Rangers Beat Stars 3-1 After Shesterkin's 41-Save Performance – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers (16-15-1) defeated the Dallas Stars (19-13-0) on Friday night 3-1, behind a two-goal first half and a 41-save game by Igor Shesterkin. Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck scored the opening and lead for the Rangers, and Chris Kreider hit an empty net late to seal it. This was just what the doctor ordered for Rangers, as this was only their second win in the last seven games.

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For Dallas, this game had no chance. The Stars went 0-for-7 with the man advantage, including a game-high five minutes into the third, and goaltender Jake Oettinger kept them in the game with 28 saves. In the end, they couldn't solve Shesterkin.

Recap of the game

Friday night started with a bang as both teams scored in the first 90 seconds. Both goals were successfully challenged for offside and did not count. Shortly after Dallas' goal was disallowed, Roope Hintz officially opened the scoring at 1:46 of the first period, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead. Shesterkin dropped a juicy rebound into the gap, where Hintz was waiting, scoring his 14th goal of the season.

Smith tied the game for the Rangers at 10:44 with a shorthanded goal as Dallas' powerplay expired. Five minutes later, Trocheck scored the game-winning goal, giving New York a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

While the Stars had plenty of opportunities to tie the game in the third, it was the second half where the game started. Despite having two power plays, and outscoring the Rangers 18-11, Dallas had three penalties of their own making it difficult to find their game.

The Rangers had four penalties in the third, including one in five minutes after Matt Rempe elbowed Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen in the head. Shesterkin stopped all nine power-play shots in the period, and 15 total in the third. Chris Kreider scored an empty-net goal at 17:54 to seal the win for New York.

The Stars are wrapping up a six-game homestand with a 3-3-0 record, and will be in Utah to face the Hockey Club on Monday. The Rangers snap a four-game losing streak and host the Carolina Hurricanes at MSG on Sunday.