The Kids Are Alright: Kakko, Chytil, and Fox Spark Rangers to 4-1 Win

The Rangers, who played seven players aged 21 or younger, got goals from 18-year-old Kaapo Kakko, 20-year-old Filip Chytil, and 21-year-old Adam Fox, on their way to a come-from-behind 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night at The Garden.

23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves for the win.

The teams entered the 3rd period tied 1-1, after Nikita Kucherov scored for Tampa Bay in the 1st period, and Kakko scored a power-play goal in the 2nd period to tie the game. Chytil, in his first game since being called up from Hartford Monday, gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 7:14 to play, deflecting a Pavel Buchnevich shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy for his first goal of the season.

Then, with 2:36 to play, Fox scored the first goal of his NHL career, putting the rebound of a Chris Kreider shot past Vasilevskiy to make it 3-1.

Ryan Strome added an empty-net goal with 46 seconds left for the final 4-1 margin. Strome had a goal and an assist on the night. Ryan Lindgren had an assist in his first game of the season.

The Rangers [now 4-5-1, 9 pts] play the Predators in Nashville Saturday afternoon.

Rangers Fall to Arizona in OT, 3-2, as Losing Streak Hits 5

Christian Dvorak scored 64 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime, as Arizona beat the Rangers, 3-2, Tuesday night at The Garden. The Blueshirts have now lost five straight games.

The Rangers didn’t touch the puck in the overtime, as Arizona won the face-off and controlled the puck until the Dvorak goal. It was his 4th goal of the season.

Tony DeAngelo scored two 2nd period goals for the only two New York scores. Alexandar Georgiev made 32 saves in the loss.

The Coyotes came out and controlled the 1st period, out-shooting New York, 21-4. Lawson Crouse got the only goal of the period, to put Arizona up, 1-0.

In the 2nd, DeAngelo, off a rebound, tied the game, 1-1, at the 5:04 mark. Alex Goligoski made it 2-1 Arizona with a power play goal at 13:46.

DeAngelo scored a power play goal of his own, with 2:00 to play in the 2nd period, off a terrific assist from Ryan Strome, to tie the game 2-2. Neither team scored in the 3rd period. Kappo Kakko had an assist on the goal, for his first NHL assist.

The Rangers [now 2-4-1, 5 pts] host the Buffalo Sabres (who currently have the best record in the NHL) Thursday.

Rangers Come From Behind, Beat Jets, 6-4, in Season Opener

Brett Howden gave the Rangers a 5-4 lead with 4:09 to play, and the Blueshirts held on for a come-from-behind win over the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night at The Garden, 6-4, in the season-opening game for both teams.

Mika Zibanejad had a goal and three assists. Newcomer Jacob Trouba had a goal and two assists. And Antemiy Panarin had a goal and an assist in his first game as a Ranger.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 43-of-47 shots, and recorded his 450th career win.

Marc Staal scored the team’s first goal of the season, 11:35 into the 1st period, to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. Mark Scheifele tied the game, 1-1, at 17:23.

The teams traded goals in the 2nd period; Panarin and Trouba for the Rangers and Blake Wheeler scoring a pair of goals for the Jets, and the game was tied, 3-3, after 40 minutes.

In the 3rd, Kyle Connor‘s goal at 2:41 gave Winnipeg a 4-3 lead, but Zibanejad beat Conor Hellebuyck with a nifty backhander to tie the game, 4-4. That set the stage for Howden’s game-winner; he stuffed a rebound in at the 15:51 mark of the 3rd for the go-ahead goal.

Brendan Smith scored an empty-net goal with 17 seconds to play for the final 6-4 margin.

The Rangers [now 1-0-0, 2 pts] play the Senators Saturday night in Ottawa.