Panarin, Rangers defeat Canadiens, tie franchise record with 53rd win

NEW YORK -- Artemi Panarin extended his point streak to nine games with a goal and three assists, and the New York Rangers tied a franchise record with their 53rd win, 5-2 against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Panarin has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in the streak and 115 points (46 goals, 69 assists) this season, with at least one point in 63 of 78 games, including 33 multi-point games.

"I know this is kind of a benchmark year for him, but his statistics over the last seven or eight years are incredible," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "They're in the top probably eight of players who can produce on a rate like he does. There's consistency that goes with that. This isn't just a fluke, it's just been a really good one."

Mika Zibanejad had two goals and an assist, Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist, and Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves for the Rangers (53-21-4), who have won three in a row and maintained their five-point lead on the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division. 

They lead the NHL with 110 points and four games remaining. 

The Rangers can set their record for most wins in a season when they play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Tuesday. They won 53 games in the 2014-15 season.

"There's stuff on the line for us," Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. "I think as athletes that's kind of what's engrained in your head, if there is something you can go out there and get you want to go out there and get it."

Cole Caufield extended his goal streak to four games and Cayden Primeau made 41 saves for the Canadiens (29-36-12), who have lost three in a row, including 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

"It's a tough building to come into, especially on a back-to-back after playing a good team last night as well," Primeau said. "I just tried to give the team the best opportunity. They're a good team. They're the best arguably right now." 

Caufield scored at 19:30 of the first period to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead. David Savard's shot from the point went wide and from behind the goal line Caufield got the puck and banked in it off Shesterkin.

New York got even 1-1 on Zibanejad's power-play goal at 12:31 of the second period. 

He attempted a pass from the left face-off circle to Chris Kreider at the far post, but the puck hit off Joel Armia's right skate and redirected through Primeau's legs.

"To being going into a third period against them 1-1 it's good for us," Primeau said. "There's lots of good we can take."

But the Rangers took over in the third, scoring four times.

It started when Kreider gave them a 2-1 lead at 3:59 with a power-play goal off a netfront deflection of Panarin's wrist shot.

New York has power play goals in three straight games, going 4-for-9. It is 10-for-25 on the power play in 12 games since March 16. 

"It obviously started really well and went to a point where it was average in the middle and now it's heating up when you want it to get back to being really efficient as you hit the playoffs," Laviolette said of the power play. "I think you can get a little bit of confidence from that. I think the guys are doing good things. They're coming through the neutral zone with a lot of speed, recoveries are good and movement in zone, the guys are really working to move and create out there. Tonight was a good example of it."

Panarin made it 3-1 at 6:09, scoring off a give and go with Lafreniere.

Alex Newhook's breakaway goal at 12:13 to make it 3-2. He scored on a glove side wrist shot.

But Zibanejad made it 4-2 at 16:56 with a goal from below the left circle after a Montreal giveaway in the defensive zone.

Lafreniere scored an empty-net goal off a pass from Panarin at 18:45 for the 5-2 final that moved the Rangers closer to finishing first in the division, first in the NHL, and setting a team record for wins in a season.

"I think our players are well aware of everything around us," Laviolette said. "We don't talk about that. I promise you we don't talk about any of that. We talk about playing the right way, two points and winning hockey games, and that's it. That's the focus we've stayed on. 

"Like I've said before, if you do it well enough and long enough you start checking boxes along the way of things your team is accomplishing."

NOTES: Kreider is second in Rangers history with 109 power-play goals behind Camille Henry (116). He was tied with Rod Gilbert before scoring Sunday. … The Rangers' 27 comeback wins is the most in the NHL this season. … Rangers center Vincent Trocheck was presented with The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in a pregame ceremony. The award, named after the late New York Police Department detective who was shot and injured in the line of duty in 1986, has been presented annually since 1987-88 to the Rangers player who, as chosen by the fans, "goes above and beyond the call of duty."