Keller scores 2nd goal in OT, Utah edges Rangers to stay undefeated

NEW YORK -- Clayton Keller scored at 4:05 of overtime, and the Utah Hockey Club remained undefeated with a 6-5 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Keller skated with the puck behind the net before roofing a shot over Igor Shesterkin's shoulder.

"It's something I kind of like to do in tight and I had a little space," Keller said. "[The Rangers] kind of all backed off on me. My first look was [Mikhail Sergachev] and it kind of went toward him. So I just started taking it to the net and do something I'm comfortable with."

Keller had two goals and an assist, and Barrett Hayton had a goal and an assist for Utah (3-0-0). Connor Ingram made 29 saves.

Artemi Panarin scored twice, and Adam Fox had three assists for New York (1-0-1). Shesterkin made 20 saves.

"We're generating offense but we got to keep the puck out of the net," Rangers forward Chris Kreider said. "Got to help our goaltender. Two games now, he was making some pretty ridiculous saves so got to shore up our own end."

Utah scored four goals on 10 shots in the second period, and recovered for the win after blowing a two-goal lead. They rallied from down a goal three times before defeating the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime on Thursday.

"I think it honestly, goes back that game on Long Island, kind of the resilience we showed, think having the confidence from that and the way we responded there, kind of carried over this one," Hayton said. "I think we put ourselves in a couple positions we'd rather not be in, but at the same time, they're a [heck] of a team over there. So just shows a lot of resilience out of our group."

Will Cuylle scored off a deflection in front to tie the game 5-5 at 12:56 of the third.

Braden Schneider scored at 17:59 of the second to cut it to 5-4 after Dylan Guenther's power-play goal extended the lead to 5-3 at 13:59.

"There were mistakes there. They are a fast, skilled team and they capitalized on that," Fox said. "I thought especially that third period we played really well. Offensively we were creating a lot but you give them a little bit of room and some chances and some breakdowns like with that first goal. … they capitalize."

The Rangers appeared to take a 3-2 lead at 4:54 when Victor Mancini scored on a shot through traffic. However, the call on the ice was no goal because of goalie interference on Rangers forward Matt Rempe, which was upheld after New York used a coach's challenge.

Keller gave Utah a 3-2 lead at 6:02 of the second. With the teams skating at 4-on-4, Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller had a turnover behind the net to Alex Kerfoot, who fed Keller in front.

"Sometimes when you put the puck on the net, good things happen," Keller said. "And we have a lot of skill, a lot of guys that can shoot it. And we're just going to keep doing what makes us successful."

Kevin Stenlund scored on a wrist shot from the right circle to give Utah a 4-2 lead at 8:38.

Miller got the Rangers within 4-3 at 9:18 when his dump-in went off the endboards and ricocheted into the net with Ingram behind the net waiting to play the puck.

Hayton gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 3:43 of the first period converting from in close near the left circle on a cross-ice pass from Nick Schmaltz. Hayton has three goals in three games this season after he had three goals while being limited to 33 games last season.

"I think last year was tough for me, missing a lot of time at the same time, you're watching a lot of games and learning a lot of stuff, so you just got a different perspective," Hayton said. "So I think I took some out into the offseason and also to start this season and some of it has paid off."

Panarin tied it 1-1 at 8:38 of the first period with a wrist shot in the slot off a drop pass from Alexis Lafreniere.

Jack McBain made it 2-1 at 1:48 of the second, stuffing in a rebound at the side of the net.

Panarin scored on a wrist shot from the left circle to tie the game 2-2 at 3:51 of the second with a power-play goal.

Utah has scored 16 goals in its first three games.

"We have a team with talent, but for us, the battle is to get inside, to get in dirty areas, get those greasy goals, those tipped rebounds, screens, those kind of things," Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. "And that opened up the next play. So I think we're, we're a threat at passing the puck, but we're a bigger threat right now going into net and getting those in-tight goals."

NOTES: Guenther and Hayton, who have each scored in each of Utah's first three games, became the fifth and sixth players in the NHL's modern era (since 1943-44) with at least one goal in each of a franchise's first three games (James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights, four games, 2017-18; Billy Harris, New York Islanders, three games, 1972-73; Kent Douglas, Oakland Seals, three games, 1967-68; Larry Keenan, St. Louis Blues, three games, 1967-68). … Utah's 16 goals through its first three games are the third-most by a franchise in NHL history behind the Toronto Arenas (27 in 1917-18) and the Montreal Canadiens (23 in 1917-18). … Lafreniere, who was playing in his 300th NHL game, had an assist and two shots on goal in 23:41 of ice time.