Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves by posting his first NHL shutout and the New York Rangers opened a four-game series against rival New Jersey Devils with a 3-0 victory Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin scored and Adam Fox scored assists in both goals as New York improved to 10-4-3 since March 13th. Pavel Buchnevich scored on an empty net with 28 seconds left to play the 20th goal in the history of the Rangers franchise. .
Mackenzie Blackwood got 17 stops as the young Devils fell to 2-7-2 in their last 11. Even the return of captain Nico Hischier from a broken nose that had sidelined him since 27 February did not help.
Shesterkin, 25, was in his game from the start, stopping a breakaway from Jesper Bratt in the first 10 seconds and another from Devils top scorer Miles Wood in the second period.
Zibanejad, who has scored 12 goals in his last 15 games scored in a breakaway at 7:02 of a first open period. The center-forward passed a central ice pass, went over the defense and beat Blackwood with a direct hand over the glove hand.
After a very defensive midfield, Panarin gave the Rangers a breather at 7:50 of the third with a goal from the left circle with a good cross from Filip Chytil.
Panarin’s goal came in his 100th game with the Rangers. It also gave him 138 points in those games, surpassing the 100-game mark of 137 set by Mark Messier.
The teams will return to play Thursday and Saturday in New York and return to New Jersey on Sunday for the final game of their regular eight-game series. The Rangers lead the series 3-2, having won the last three in New Jersey.
Defender Jonas Siegenthaler debuted with the Devils. It was acquired Sunday in a deal with Washington. The Swiss matched Will Butcher and played at 3:45 p.m.