Artemi Panarin added two goals and one assist as the New York Rangers secured a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils Thursday night at Madison Square Garden and closed out their division rival for the second game in a row.
Panarin posted his third multi-goal game of the season. He has 10 goals in 18 games since returning on March 13 for a two-week absence for personal reasons.
Defenders Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren scored in the opening 6:39 as the Rangers improved to 11-4-3 in their last 18 games. The Rangers remain four points behind the Boston Bruins for fourth and final playoff position in the Eastern Division.
Colin Blackwell added three maximum assists to the race while Ryan Strome scored Panarin’s goals as the Rangers beat the Devils for the fourth straight meeting.
Igor Shesterkin had an easy night of saving 16 to follow his first professional closing, when he stopped 27 shots on Tuesday as the Rangers beat the Devils 3-0. He improved to 6-2-2 since returning from a groin injury.
The Devils played without top scorers Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt, who were both left out due to undisclosed injuries. New Jersey lost its fourth straight game and fell to 2-8-2 in its last 12 games.
New Jersey goalkeeper Mackenzie Blackwood allowed four goals in 33 shots.
The Rangers produced one of their best periods of the season and maintained a 3-0 lead in 20 minutes.
With just 47 seconds left, Trouba opened the scoring with a shot to the wrist rising from the right-hand circle. The score was established by a pass from Blackwell, who won possession after a pass without a glance by Mika Zibanejad.
Lindgren’s first goal in 98 games since November 10, 2019 came with a wrist from the left circle after getting a pass from Panarin with 13:21 in the opening period. It was only Lindgren’s second professional goal in 108 games.
Panarin made it 3-0 with eight minutes to go when he threw a handball from the left circle over Blackwood while in a one-on-one with Strome. He scored his second goal with 7:09 left in the second making an easy touch to the right side of the fold after receiving a pass from Strome, who chased a loose record.
Rangers rookie Vitali Kravtsov almost added his first career goal in the middle of the third period, but after the Devils challenged him, he was left out of the game.