Rangers score 4 goals in 1st, cruise past Canadiens for 4th straight win

MONTREAL -- The New York Rangers scored four goals in the opening 11:05 of the first period in a 7-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Filip Chytil had two goals and an assist, Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves for the Rangers (5-0-1), who set a record for the longest season-opening point streak in franchise history.

“We got a lot out of all the lines right from the drop of the puck,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “So, it may be the best team win of the year.”

Nick Suzuki scored twice for Montreal (2-4-1), which has lost four straight (0-3-1).

“It didn’t really feel like a 7-2 game until the end there when you look up at the scoreboard,” Suzuki said. “But we obviously keep digging ourselves these holes, and against a good team like that, our details early on have to be really sharp. And we were definitely a little sleepy coming out and they jumped on us.”

Mika Zibanejad gave New York a 1-0 lead on its first shot 54 seconds into the first period. Artemi Panarin, who extended his season-opening point streak to six games (six goals, seven assists), started the play with a pass to the right point, where Adam Fox fed Zibanejad for a one-timer from the top of the left circle.

“It’s crazy, in our zone a couple of big blocked shots, and all of a sudden we go down and score,” Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider said. “And once we opened up [with] one, our team gets that confidence and we start bringing it more to the net, and tonight they were going in.

“When we get rolling, we have so many highly skilled players and guys that are willing to work all over the ice. So, once we get feeling it, I think we’re a pretty scary team.”

Jonny Brodzinski made it 2-0 at 2:05. He was left alone in front of Montreal’s net, where he beat Montembeault off a feed from Adam Edstrom.

Reilly Smith pushed it to 3-0 at 6:40, stripping the puck from Canadiens rookie defenseman Lane Hutson in the neutral zone before breaking in and firing a shot under Montembeault’s glove.

Chytil scored a power-play goal to give New York a 4-0 lead at 11:05, tapping in Smith’s pass as he drove to the net.

Montembeault, who made six saves on 10 shots, was replaced following the goal by Cayden Primeau, who made 32 saves.

“It’s definitely on us,” Suzuki said. “It seems like we gifted them a few goals. You can’t do that against a good team like that. They find a way to lock it down and it was tough for us to come back.”

Suzuki cut it to 4-1 at 12:52 of the first, beating Shesterkin five-hole off a pass from Josh Anderson from behind the net.

Suzuki made it 4-2 at 5:35 of the second with a power-play goal. He cut across the crease and tucked a backhand past Shesterkin’s right pad.

Schneider put the Rangers ahead 5-2 at 8:57 with a wrist shot over Primeau’s left shoulder from the top of the left circle.

“We’re still fighting, we’re trying to come back,” Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher said. “You know, at 4-2, if we get the next one it’s game on, obviously. Even at 5-2, it’s a difficult task against a team of that caliber.”

Chytil scored his second goal at 15:41 of the third period to make it 6-2, and Kakko scored at 16:19 for the 7-2 final.

“We had a lot of chances in previous games and we didn’t score,” Chytil said. “Today, it was our turn, and it’s nice that every line can produce and everybody can score goals and decide the game.”

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren played 17:20 in his season debut after he sustained an upper-body injury Sept. 22.

“It was awesome to have him back in there,” Laviolette said. “He’s just a real good defender. He plays heavy minutes and hard minutes for us. And I thought he and ‘Vic’ [Mancini] did pretty well together as well. Jumping back in the first time is never an easy thing, and he’s got that full cage on, it makes it even a little bit more difficult to see the game. But I thought he played a pretty good game for coming back in.”

NOTES: The Rangers have scored at least four goals in each of their first six games of a season for the first time in their history. They are also the second team in the past 30 years to do it. The Florida Panthers scored at least four goals in each of their first seven games of the 2021-22 season. … Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron left the game after a hit by Jacob Trouba at 7:07 of the third period. There was no update postgame.