New York. It was involved in the Battle of the Hudson River.
Last night, the New York Rangers pulled one back against arch-rivals the New Jersey Devils and ultimately won in overtime.
“They turned against us last time, so maybe it’s our turn now,” Mika Zibanejad tells Sportbladet after the edgy drama at Madison Square Garden.
Battles between NHL teams in the New York area are always hot stories, but they’re burning at a very high temperature this season because all three are, for once, good at the same time and all fighting for spots above the line.
At first, however, the Rangers found it notably difficult to assert themselves in the domestic competition and followed up with two defeats to the Islanders in the fall with also a loss in the first round in the two-week “Battle of the Hudson River” against the Devils. Since – and the replay didn’t start last night any more than that either.
They were down 2-0 outright and looked slow and slow against their speedy and explosive neighbours – and when, with one of the season’s superb solo performances, Jack Hughes put the visitors ahead 3-1 halfway through the period, it felt like the table had secured another victory on enemy soil.
But shortly afterwards Hughes missed a penalty and then it looked as if the ‘Blues’ had suddenly woken up. They finished the middle half with two goals in the span of seven seconds, including a really neat signing from Capo Kaku. Then, just like the guests, they played smart and waited in the third – before Philip Chittel secured a fourth successive victory with a decisive 4-3 two minutes into extra time.
– We played well in the second half of the game, Mika Zibanejad agrees when we meet him afterwards.
They turned against us last time, so maybe it’s our turn now, and it’s very nice to win at home too, now that we’ve mostly won away victories in the end.
The Swedish center contributed an assist while neither of the devilish Swedes, for a change, made any mark on the record.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the league and won their sixth straight game last night at home against the unbeatable Dallas Stars.
As the last minute approached, it looked like the tight, low-scoring duel would be decided in overtime, but with 36 seconds left in regular time, Evgeny Malkin scored to make it 2-1.
– I knew it was the last minute and tried to be careful, because if you lose the disc in this situation, you end up in trouble, says the champion.
Nils Lundqvist set up the only goal for Dallas.
Speaking of troubles, that’s certainly what Minnesota found itself in in the last minute at home against Edmonton, when Mats Zuccarillo was sent off and the visitors pulled their goalkeeper to chase what was then a 2-1 lead for the home team.
But Marc-Andre Fleury made two heroic saves, including a pass from Jonas Brodin, and thus the Wild earned one of the fiercest wins of the season.
– At that moment we played great, – says coach Dean Evason.
Jacob Markstrom responded to a great Calgary zone effort away against Montreal and stopped 37 shots.
It was enough for one point, but no more. The Canadiens eventually won on penalties.
The winning numbers are written as 2-1.
Elias Lindholm missed the game due to injury, and young Montreal star Cole Cofield was thrown off the ice for the same reason.
Mikael Backlund assists the Flames goal.
between st. Louis and Nashville at the Enterprise Center, there hasn’t been much of an end party. When the final whistle blew, it was still 0-0.
But after 2.30 of extra time, Brayden Sheen was finally able to decide on the home team.