Rangers defeat Mammoth for third win in four days

NEW YORK -- Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves and had an assist, giving him points in back-to-back starts, to lift the New York Rangers to their third consecutive win, 4-2 against the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Shesterkin scored his first NHL goal in a 5-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. He had an assist on Eeli Tolvanen's empty-net goal in the third period Sunday after trying to score another goal only to have Mikhail Sergachev retreat to stop it from going into the net.

"I thought it was pretty funny when (the fans) were yelling 'Shoot' in the first period when they saw the goalie in the net," Rangers forward Will Cuylle said. "It was a great play by him on the empty-net goal to not go for the goal and pass it up to me and we get the empty-net goal. He's obviously a smart guy; he can make saves and play a little offense too."

Gabe Perreault and J.T. Miller scored in the third period to give the Rangers a two-goal lead, and Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and an assist.

The Rangers (3-1-0) have won their first two games at home this season after losing their first seven home games last season.

They didn't get their second win at home last season until Nov. 24. Their first came on Nov. 10.

"It feels so good right now to play well in front of the fans," Miller said.

Nick Schmaltz and Andrew Peeke scored, and Karel Vejmelka made 18 saves for the Mammoth (2-1-0). They were playing their second game on a back-to-back after winning in Columbus on Saturday.

"Through two periods we were probably doubling that team in scoring chances; that's a lot of good," Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said. "But that said, that's why you play three periods and I just think mentally we did not sustain in the third. We didn't stay patient. We forced it. I think there's a lot of will and competitiveness in our team and sometimes if you don't use it the right way you force the game, you open up the play and sometimes they capitalize."

Perreault gave New York a 2-1 lead at 3:15 of the third period, when he scored off a long rebound.

Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere came in on a 2-on-1. Zibanejad moved the puck across right to left to Lafreniere in the left face-off circle. Vejmelka came across to stop Lafreniere's shot, but the puck came out to Perreault above the left hash marks and he shot it in.

"I had the whole net," Perreault said.

Miller made it 3-1 at 12:47, when he got to the net and Gavrikov's shot from the point redirected in off his skates.

"I figure if you do it 10 times a game something will go off your foot," Miller said of going to the net. "That's the way to beat teams. When you want to play later those are the goals you're scoring, you're not getting the pretty ones. It's always been a part of my game. It's nice to see one go in."

Utah got one goal back at 14:57, when Peeke scored with a quick shot over Shesterkin's glove from above the right face-off circle to make it 3-2.

But Tolvanen scored into the empty net to make it 4-2 at 18:45.

"I loved our effort; execution just wasn't there tonight," Utah forward Vincent Trocheck said. "But definitely can't say anything about our effort and how we stood up for each other.”

Trocheck returned to New York after being traded to the Utah Mammoth on July 1. The forward played four seasons for the Rangers before being traded for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

The Rangers have outscored their opponents 5-1 in the third period in the past three games after giving up three goals late in the third period in a season-opening 3-0 loss at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

"I just think it's an indication of where our mindset is at," Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to build a team game. We talk about that on a regular basis with the guys; not getting ahead of ourselves, staying in the moment, having that next play mindset or the next shift mindset regardless of what happens out there good or bad. I think a big part of closing games is your ability to stay in the moment and not get overwhelmed by any of the circumstances. It takes a certain focus and discipline and I think our group, you can hear it in the talk on the bench, there's a lot of energy on the bench right now and just the team talk around some of the details of how we're trying to play, getting through the ebbs and flows."

Gavrikov gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 17:18 of the first period.

The Mammoth tied it 1-1 on Schmaltz's power-play goal at 14:29.

"We just have a good feeling in here now," Miller said, "and it's just nice to be rewarded for the team effort."

NOTES: Rangers center Joe Veleno sustained a lower-body injury midway through the first period and did not return. Sullivan said he was being evaluated and the team likely would have more information on Veleno on Monday. … Shesterkin is the first goalie with points in consecutive appearances since Connor Ingram did it with the Mammoth on Feb. 6-9, 2025. Henrik Lundqvist (2010-11), Ed Belfour (2001-02), and Tom Barrasso (1984-85, 1988-89) are the only goalies in NHL history to have points in three consecutive appearances. … Schmaltz has a three-game goal streak (four goals). … Tolvanen has a three-game goal streak (three goals).