Quick makes 32 saves, Rangers edge Bruins to end 4-game skid

NEW YORK -- Jonathan Quick made 32 saves and the New York Rangers ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Quick earned his 399th NHL win and first since Nov. 30. His next victory will make him the first United States-born goalie to win 400 NHL games.

“We played a great team game,” Quick said. “Especially in the third period, we did a good job of keeping them to the outside, keeping them to the perimeter, zone time, killing clock. Huge two points for us.”

Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal in nine games and Brett Berard scored the game-winning goal.

The Rangers (17-19-1) won for the second time in nine games since Dec. 14. They also ended a four-game home losing streak, winning at the Garden for the first time since Dec. 6.

“Our fans were dying for a win and still supporting us through this tough time,” Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller said. “Coming back here and getting a win for them is pretty big.”

Elias Lindholm scored, and Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves for the Bruins (20-16-4), who have lost two in a row and three of four, scoring four goals in the three losses.

“It’s frustrating, obviously we’re not scoring right now at the level we want to be,” Bruins coach Joe Sacco said. “It’s not from lack of some opportunities; we’re just not finishing right now. Another good defensive game for the most part. We have to stick with it.”

Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 9:48 of the first period.

Chris Kreider intercepted Swayman’s clearing attempt and got the puck to Zibanejad, who took the initial shot from above the left hash marks. The rebound came to Reilly Smith on the right side. His backhand shot got behind Swayman and Zibanejad stuffed the puck in off the goal line by the left post for his 700th NHL point (301 goals, 399 assists).

“It’s always good to see Mika score,” Smith said. “He does everything for us. He’s definitely very deserving of putting the puck into the net. Hopefully it’s just the start and they start coming in waves for him.”

Berard made it 2-0 at 12:53, scoring on a 2-on-1 with Will Cuylle. Berard kept the puck instead of passing and shot it over Swayman’s glove from the right face-off circle.

“Odd man rush and just got beat,” Swayman said.

Laviolette said it was a smart decision by Berard to shoot because the Bruins take away the pass on a 2-on-1.

The goal also was similar to Berard’s first NHL goal that came on Nov. 27 at the Carolina Hurricanes, when he came down the left wing on a 2-on-1 with Zibanejad and took the shot instead of passing because the lane was available to him.

“I do think both times, the one in Carolina and the one here, he made the right decision,” Laviolette said. “They were taking it away and he’s got that ice, and he can creep in and get the look that he wants, you’ve got to take that. I mean, trying to force a pass doesn’t make sense.”

It was the first time the Rangers led 2-0 in nine games (the last time was Dec. 11 vs. Buffalo Sabres). It was their first 2-0 lead in the first period in 31 games (the last time was Oct. 22 vs. Montreal Canadiens). Zibanejad had the first goal against Buffalo and Montreal too.

“Coming in here [to the locker room] it’s a little bit different, had a little jolt of confidence,” Miller said. “It was fun coming in the locker room being up. I think this group deserves to be up in more games. We’ve played better these past three games since the break and maybe haven’t had the results we wanted, but I think as a group we’re going in the right direction.”

Quick made three saves in a four-second span on Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau and John Beecher to keep it 2-0, but Boston still made it 2-1 when Lindholm scored from low in the right circle at 7:57 of the second period.

David Pastrnak’s pass out of the left corner went untouched through the slot to Lindholm in the far circle. He settled the puck and snapped a shot past Quick.

“If you’re open he’ll find you,” Lindholm said of Pastrnak.

But Quick kept it 2-1 with a split-out right pad save on Charlie McAvoy’s shot from the left circle at 14:33 of the second.

“We had a lot of chances, but we didn’t capitalize,” Pastrnak said. “It’s tough because their goalie played amazing, I thought. We had, especially in the second period, many times to tie the game. He played really well. The chances were there.”

Quick finished it with 12 saves in the third period.

“He does a good job of settling the momentum for us and I think he did a huge job of pretty much just taking a win for us tonight,” Smith said. “Anyone who has a pulse feeds off that. We wouldn’t have won tonight without him.”

NOTES: The Rangers have won their past four games against the Bruins, including going 3-0-0 against them last season. … Berard’s goal was his first in six games at Madison Square Garden. … Zibanejad is the 15th Sweden-born player in NHL history to score 700 points. He’s the third active Swedish player with at least 700 points behind @erik k of the Pittsburgh Penguins (843) and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning (756).