Vincent Trocheck scored a goal and an assist, while Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves, leading the New York Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the struggling Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
Chris Kreider, Filip Chytil, and Jimmy Vesey also found the net for the Rangers, who are 8-2-3 in their last 13 games as they head into their bye week and All-Star break. Braden Schneider contributed two assists, and Halak secured his fifth consecutive win.
“A great effort, we had a slow start,” said Barclay Goodrow of the Rangers. “Jaro stood on his head for the whole game, especially the first period, and kept us in it. Our game then got better as the game went along. It’s huge getting two points going into the break.”
Halak made 16 saves in the first period, eight in the second, and nine in the third to earn his first home win since joining the Rangers in the offseason.
“Guys did a good job off the net and didn’t give them that much,” Halak said after improving to 6-6-1 overall. “I’m glad I got the start and I got the first win at home and now we can enjoy the break. … After the break, we have to come back and work even harder.”
Phil Kessel scored for Vegas, and Adin Hill made 36 saves. The Golden Knights lost for the seventh time in nine games (2-6-1), managing just 19 goals during that stretch, with 10 coming in their two wins.
“We’ve got to find a way to produce,” said Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault. “I think we’ve got to play a little more inside. Sometimes, those goals are not always the prettiest, but they still count. … I think we need a little more of a mentality of grinding. Winning hurts sometimes, and we’ve got to find a way.”
Chytil extended the Rangers’ lead to 3-1 with 5:40 left in the third period on a fortuitous deflection. He lost the puck but knocked it across the net, where it went in off Alex Pietrangelo’s skate for his 16th goal of the season and fourth during a three-game scoring streak. Vesey sealed the win with an empty-netter with 1:24 left.
Trailing 2-0 after the first period, Vegas got on the scoreboard at 4:57 of the second when Kessel sent a sharp-angle shot off Halak and in. It was his ninth goal of the season and 408th of his career.
Halak made a sprawling save on Keegan Kolesar from the right side with 7:50 left in the second period to preserve the Rangers’ lead.
“I saw him coming through the middle when I looked,” Halak said. “Lucky for me, I raised my hand and glove, and I was able to make the save.”
Kreider gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with 3:52 left in the first, deflecting a backhand pass from Trocheck off his knee past Hill. It was Kreider’s 20th goal, reaching that mark for the eighth time in his career.
Trocheck made it 2-0 with 43 seconds left in the opening period, firing a shot from the right faceoff circle off a pass from behind the net by Goodrow. It was his 14th goal of the season.
MILESTONES
Kreider played in his 700th game. Marchessault and William Karlsson played in their 400th games with Vegas, the most of any player in franchise history.
POWER OUTAGES
The Rangers went 0 for 2 on the power play, falling to 2 for 24 over their last nine games. Vegas was also 0 for 2, dropping to 1 for 14 over the last seven games.
LINEUPS
Shea Theodore returned after missing 20 games with a leg injury. LW William Carrier also rejoined the Golden Knights after missing five games with an upper body injury.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: At the New York Islanders on Saturday night to finish a four-game trip before the All-Star break.
- Rangers: Host Calgary on Feb. 6 in the second stretch of four straight at home.