New York Rangers' Chris Kreider, back right, scores against Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
VANCOUVER – Artemi Panarin scored twice and notched an assist as the New York Rangers stretched their win streak to six games Wednesday, downing the Vancouver Canucks 6-4.
Mika Zibanejad also had two goals and a helper for the Rangers (32-14-8), while Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller found the back of the net as well.
Andrei Kuzmenko scored and contributed an assist for the beleaguered Canucks (21-30-4), who lost their third straight. Curtis Lazar, J.T. Miller and Conor Garland also replied for the home side, and Elias Pettersson put up a pair of assists.
New York’s Igor Shesterkin stopped 25-of-29 shots and Arturs Silovs made 22 saves for Vancouver in his NHL debut.
The Canucks called the 21-year-old Latvian netminder up from the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday and sent goalie Spencer Martin down to the minors.
Silovs, picked by Vancouver in the sixth round of the 2019 entry draft, boasts a 21-9-4 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average in Abbotsford this season.
Vancouver pulled the goalie in favour of an extra attacker with 2:54 left to play.
Panarin sliced a puck to Zibanejad and he sent the puck into the empty net 18:26 into the final frame.
The Canucks got back within a goal 8:51 into the third period when Kuzmenko fired a shot under Shesterkin’s glove from the top of the slot, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 5-4. It was the Russian’s 23rd goal of the season.
New York restored its two-goal lead 13:28 into the second when K’Andre Miller sent a shot sailing through traffic and over Silovs’s outstretched glove.
Vancouver cut its deficit to 4-3 moments after New York’s Niko Mikkola was released from the box after serving a holding penalty midway through the period.
Kuzmenko used some dazzling stick work to get around Adam Fox, but his ensuing shot pinged off the crossbar. Garland picked up the errant puck and sent a backhanded shot in past Shesterkin at the 9:26 mark.
New York added to its cushion 50 seconds into the middle frame when Zibanejad sent a pass across the slot to Kreider backdoor and Kreider tapped a shot into the yawning net.
The Rangers took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission thanks to Panarin’s second goal of the night.
Mikkola launched a long rocket and Panarin tipped it in past Silovs from the low slot for his 20th goal of the season at the 15:36 mark.
Vancouver capitalized on a man advantage 12:45 into the first after Alexis Lafreniere was called for hooking.
Shesterkin lost his stick and J.T. Miller sent a snap shot sailing into the Rangers’ net, evening the score at 2-2 with his 19th goal of the season.
The Canucks were 1 for 2 on the power play Wednesday and the Rangers went 0 for 1.
New York took its first lead of the night 7:03 into the first when an unmanned Panarin collected a pass from Jimmy Vesey and snapped a blistering shot at the Vancouver net. Silovs caught a piece of the puck, but it bounced in and the Rangers went up 2-1.
Zibanejad levelled the score 5:51 into opening frame with his team-leading 28th goal of the campaign.
The Swedish centre faked a shot, getting Silovs to move, then blasted a wrister past the rookie netminder to tie the game at 1-1. The tally extended Zibanejad’s goal streak to five games, with six goals across the stretch.
The Canucks opened the scoring 59 seconds earlier.
Dakota Joshua fired a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle and Lazar tipped it in to make it 1-0 with his third goal of the season.
MAN DOWN
Canucks defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson went down awkwardly after trying to hit Vladimir Tarasenko midway through the first period. He limped off the ice, favouring his left leg and did not return to the game.
GONE STREAKING
Four Rangers players extended their point streaks in Wednesday’s win. Kreider has hit the score sheet in six straight appearances, registering three goals and four assists, while Zibanejad now has seven goals and two assists in five games. Panarin is also on a five-game tear, with six goals and six assists, and Trouba has points in four straight with one goal and five assists.
HIGH FIVE
Vancouver has given up five or more goals in 26 of 55 games this season. The Canucks went into Wednesday’s matchup averaging 4.02 goals against per game, the second most in the league.
UP NEXT
Canucks: wrap a three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Rangers: take on the Oilers in Edmonton on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2023.
