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Callahan, Rangers sink Sharks

Nov 1, 2011 - 3:47 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Ryan Callahan scored two goals and assisted on another, as the New York Rangers captured their first home win with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh each tallied in the first period, and Artem Anisimov lit the lamp in the second for New York, which got 24 saves from Martin Biron.

Antti Niemi gave up all five goals on 31 shots to end an otherwise successful 5-1 road trip for the Sharks.

"We weren't a very good team tonight. We didn't a lot of the things that we needed to do," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said.

San Jose's Joe Pavelski scored off a rebound with 2:10 remaining in the first period and fed Logan Couture for a blistering one-timer at 11:03 of the second for a 2-2 tie.

The Rangers countered with three goals in the final six minutes of the middle stanza, starting with Callahan's power-play tally. Anisimov scored at 16:42, and Callahan put in a backhand while falling to the ice with Sharks forward Andrew Murray draped all over him in the final minute.

New York blew a three-goal lead in the third period against Ottawa on Saturday, but Biron's seven saves in the final 20 minutes sealed Monday's win.

"We know they are a good team and they weren't going to lay down easily, so it was a good character win the way we stuck it out, got the lead and then held onto it," Callahan said.

Callahan set up the game's first goal by finding McDonagh at the top of the left circle from behind the net for a quick snap shot at 4:46.

Stepan scored his first goal of the season off a nice feed from Brandon Dubinsky with 5:07 remaining in the opening stanza.

Game Notes

The Rangers lost in a shootout to the Senators on Saturday, two days after falling to Toronto in their home opener...New York went 2-for-5 on the power play, while San Jose did not score on its three chances with the man advantage.