NEW YORK — Kaapo Kakko netted a power-play goal with just 24 seconds remaining, helping the New York Rangers to a much-needed 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, breaking their five-game losing streak.
Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad also found the back of the net for New York, marking their first win since defeating Vancouver 4-3 on November 19. Adam Fox contributed to the offense with two assists, while Jonathan Quick made 25 saves in net.
The Canadiens found themselves at a disadvantage when Kirby Dach was penalized for high-sticking, granting the Rangers a four-minute power play. Kakko took advantage of this opportunity, scoring his fourth goal of the season.
After trailing 3-1 at the end of the second period, Montreal fought back in the third. Cole Caufield scored his 14th goal of the season at 4:16 in, and at 14:07, Nick Suzuki tied the game.
Trocheck, however, would score a crucial goal, tipping the puck past Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault with just four seconds left on the clock, securing the win for New York after earlier scoring contributions from Panarin and Mike Matheson of Montreal.
Panarin opened the scoring for the Rangers at 9:02, marking their first power-play goal since November 12 against Winnipeg during a 5-on-3 opportunity.
Montembeault recorded 24 saves for Montreal in the loss.
Takeaways from the game include the Canadiens struggling on the road with a 3-7-1 record and the Rangers welcoming the return of forwards Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil, who had been sidelined by injuries. Kreider had missed three games due to an upper-body injury, and Chytil returned after a seven-game absence caused by a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller. Meanwhile, Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski sat out as healthy scratches.
A key moment in the game occurred early when Rangers captain Jacob Trouba fought Josh Anderson of the Canadiens just 1:58 into the first period. This physical play seemed to ignite the Rangers, providing the team with much-needed energy.
In terms of statistics, the Rangers hold an impressive record of 11-1-0 when scoring first and celebrated their 1,700th home win in franchise history.
Looking ahead, the Canadiens are set to face the Boston Bruins on Sunday, while the Rangers will host the New Jersey Devils on Monday.
