Chris Kreider’s power-play goal in the third period propelled the New York Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night, solidifying their position as the Eastern Conference leaders.
Barclay Goodrow’s two goals, doubling his season tally, along with a goal from Will Cuylle, and 30 saves by Jonathan Quick, contributed to the Rangers’ win, which puts them three points ahead of Boston in the race for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
Goodrow, typically playing center, was moved to left wing, a decision that proved fruitful for the Rangers.
For the Red Wings, goals came from Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, and Dylan Larkin, with assists from David Perron, while Alex Lyon made 35 saves. Despite their efforts, the Red Wings remain tied with Washington, one point out of the second wild card in the East.
Kreider’s decisive goal, his 37th of the season, came at 10:14 of the third period, off a rebound from Mika Zibanejad’s shot. The win marks the Rangers’ seventh victory in their last eight games, with Artemi Panarin contributing an assist for his 111th point.
This victory completes a three-game season sweep for New York against Detroit and extends their dominance in recent meetings, boasting a record of 9-1-2 in their last 12 encounters.
Cuylle opened the scoring for the Rangers at 5:58 of the first period, followed shortly by Copp’s equalizer for Detroit. Goodrow restored New York’s lead late in the period.
“We played good enough to get a point or two points tonight,” Larkin said. “I think when you get to this time of the year, every time you drop a game, it seems like a missed opportunity.”
The back-and-forth continued into the second period, with Compher tying the game for Detroit before Larkin put the Red Wings ahead. However, Goodrow’s second goal just 25 seconds later leveled the score once more, securing the win for the Rangers.
“Tonight was fun,” Goodrow said. “Obviously I’d like to do it more often. It’s always nice to contribute and help the team in any way to win.”
