DETROIT — The New York Rangers scored six goals, including four in a 2:57 span, in the third period of an 8-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday.
“Six goals in a period is obviously great, but I’m more happy that we played so well for 60 minutes,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “We played really good hockey for the first two periods, but the pucks didn’t start going in until the third.”
Mika Zibanejad scored twice, Adam Fox had a goal and three assists, and Barclay Goodrow had a goal and two assists for the Rangers (7-5-3), who had lost three straight (0-2-1). Igor Shesterkin made 18 saves.
“I’m not sure we changed anything in the third period,” Zibanejad said. “We had some really good chances that didn’t go in, but we didn’t get frustrated. We stayed focused, because we know if we keep playing that way we’ll score goals.”
Ville Husso made 25 saves for the Red Wings (7-4-3), who defeated the Rangers 3-2 in overtime at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
“If we’re not exactly at the top of our game, we’re not good enough,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “I don’t say that in a bad way. I think our guys know that. At the top of our game, we can play with anyone.”
Video: NYR@DET: Rangers score six goals in the 3rd period
Fox gave New York a 3-2 lead at 6:02 of the third period, scoring with a slap shot from the top of the right circle. Filip Chytil‘s centering pass deflected to him off the boards.
Goodrow made it 4-2 at 7:23 with a backhand in front.
“It was 2-2 and we were feeling good, and then they got one and it was the same story as Buffalo (8-3 loss on Oct. 31),” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “The puck kept going in. We shot ourselves in the foot with mistakes, and they capitalized on them.”
Zibanejad scored his second of the game on a rebound near the right post to make it 5-3 at 8:13.
Julien Gauthier scored 46 seconds later to extend it to 6-3 after Sammy Blais knocked down by a clearing attempt Lucas Raymond.
“I thought we started getting to the net, getting some rebounds and scoring some dirty goals,” Fox said. “When we do that and our forecheck starts causing turnovers, we play our best hockey.”
Libor Hajek put the Rangers ahead 7-2 at 12:47, scoring his first of the season when his shot from the left point deflected off the stick of the Red Wings forward. Michael Rasmussen.
Jimmy Vesey scored on a short-handed breakaway at 16:31 for the 8-2 final.
“Guys like [Hajek] and [Vesey] do the hard work every night that doesn’t make the highlights,” Zibanejad said. “That’s why we were so happy on the bench when they got rewarded, we know how important they are every night.”
Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 15:40 of the first period, beating Husso with a one-timer from the top of the right circle. The goal was Zibanejad’s eighth of the season but first at 5-on-5.
Video: NYR@DET: Zibanejad scores opening goal in the 1st
Joe Veleno tied it 1-1 at 18:46, scoring blocker side off a pass from Jonatan Berggren on a 3-on-2 rush. Berggren was making his NHL debut.
Raymond gave Detroit a 2-1 lead at 7:33 of the second period, but Chris Kreider tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 10:59.
NOTES: The Rangers are the eighth team in NHL history to win by at least six goals after being tied after two periods. The last was the Los Angeles Kings, who also did it in Detroit in a 9-3 win on March 29, 1993. … The Red Wings have allowed at least eight goals six times in the past two seasons. No other team has done it more than three times.
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