The Rangers came away with a 4-3 overtime win over the Canucks on Saturday night in Vancouver. It wouldn’t have been possible without the brilliant play of Igor Shesterkin. He made 30 saves to help the Rangers make it four straight wins on the road.

In an exciting game that featured plenty of offense on special teams, along with hitting and momentum swings, it was Shesterkin that made the ultimate difference. Fresh after getting Thursday (Oct. 26) off, the former Vezina winner made some clutch saves against the dangerous Canucks.

Shesterkin Robs Kuzmenko

None were bigger than the pair of stops he made to deny Andrei Kuzmenko in overtime. With the trio of Vincent Trocheck, K’Andre Miller, and Kaapo Kakko out of gas, Kuzmenko made a great move around Trocheck to get in on Shesterkin. After making the first save, Shesterkin made a big glove stop to rob Kuzmenko of the game-winner.

That allowed the Rangers to find a way to grab the extra point. Shesterkin made several key saves during regulation to give his team a chance. They weren’t as good last night. That had a lot to do with the Canucks, who created plenty of offense with their skill and speed.

Special Teams A Factor

It was a tightly contested game. There were a lot of battles between both teams. It was also called tight by the refs. Special teams were a factor. There were a dozen power plays with each side receiving six. Almost every goal was scored when it wasn’t five-on-five.

The Rangers took advantage of their opportunities. They connected on 3 of 6 power plays. That included scoring on both halves of a crucial man-advantage in the third period when the Canucks ran into penalty trouble.

With the game tied, Phil Di Giuseppe high-sticked Mika Zibanejad, drawing blood. That gave the Rangers a four-minute power play. After having given up a shorthanded goal to Tyler Myers at the start of it on an Adam Fox turnover, they caught a break when the Canucks were whistled for a bench minor.

Suddenly, on a five-on-three, the Rangers cashed in thanks to an Artemi Panarin pasx down low for a Fox deflection that allowed him to redeem himself. It was the second game in a row he scored a power play goal. All three of his goals have come on the power play. Last season, he only scored once on the power play.

Zibanejad Finally Gets One

Entering the game, Mika Zibanejad had been unable to score in the Rangers’ first seven games. He’d come close. But nothing was going in. That finally changed. He got one on the second part of the power play to break through.

With the game tied at three, the Rangers still had a five-on-four due to the double minor on Di Giuseppe. Coach Peter Laviolette sent out the top unit for the key sequence that led to Zibanejad getting his first goal of the season.

Following a couple of missed shots from Zibanejad and Panarin, the Rangers worked the puck in front for a point blank chance from Chris Kreider that Canucks’ goalie Casey DeSmith stopped. However, the puck rebounded right to Zibanejad, who buried a quick one-timer into an open net to give the Rangers a one-goal lead with 6:36 left in regulation.

It’s important for Zibanejad to get going. He’s counted on for offense. A streaky scorer, maybe the big goal will allow him to relax. Once one goes in, it could start him on a hot streak. He’s too good a player not to heat up.

Chytil Penalty Hurts

After taking the lead with less than seven minutes remaining, the Rangers couldn’t put the Canucks away. Instead, Filip Chytil took an ill-advised penalty for closing his hand on the puck. The minor hurt.

Although the Rangers’ penalty kill limited the dangerous Canucks’ power play to two shots that Shesterkin handled, they were unable to get settled in at even strength. After the penalty expired, Vancouver kept the play alive. Anthony Beauvillier and Filip Hronek combined to set up Carson Soucy for a high-rising shot that beat Shesterkin through traffic. That tied things up with 4:18 left.

Panarin’s Hot Start Continues

Entering play, Panarin recorded a point in all seven games. He continued his hot start by scoring his fourth on the power play and later adding his eighth helper on a Fox tip-in.

He scored the first goal of the contest on the power play. After Zibanejad had a pass for Vincent Trocheck bank off his skate, the loose puck came to Panarin at the right point. He settled the puck down and moved to the middle to fire a wrist shot past DeSmith for the lead before 10 minutes had expired.

With Panarin continuing to look for his shot more, he’s getting positive results. By shooting the puck, it makes him less predictable. Opponents can’t just wait for the pass. They also must pay attention to his shot. He’d later add an assist on the Fox power play tally, giving him a team-leading 12 points.

Kreider’s Great Play Leads to Winner

With nothing settled in regulation, the Rangers and Canucks needed overtime at Rogers Arena. The three-on-three didn’t disappoint. It was wide open. Both sides went for it. That’s where Shesterkin was at his best, making six saves, including the flat-out denials on Kuzmenko.

The Rangers were able to get the win thanks to a great play from Kreider that led to the winner. With the Canucks up in arms over what they felt was a missed call that saw Elias Pettersson spill to the ice, the play went in the opposite direction.

In transition, Kreider drew two Canucks to him. He then sent a perfect pass across for a K’Andre Miller blast that won the game with 72 seconds left in overtime.

Miller was the beneficiary of a heads-up play from Kreider. Not known for his playmaking, the Rangers’ fifth all-time leading goalscorer was patient enough to wait before distributing the puck for an open Miller to give the Rangers their fourth consecutive win. It was a terrific play from one of the best Rangers’ first round picks. When his career is over, Kreider could one day take his place up in the Garden rafters.

Rangers Aim for Perfect Road Trip

On Monday night, the Rangers will visit the Jets in Winnipeg. They will aim for a perfect road trip. They’re 4-for-4 so far with wins over the Kraken, Flames, Oilers, and Canucks. If they can win tomorrow, it will highlight a great trip.

With the victory on Saturday night, they improved to 5-1-0 on the road. The Rangers remain first in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-2-0 record.