Jesper Fast Nets Game-Winning Goal To Give Rangers 2-1 Win Over Bruins

Following a terrible second quarter of the season, the New York Rangers are slowly beginning to regain traction. They defeated the Western Conference leaders, the Dallas Stars, on Tuesday, and rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to take the lead against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals before losing in overtime on Saturday.

On Monday night, the Rangers secured yet another win after Jesper Fast scored on a deflection in front with 1:42 left in the game for a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

The Rangers have had quite a volatile season. After opening the season 16-3-2, they went 3-9-2 before going 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

“The last four or five games we’ve started playing like ourselves,” said Derick Brassard, who scored early in the third period to tie the game. “Even if we are down in the score, we see those signs that we can come back. It shows a lot of character. The difference in the third period tonight was our will, and we found a way to win the game.”

The game marked the first time this season that the Rangers overcame a deficit at the start of the third period and won in regulation. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist had 32 saves. This was Lundqvist’s ninth consecutive start, and he became the first Rangers goalie to record 20,000 career saves.

Jimmy Hayes scored the Bruins’ only goal at 9:04 of the second period with a 40-shot snap shot to the corner of the net to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Early in the third period, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault made a big move by putting in Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash on the same line. Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh then worked the puck down the left boards and pushed it over to Zuccarello. He then skated toward the net and flipped the puck to the crease past Rask and defenseman Torey Krug to a wide-open Brassard, who scored his 15th goal.

“We have to learn to win tight games,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “Need more desperation at the end. We were good for the first 40 minutes. The third period just wasn’t as good.”

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had 28 saves. The Bruins are now 21-15-5 this season, while the Rangers are 23-14-5.  

PHOTO: NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 11: Max Talbot #25 of the Boston Bruins checks Jesper Fast #19 of the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 11, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)