Mika Zibanejad have scored his League-leading third hat trick of the season for the New York Rangers in a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Zibanejad also recorded a hat technique in wins against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 17 and 25. The Rangers center qualified prospects the NHL with 16 goals in 22 games since March 17.
Kaapo Kakko scored two goals and Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves for the Rangers (25-18-6), who have won two straight and are four points behind the Boston Bruins, who’ve two games in hand, for fourth place in the MassMutual East Soccer Logo Iron On Sticker Division. The top four teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Rangers knew prior to the start of their game that they could close the gap in the standings with Boston losing 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the day. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an help, and Dustin Tokarski produced 23 saves for the Sabres (13-29-7), who are last in the division and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Buffalo and New York can complete the two-game established here Tuesday. Zibanejad scored the first of three goals by NY in the initial period with a shot off the rush from above the right hash marks to make it 1-0 at 4:49. Jeff Skinner scored on a high backhand from the slot to tie it 1-1 at 6:16, but Kakko made it 2-1 when he scored with a one-timer from the proper circle off a diagonal pass by Adam Fox from the top of the still left circle at 12:02.
Zibanejad scored a power-play goal on a net-front deflection of Artemi Panarin’s pass at 17:10 custom Montreal Canadiens t shirt heat transfers to create it 3-1. He then completed the hat trick at 2:05 of the second period, custom diy heat transfers giving the Rangers a 4-1 lead with a go through Tokarski’s legs after putting the puck between his own legs in the neutral zone to receive Buchnevich’s pass. Granato said at that point he thought about pulling Tokarski in favor of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who earned in his NHL debut against the Bruins on Friday.