Final
Opportunistic Rangers take down road-weary Canucks
Dec 14, 2014 - 7:01 AM Vancouver, BC (SportsNetwork.com) - Mats Zuccarello scored a pair of goals and the New York Rangers used a three-goal first-period blitz to subdue Vancouver, 5-1, at Rogers Arena.J.T. Miller, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh also lit the lamp for the Rangers, who kicked off a four-game road trip with their second straight victory.
Derick Brassard and Rick Nash each added a pair of assists, while Henrik Lundqvist turned in a 29-save effort.
"You can tell that we had the jump tonight," said Lundqvist. "That's the way we have to play."
Nick Bonino supplied the sole offense for the Canucks, losers of four in a row including the final three of a seven-game road trip.
Ryan Miller was on the hook for all five goals on just 23 shots.
"I think you play a certain way and now we're getting caught on it," said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins. "We try to play an aggressive style and if it doesn't work it goes the other way."
McDonagh got the ball rolling when he tapped in a Jesper Fast feed just 2:36 after the opening faceoff.
Despite misfiring a 3-on-1 on the previous shift, the Rangers went up 2-0 as Martin St. Louis fed Miller for a backhander in front at 3:19.
It was 3-0 for New York from yet another 3-on-1 break, as Nash crossed to Zuccarello for a successful wrister from the right circle at 6:46.
Staal's point drive sailed through traffic and eluded a screened Miller at 7:17 of the second period and the Rangers were up by four.
St. Louis failed in his bid to increase the Blueshirts' lead when he was awarded a penalty shot at 12:27 of the second period after being taken down by Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa.
Zuccarello, however, struck once more, a tap in of a Brassard feed to make it 5-0 with 2:21 left before the second intermission.
Bonino finally gave the Canucks some life at the 4:20 mark of the third period, and though the hosts pressured New York for several shifts thereafter, no more pucks slipped from the grasp of Lundqvist. He made 14 saves in the final 20 minutes.
Game Notes
The Rangers have beaten the Canucks five straight times overall and three times in Vancouver since January of 2011 ... Zuccarello notched his first multi-goal effort of the season ... Bieksa and fellow Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa were a combined minus-7.
- NEW YORK: 5
VANCOUVER: 1
Final
Dec 14 12:33 AM - Vancouver Goal - Nick Bonino (8), from Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows at 4:20.
Rangers 5, Canucks 1 3rd - 15:40Dec 14 12:04 AM - NEW YORK: 5
VANCOUVER: 0
End of 2nd
Dec 13 11:41 PM - NY Rangers Goal - Mats Zuccarello (6), from Derick Brassard and Rick Nash at 17:39.
Rangers 5, Canucks 0 2nd - 2:21Dec 13 11:37 PM - NEW YORK: 3
VANCOUVER: 0
End of 1st
Dec 13 10:45 PM - NEW YORK: 0
VANCOUVER: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Dec 13 10:11 PM
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