NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad space up a vary of Chris Kreider’s crew-leading 19 dreams this season. On Sunday, it used to be Kreider getting assists on every of Zibanejad’s three ratings.
Zibanejad had his eighth profession hat trick, Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 photos for his 2nd shutout of the season and the Contemporary York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0.
“First game of 2022, let’s flip that,” Zibanejad stated of his play with Kreider. “He has that in his game as successfully. He’s a device-scorer, however he makes enormous passes and you may perhaps well be ready for them. That used to be the case this day.”
Ryan Strome also scored and Adam Fox had two assists to aid Contemporary York elevate for the third time in 5 video games (3-1-1). The Rangers beat the Lightning for the 2nd time in three days after a 4-3 shootout victory at Tampa, Florida, on Friday night.
Contemporary York used to be without primary person ahead Artemi Panarin, who used to be placed in COVID-19 protocols Sunday.
“All of our gamers stepped up,” Rangers coach Gerard Heroic stated. “It’s very gratifying. You play a genuine crew fancy that over there, they attain at you, they’ve a vary of expertise. … Shesty played a large game, vitality play did its job. All americans used to be ready to play this day and compete.”
Shesterkin had 18 saves within the first length, 11 within the 2nd and 9 within the third for his fourth profession shutout. He improved to 15-4-2 with a 2.09 dreams-towards average this season.
“I wish to play even larger than I did this day,” Shesterkin stated thru an interpreter.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, taking half in for the first time in 12 days after coming off COVID-19 protocols earlier within the day, had 17 saves because the Lightning lost their third straight (0-2-1) after successful 9 of 10.
“It’s no longer fancy the guys weren’t attempting, we correct didn’t generate anything else,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated. “We were off. Give credit to the Rangers, they did a hell of a job. We did obtain probabilities, and the goalie used to be ready to eye them. We were a step slower, the reaction time used to be quite off. When that occurs, this is the final result.”
Zibanejad, who had the handiest device of the shootout Friday, performed his hat trick unhurried within the 2nd length to place the Rangers up 4-0. He deflected Tampa Bay’s outlet lumber in its defensive zone and charged toward the earn. The puck came to Kreider, who spun system to the left and sent a lumber that Zibanejad deflected past Vasilevskiy with 3: 07 ultimate for his 11th of the season.
The Lightning challenged for excessive-sticking on the play, however the device stood after a review.
“Whereas you’re in that enjoy of momentum, you correct appear to produce the correct selections of the put to head and pucks get you,” Zibanejad stated.
It used to be Zibanejad’s his first hat trick since April 25 towards Buffalo. He scored three dreams three instances final season, collectively with a pair of three-device, three-aid video games.
The Rangers came in eighth within the NHL on the vitality play at 23.9% and went 2 for 3 towards the Lightning.
With Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev off for hooking, Zibanejad got the Rangers on the scoreboard at 7: 44 of the first as he fired a rising shot from the head of the left circle past Vasilevskiy into the head left nook.
Almost 5 minutes later, the Rangers were on a 4-on-3 vitality play when Zibanejad’s lumber for Kaapo Kakko on the correct aspect used to be deflected by Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh past Vasilevskiy with 7: 23 left.
Strome made it 3-0 when he fired a shot from between the circles over Vasilevskiy’s glove for his seventh with 5: 07 ultimate within the hole length.
Shesterkin had six of his 18 saves of the first within the closing minute, collectively with a reaching glove pause on a slap shot by Sergachev in which the goalie ended up sprawled faced down in front of the device with 16 seconds left, drawing chants of “I-gor! I-gor!” from the home crowd.