Rangers end losing streak, defeat Canucks in overtime

VANCOUVER -- John Gilmour scored 1:22 into overtime, and Henrik Lundqvist made a season-high 50 saves to help the New York Rangers end a seven-game losing streak with a 6-5 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.
Gilmour became the first rookie defenseman in Rangers history to score an overtime goal, beating Anders Nilsson with a one-timer after a cross-ice pass from Ryan Spooner, who had three assists.

WATCH: [All Rangers vs. Canucks highlights]
Mika Zibanejad scored with 5:13 left in the third period to give the Rangers their third lead of the game 5-4, but Brock Boeser scored his second goal of the game with 46 seconds left to tie it at 5-5.
"It was a roller coaster, that's for sure, a lot of goals, a lot of chances," Lundqvist said. "It just feels good to win a game, to sit here and smile for once. I am just tired of losing so I don't care how we win it, just as long as we win it."
Kevin Hayes had two goals, Vladislav Namestnikov scored on a breakaway and had an assist in his Rangers debut, and Jimmy Vesey also scored for New York (28-30-6), which had been 0-6-1 during the streak.

The Rangers, who traded away forwards Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller, and top defenseman Ryan McDonagh before the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday, are seven points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"It doesn't matter what you go through, all the trades, and that alone was depressing," Lundqvist said. "It is, I have to be honest, but we have to move past it now and it's about winning. Winning makes everybody smile and hopefully it can continue."
Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists, and Daniel Sedin and Nikolay Goldobin each scored for the Canucks (24-32-8). Vancouver is 18 points behind the Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
"I thought we carried the play the majority of the game," Horvat said. "There was just a couple of unfortunate breakdowns that they buried on their chances."
Hayes gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead by banking a shot in from behind the goal line 1:22 into the first period, and Vesey made it 2-0 when Neal Pionk's point shot bounced in off him 43 seconds later. Hayes scored his second on a deflection of another Pionk point shot at 12:29 for a 3-0 lead, and the Canucks replaced Jacob Markstrom (two saves) with Nilsson, who stopped 19 of 22 shots.
"A win is a win but there is no doubt we caught that team with their goaltending a little bit off so we were able to get out to a quick 3-0 lead," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said.
Spooner assisted on both goals by Hayes, and has five assists in two games since coming to the Rangers from the Boston Bruins as part of the trade for Nash on Sunday.

"We have a lot of skill," Lundqvist said of the new players. "We just need to understand when to use it and when to be smart, when to go for it and when to make the simple play."
Boeser scored his first goal in seven games at 14:12 to cut the lead to 3-1, Horvat scored on a power-play rebound with 48 seconds left to make it 3-2, and Sedin scored his 20th goal at 11:01 of the second period to tie it 3-3.
"We showed a lot of character coming back," Horvat said. "We could have mailed it in, packed it in and called it a night. That's not the way of our group."
Namestnikov, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, stole the puck at the blue line and beat Nilsson between the legs at 14:58 for a 4-3 lead.
"No one was behind me so I slowed down and saw [the] 5-hole open, so I shot it," Namestnikov said.
Goldobin tied it at 4-4 at 12:17 of the third period.

Goal of the game

Gilmour's goal 1:22 into overtime.

Save of the game

Lundqvist's save on Sam Gagner at 11:23 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Namestnikov's goal at 14:58 of the second period.

They said it

"We gave up a lot but we scored a lot and we managed to cover it up."-- Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist
"If we are going to continue to play like this we are definitely going to win some hockey games." -- Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson

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Need to know

Namestnikov, 25, added to his NHL career highs in goals (21), assists (25) and points (46). He had three shots in 17:57. … It was Hayes' third two-goal game in the NHL. He has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in the past 10 games. … The Rangers hadn't won since Feb. 11, 3-1 at the Winnipeg Jets. … Canucks forward Brendan Leipsic had two assists and a game-high seven shots in 17:49 in his debut after being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for defenseman Philip Holm on Monday.

What's next

Rangers: At the Calgary Flames on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, MSG 2, NHL.TV)
Canucks:Host the Nashville Predators on Friday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, FS-TN, NHL.TV)