Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller scored two goals each, Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves, and the New York Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists, Nick Holden had a goal and an assist and Brandon Pirri also scored for New York, which has won three straight and eight of its last nine - with the lone loss in that stretch coming at home against the Canucks last Tuesday. Mika Zibanejad, Jesper Fast and Kevin Klein each added two assists.
Brandon Sutter and Markus Granlund scored for Vancouver and Lucas Sbisa had two assists. Jacob Markstrom stopped 18 shots.
The Rangers led 3-0 before Sutter got Vancouver on the scoreboard with 40 seconds left in the second period. Hayes and Miller then scored in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the third to help New York pull away.
The Canucks came in having won two of three after a stretch in which they lost nine straight (0-8-1). Vancouver beat the Rangers 5-3 at New York to end the long skid and get the only points on a six-game road trip.
After picking up wins at Calgary and Edmonton during the weekend, the Rangers led 1-0 after the first period. Miller, who had two great chances early, opened the scoring with 1:18 left on a slick deflection between his own legs, off Sbisa and through Markstrom's five-hole.
Hayes doubled the lead at 9:08 of the second on a slap shot that beat Markstrom short-side for his seventh. Pirri banged home his fifth off Zibanejad's rebound on the power play with 5:22 left in the middle period.
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Sutter threw a puck on net from the sideboards that found its way past Lundqvist with Henrik Sedin right in front for his third in the final minute.
Hayes scored his second of the game on a breakaway for his eighth at 1:49 of the third, and Miller popped his second of the night and seventh of the year off a pass from Zuccarello just 42 seconds later.
Granlund batted his fifth out of the air with about 6 1/2 minutes left to get Vancouver to within three, but Zuccarello made it 6-2 with his seventh with 4:58 remaining before Holden buried his second on a power play about three minutes later to cap the scoring.
NOTES: The Rangers were without injured forwards Chris Kreider (back spasms) and Pavel Buchnevich. Cristoval Nieves was recalled from the AHL and made his NHL debut on New York's fourth line. ... Canucks F Jannik Hansen (fractured rib) and D Christopher Tanev (lower body) sat out for Vancouver. ... Sbisa played his 400th NHL game. ...
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Columbus on Friday night in the finale of a four-game trip.
Canucks: Host Arizona on Thursday night.
