Zibanejad puts up two points as New York Rangers top Vancouver Canucks 4-3

By Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press on November 19, 2024.

VANCOUVER – Mika Zibanejad scored and added an assist as the New York Rangers edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Tuesday.

Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko also posted a goal and an assist apiece for the Rangers (12-4-1), while Chris Kreider scored the game winner midway through the third period. Adam Fox contributed a pair of helpers.

Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced as New York improved its road record to 7-1-0.

The Canucks (9-6-3) got goals from Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland, and two assists from Elias Pettersson.

Arturs Silovs made 29 saves for a Vancouver, which has struggled on home ice this season going 3-5-3.

The loss comes after the Canucks announced earlier Tuesday that star centre J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave for “personal reasons.”

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: With Miller out of the lineup, Vancouver’s depth was tested. The Canucks are also missing all-star goalie Thatcher Demko (knee), sniper Brock Boeser (upper body) and defenceman Derek Forbort (lower body). Head coach Rick Tocchet said earlier in the day that Boeser and Forbort skated on Tuesday morning and that Demko had strung together several good practices, but did not offer any expected return dates.

Rangers: Artemi Panarin saw his seven-game point streak snapped. The left-winger had four games and five assists across the stretch, but didn’t land on the scoresheet Tuesday. Several of New York’s other players stepped up, including K’Andre Miller, who registered his third point of the season – an assist on Zibanejad’s first-period marker.

KEY MOMENT

Kreider sealed the score 10:43 into the third period, collecting a pass from Zibanejad and firing it in from the bottom of the faceoff circle for his ninth goal of the season.

KEY STAT

The Rangers shutout the Canucks on all three of their power plays. New York came into the game with the second best penalty kill in the league, operating at 88.2 per cent.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Begin a six-game road swing Saturday against the Senators in Ottawa.

Rangers: Visit the Flames in Calgary on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.