Chris Kreider’s two goals and an assist led to an offensive barrage for the New York Rangers in a 7-4 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
Kreider scored twice in New York’s three-goal first period before assisting on a K’Andre Miller tally in the midst of a deciding three-goal run that spanned both sides of the second intermission for a 6-3 lead.
Jimmy Vesey and Artemi Panarin each had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trocheck added an assist for the Rangers, who are 13-1-1 over their last 15 games.
Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick added their first goals as Rangers, while Jonathan Quick made 27 saves.
Charlie Coyle scored twice while Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist for Boston, which has lost consecutive games in regulation.
The Bruins’ David Pastrnak also scored and James van Riemsdyk dished two assists. Linus Ullmark (33 saves) allowed seven goals.
New York (2.22) and Boston (2.26) had allowed the fewest goals per game in the NHL entering the game.
The Rangers’ hot start began at 5:58 when Bonino whipped a wrist shot past Ullmark. Kreider doubled the New York advantage on the power play at 10:55.
Coyle scored the Bruins’ first goal at 13:50 of the first period, potting a backhand feed from Trent Frederic. Geekie one-timed a Jakub Lauko pass out of the right corner for the tying goal.
New York took the momentum back with 1:20 left before the first intermission as Jacob Trouba sprung Kreider for a short-handed breakaway that he buried past Ullmark’s blocker.
Just 26 seconds into the second period, Pastrnak slotted home a wrist shot to tie the score 3-3. It remained tied until the Rangers struck twice late in the period. At 16:37, Vesey followed the play after drawing a penalty out front and lifted the rebound of a Trocheck shot over Ullmark.
Miller’s shot from the circle off a give-and-go with Mika Zibanejad and Kreider gave New York a two-goal lead at 19:36 of the second.
The Rangers’ edge extended to 6-3 when Pitlick finished Vesey’s touch feed through traffic at 1:26 into the final frame.
Coyle corralled the rebound of a van Riemsdyk try to bring the Bruins within two 1:03 later.
Panarin one-timed home Braden Schneider’s feed from the bottom of the left circle to make it 7-4 at 4:38.
–Field Level Media
