Rangers 5, Canucks 1: Four second-period goals and a first for Glenn Gawdin
New York closed a 3-1-0 road trip in Vancouver, while the Canucks' losing streak reached seven.
The New York Rangers scored four times in the second period on Friday and beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 at Rogers Arena, finishing their western road trip 3-1-0. Glenn Gawdin, a 29-year-old from Richmond, B.C., scored his first two NHL goals in front of a home-province crowd.
How it turned
Vancouver scored first. Elias Pettersson deflected a Zeev Buium point shot at 12:13 of the first period, his fifth goal of the season and his first at 5-on-5 since Jan. 13, ending a 56-game drought, according to NHL.com. Gabe Perreault tied it at 18:47, with assists from Alexis Lafreniere and J.T. Miller.
The second period decided it. Oliver Bjorkstrand put New York ahead on its first power play at 8:21, again set up by Miller. Gawdin made it 3-1 at 13:00 for his first NHL goal, Lafreniere scored at 15:14, and Gawdin made it 5-1 at 16:10 when a Vladislav Gavrikov point shot went in off him. That was four goals in under eight minutes.
Vancouver coach Manny Malhotra described the period as a "string of turnover after turnover after turnover," per NHL.com. Pettersson said the Canucks "started good this game, and we've got to follow up in the second period."
Neither team scored in the third. Dylan Garand made 27 saves for the Rangers. Leevi Merilainen stopped 25 for Vancouver.
Gawdin's night
It was Gawdin's 15th NHL game, and NHL.com notes he became the third-oldest Rangers player to score his first NHL goal. "You just got to get lucky sometimes," he said. Forever Blueshirts reported he was only in his second game with the Rangers.
Garand, a Victoria native, also played in front of a home-province crowd. Miller, a longtime Canuck, picked up two assists in his former building.
What it means
The Rangers are 12-8-1 and have won five of six. Coach Mike Sullivan summed up the trip simply: "It's a great trip." Filip Chytil returned from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury. New York returns home Monday to face Montreal.
For Vancouver, there is little to hold onto. The Canucks are 3-17-1, have lost seven straight and are 1-16-1 in their last 18, according to NHL.com. One bright spot was Brock Boeser, who assisted on Pettersson's goal to reach 500 career points in his 650th game, the eighth player in franchise history to do it. "It doesn't stop there," Boeser said. "Got to keep going, continue to be a leader."