Lafreniere scores in OT, Rangers edge Flames in back-and-forth affair

NEW YORK --
Alexis Lafreniere
scored 1:37 into overtime, and the New York Rangers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Lafreniere scored on the rebound of a one-timer by Mika Zibanejad, which was created off a 2-on-1 rush. Jacob Markstrom couldn't control the rebound, and Lafreniere tracked down the loose puck in the right face-off circle before turning and scoring past the diving Flames goalie.
"It was a hard slap shot [by Zibanejad], and I thought it was going in," Lafreniere said. "And then I see it coming back in front. I was behind the net a little bit, just put on the brakes, sprinted to it and tried to score."
Zibanejad and Filip Chytil each scored twice, Artemi Panarin had two assists, and Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves for New York (28-14-8), which is 9-2-3 since Dec. 29.
It was the Rangers' first game since Jan. 27.
"You try to prepare as much as you can, try to figure out what's the right way and how you can manage the break and take advantage of the break knowing we have a lot of games and not a whole lot of days left here coming up with a big stretch and pushing for the playoffs," Zibanejad said. "I thought this was good. Sloppy at times, but overall, I thought it was a great effort and we wanted it."

Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman each had a goal and an assist, Mikael Backlund had two assists, and Markstrom made 28 saves for Calgary (24-17-10), which also played its first game since Jan. 27 and trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before taking a 4-3 lead in the third period.
"I think we've got to take a lesson here, when we're up 4-3 we've just got to manage the game and play to win," Mangiapane said. "Good job by our guys coming back from those deficits there, but I feel like when we have that lead, we've got to hold on. We did battle back three times and you want to get the win."
Mangiapane tied it 3-3 at 6:38 of the third after video review determined the puck deflected off his skate at the right post and there was no distinct kicking motion.
Michael Stone made it 4-3 at 8:41, stepping into a slap shot above the right circle after receiving a drop pass from Backlund.
"I thought they were valiant to come back," Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. "And then they tie it."
Zibanejad made it 4-4 at 12:55 with a one-timer after Panarin slid the puck in front from behind the goal line.
"We had to bounce back and fortunately, Mika buried another one," New York coach Gerard Gallant said. "We were definitely disappointed giving up two goals that quick."

Chytil scored for the fourth straight game and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 5:37 of the first period. Kaapo Kakko banked the puck off the boards to Chytil, who sped past Calgary defenseman Nikita Zadorov before scoring with a wrist shot from the right circle.
Coleman tied it 1-1 at 10:25 when he banged the puck in after receiving a centering pass by Mangiapane from behind the net.
Chytil scored on a breakaway at 2:02 of the second period to make it 2-1 after intercepting a pass by Nazem Kadri intended for Noah Hanifin. Chytil has six goals during his goal streak and 10 in the past 12.
"I think the biggest thing is that I see the hard work that I put in pays off," Chytil said. "That's the only thing I have in my head."

Tyler Toffoli tied it 2-2 at 16:25 with a power-play goal from the top of the left circle before Zibanejad made it 3-2, scoring on a one-timer after receiving a cross-crease backhanded pass by Chris Kreider on a power play at 19:46.
New York was on a power play after Dillon Dube received an instigator penalty, in addition to a fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct, after Jacob Trouba hit Kadri in the Rangers' zone.
It was the third time Calgary was on a penalty kill after responding to a big hit, including Chris Tanev and Milan Lucic each receiving extra roughing minors in the first period following hits by Trouba on Dube at 13:57 and Sammy Blais on Lucic at 16:16, respectively.
"They were all clean, good hits," Sutter said. "There were nothing wrong with the calls, any of them. They were the right calls."
NOTES: Halak has won six consecutive starts after he went 1-6-1 in his first eight this season. … Coleman has five points (two goals, three assists) in the past two games. … Tanev had 18:20 of ice time after missing two games with an upper-body injury. … Blais had three hits and one blocked shot in 8:47 after being recalled from a conditioning stint with Hartford of the American Hockey League on Saturday. … Defenseman Adam Fox has 178 NHL assists, surpassing Brian Leetch for the most by a player in Rangers history through their first 4 seasons. … Panarin has 301 points in 236 games with New York, the fewest needed to reach 300 in franchise history (Mark Messier, 249). Panarin also became the first player in Rangers history to have at least 40 assists in each of his first four seasons.