Rangers end three-game skid as Jonathan Quick earns career win No. 400

Jonathan Quick #32 of the Rangers defends a scoring chance in the second period against Raphael Lavoie #36 of the Vegas Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It took him four tries, but goalie Jonathan Quick earned the 400th victory of his 18-year career on Sunday night.
Quick backstopped the Rangers to a gritty 4-2 comeback win over the Vegas Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden, becoming the 15th player in league history to reach that milestone.
“It means I’ve been lucky enough to play with a lot of great hockey players that value winning . . . putting that above all else,’’ said Quick, 39, who already was the winningest American-born goalie in NHL history and a surefire future Hockey Hall of Famer. “I’m just grateful that I’ve been on some great teams over the course of my career. And you know, this one included here. Yeah, just grateful.’’
“It means he’s been really good for a long time,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said when asked about the significance of Quick’s milestone. “If you watch him on a daily basis, it’s not hard to figure out why he’s reached that number. It’s his work ethic. It’s the teammate that we get to see on a daily basis. He’s a great person that works hard, total professional. He goes about his business every day to try and get better and try and be the best he can be. It’s really an unbelievable milestone. We’re all really, really happy for him.’’
The victory was not without drama. The Rangers trailed 2-1 entering the third period before Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal at 5:04 tied it and K’Andre Miller’s slap shot off a pass from Zibanejad put them ahead at 11:33. Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal at 18:19 provided some welcome insurance as the Rangers (25-23-4) ended a three-game losing streak.
Those three third-period goals erased the deficit that resulted from Jack Eichel’s two goals, one on the power play in the first period and one at even strength midway through the second. Alexis Lafreniere’s goal early in the second period tied it at 1-1.
The new first line of Zibanejad, Panarin and J.T. Miller, who was acquired in a trade with Vancouver late Friday, had a second straight strong game. The three combined on the Rangers’ two power-play goals, with Miller and Panarin assisting on Zibanejad’s goal and Zibanejad and Miller assisting on Panarin’s goal.
“Overall, I thought it was good yesterday, I thought it was better today,’’ Zibanejad said. “Two games like that, we haven’t practiced together, we never played together before, but so far, so good.’’
The Rangers are five points behind Columbus for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Quick, who made 34 saves, joined the Rangers before last season to serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup and became the winningest American goalie last season when he earned his 392nd victory to pass Ryan Miller.
He picked up No. 399 in a 2-1 win over Boston on Jan. 2 but followed that with a loss in Washington and an overtime loss to visiting Dallas on Jan. 7.
With Shesterkin back after a stint on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury, Quick had to wait a while for his next crack at 400. He lost that one in overtime, too, in Montreal on Jan. 19.
After that, he had to sit and watch as Shesterkin started five straight games, the last of which was Saturday in Boston, a 6-3 loss to the Bruins. With Sunday being the second game of a back-to-back, Quick was in net.
Although his starts are infrequent, he has been an important figure in the Rangers’ locker room and on the bench, given his experience and those three Stanley Cup rings he owns.
“I’m happy for him,’’ Panarin said. “Congratulations, and I’m just hoping he gets more.’’
“A great accomplishment,’’ K’Andre Miller said. “He’s one of the greatest goalies of all time. It’s pretty cool to see him on our team and see him thriving.’’
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen was added to the Finland roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off as a replacement for injured Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen. “He’s a real good defender,’’ Laviolette said. “He’s big, he’s strong, so it’s certainly a great nod for him to be added to that tournament and that team. And I think it shows that he’s played well since he’s been here.’’ . . . Left wing Adam Edstrom (lower body) missed a game for the first time this season . Jimmy Vesey replaced Edstrom in the lineup for his first game since Jan. 11
.
More Rangers




