from AHL Hartford on March 19, entered the lineup for him and made his NHL debut . . . Jacob Trouba (lower body injury, 10 games missed) took part in the optional morning skate, his first time skating with the team since he last played March 4 against Florida. Ryan Lindgren (left knee, four games missed) also skated with the team, a day after returning to practice in a non-contact jersey . . . Laviolette was asked if all four regulars who didn’t play would make the two-game trip to Colorado and Arizona. “I believe so,’’ he said. “But don’t hold me to it if one doesn’t.’’
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.
