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Zuccarello Scores PP Goal In OT As Rangers Beat Bruins 3-2

BOSTON (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored a power-play goal 1:56 into overtime to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller also scored for the Rangers, who won for the ninth time in 13 games (9-3-1) overall and beat the Bruins for the seventh straight time. Henrik Lundqvist, playing back-to-back days, made 33 saves.

Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen scored for Boston, which lost its second straight after winning nine of 11. Tuukka Rask stopped 25 shots.

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Patrice Bergeron #37 and Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins against Henrik Lundqvist #30 and Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers at the TD Garden on Dec. 16, 2017 in Boston. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Skating 4-on-3 in the overtime after Boston was whistled for too many men on the ice, Zuccarello beat Rask with a rising shot from the right circle.

Trailing 2-1, the Bruins tied it on Marchand's power-play goal at 5:38 of the third period. Marchand one-timed a cross-ice pass from David Pastrnak from the right circle for his 13th. Boston got the power play after Marchand drew a holding penalty on David Desharnais.

Boston's David Krejci hit a post with seven minutes left in regulation.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead when Grabner benefited from a fluky bounce with 5:18 left in the first. He fired a shot from the slot that sailed over the net, but the puck caromed off the glass and hit Rask's back before sliding into the net for Grabner's team-leading 16th goal.

New York made it 2-0 on Miller's power-play goal 2:41 into the second. With Krejci off for high-sticking, Miller collected Ryan McDonagh's pass near Boston's blue line at full speed, cut into the zone, shifted around defenseman Brandon Carlo and lifted a backhander behind Rask.

Rask kept it a two-goal game by making a nice right-pad stop on Rick Nash's clean breakaway while the Bruins were on a power play.

Heinen then sliced Boston's deficit in half by tipping Zdeno Chara's snap shot between Lundqvist's pads with 2:48 left in the second.

Boston had a goal taken off the board early in the opening period by a coach's challenge because the play ended up being offside. Ryan Spooner had redirected Torey Krug's pass into the net 4:39 into the game.

There was a large contingent of Rangers fans wearing blue jerseys sprinkled throughout the stands, especially in the lower seats. They broke into chants of 'Let's Go Rangers!' a handful of times.

NOTES: Lundqvist also made 33 stops in a victory at home against Los Angeles on Friday night. ... Marchand has at least a point in all eight games since returning after missing six in a row with an undisclosed injury. ... Spooner was moved up to the second line with struggling LW Anders Bjork out as a healthy scratch. ... Boston players entered TD Garden wearing Holiday outfits. ... It was the only regular season meeting in Boston between the teams this season. They play at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 7. New York won the previous game — 4-2 at home on Nov. 8.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Anaheim on Tuesday in the teams' first meeting this season.

Bruins: Host Columbus on Monday, ending a stretch of five of six at home.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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