Rangers Beat Bruins 2-1
NEW YORK -- Right winger Jesper Fast scored on a remarkable deflection with 1:42 remaining in the third period to help lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle launched a shot from the blue line that Fast tipped with his back to the net and a defenseman draped on him to help the Rangers rally from a 1-0 deficit entering the final period for a dramatic win.
Rangers goaltender Hernik Lundqvist stopped 32 shots.
Center Derick Brassard pulled the Rangers into a 1-1 tie early in the third period.
Bruins right winger Jimmy Hayes scored in the second period. Goaltender Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for the Bruins.
Adam Jones Breaks Down Good & Bad From B's Loss:
After a scoreless first period, Hayes broke through to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 9:04 of the second period.
Rangers left winger Chris Kreider turned over the puck in the neutral zone, leading to a counter attack by the Bruins. Hayes whipped a wrist shot from about 40 feet that beat an unscreened Lundqvist for his 10th goal of the season.
Bruins right winger Brett Connolly nearly extended the lead to 2-0 in the final minute of the period but his shot through a screen rang off the post.
Brassard made it 1-1 at the 35-second mark of the third period. Rangers right winger Mats Zuccarello beat defenseman Kevan Miller off the wall with the puck and moved it across the top of the crease to Brassard, who buried his 15th of the season.
Lundqvist was forced to preserve the lead in acrobatic fashion about two minutes later. Bruins center Zac Rinaldo's shot was stopped by Lundqvist, but the puck caromed off the back boards and right to left winger Max Talbot with the net wide open. In a desperation move, Lundqvist extended his right leg while falling to make a skate save on Talbot.
After Fast scored, the Bruins applied relentless pressure with Rask on the bench for an extra skater but could not find a tying goal.
NOTES: Bruins LW Brad Marchand faced the Rangers for the first time since Nov. 27 in a game that featured Marchand getting a goaltender interference penalty that upset Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. Rangers C Derek Stepan was lost for three weeks with a rib injury resulting from a hit by LW Matt Beleskey. ... The Bruins scratched LW Frank Vatrano and RW Tyler Randell. ... Rangers LW Chris Kreider returned from a two-game absence due to a hand laceration and replaced LW Oscar Lindberg, who entered the game with one more point than Kreider.
