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 When it was over, the Rangers felt good about where they stand in
the homestretch of the regular season. The Ducks, however, left
Madison Square Garden wondering if their performance was a fluke or
an indicator of things to come in the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"It's good to contribute offensively," center Derek Stepan said
after he and defenseman Keith Yandle each recorded three points in
the game.
The seven-goal outburst was a season high for New York, which
entered the game only having scored 13 goals in its previous seven
games. The Rangers are 26-1-1 this season scoring four or more
goals.
"It feels like a couple of pianos came off my back," said Stepan,
who scored two goals and added an assist for his fifth three-point
game of the season and the 13th time in his career. The two goals
marked the seventh time in Stepan's career -- including three times
in the current campaign -- he scored multiple goals in a game.
Yandle recorded three assists for the eighth time in his career and
the second this season. Yandle's three-point game was the 14th of
his career, the third this season and his first since Nov. 14, when
he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes.
"(I'm) getting more and more comfortable," said Yandle, who was
acquired by New York on March 1 in a blockbuster trade. "It's just
kind of finding out guys' tendencies and stuff like that. Over the
last week or so kind of been coming together a bit more and more for
me."
Left wingers Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller, right
winger Jesper Fast and center Derick Brassard all had goals for New
York (46-18-7), which regained first place overall in the NHL. Even
though New York's 99 points are tied with Montreal and Anaheim for
most in the league, New York has played fewer games than the
Canadiens and Ducks, and have more regulation plus overtime wins.
Goaltender Cam Talbot made 35 saves as New York swept the season
series with Anaheim. The Rangers topped the Ducks 4-1 on Jan. 17 at
the Honda Center.
Anaheim fell to 46-21-7. Right winger Corey Perry scored twice for
the Ducks, and has 31 goals this season. Perry scored 30 goals five
times in his career. Starting goaltender Frederik Anderson
surrendered three goals on seven shots before being replaced by John
Gibson midway through the first period. Gibson yielded four goals on
22 shots.
"We're going to flush it and move on. Tonight was embarrassing,
terrible," Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said. "It's a disgusting game.
We didn't have anything. We got smoked tonight. They're a good
hockey team. They worked us in every facet of the game."
A game that was billed as a potential Stanley Cup Final preview
began as an ode to 1980s hockey, as the teams combined for five
goals in the first period. After a wild opening 20 minutes, the
Rangers led 3-2. Kreider opened the scoring 1:24 with his 18th of
the season, but Perry scored 1:26 later to draw the game even.
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New York went ahead 3-1 as Stepan and Hagelin scored in a 4:33 span.
Following Hagelin's goal, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau replaced
Anderson with Gibson.
"We weren't very good from the goaltending on out. I hope it's an
anomaly," Boudreau said. "I thought (Andersen) was fighting the
puck."
Perry cut the deficit to 3-2 with his 31st of the year 56 seconds
after Hagelin's goal.
That, essentially, was the high-water mark for Anaheim, as New York
outscored the Pacific Division leaders 4-0 in the final two periods.
Miller's ninth of the season -- and second in as many games --
allowed New York to regain a two-goal cushion 2:38 into the second
period. Stepan's second of the game with 3:59 left in the second
pushed New York's advantage to 5-2 and determined the outcome of the
game for all intents and purposes.
Fast (fifth of the season and his second in as many games) and
Brassard's (15th of the season) third-period goals ended the
scoring.
"We might have been standing (still)," Perry said. "It's not a whole
lot that they did. We just didn't have our legs. We're trying to get
in playoff mode.
"This could be a team we meet in the playoffs. They're a heck of a
team."
NOTES: Anaheim scratched LW Matt Beleskey and D Simon Despres. "I'm
fine," Beleskey said following Anaheim's early skate at Madison
Square Garden. "Healthy. Fine. Coach's decision." Ducks coach Bruce
Boudreau inserted D Clayton Stoner and LW Emerson Etem into the
lineup. "They're all playing (well) right now," Boudreau said. "As
long as they continue playing (well), we'll maneuver guys in and out
of the lineup." ... D Tim Jackman missed the game with a leg injury.
... New York coach Alain Vigneault said RW Martin St. Louis is
"coming along" from his leg injury, but a team spokesperson said St.
Louis is "not ready yet" to resume skating. ... Along with St.
Louis, D Kevin Klein (arm injury) missed the game for New York.
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