Takeaways: NY Rangers extend hitting streak to six games with come-from-behind win over Utah

Being down on the scoreboard heading into the third period has been a season-long nightmare for the Blueshirts.

Until Thursday evening.

After 18 unsuccessful previous attempts (0-17-1) this season, the Rangers (21-20-3, 45 points) finally won their first game after 40 minutes behind with a 5-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club (18-19 -7, 43 points).

The last time the Blueshirts trailed in the final 20 minutes of action and won was memorable.

Down 3-1 in game six of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, Chris Kreider scored a hat trick in less than 10 minutes to power the Rangers to a 5-3 victory and, more remarkably, a berth in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.

The Blueshirts still have a lot of work to do if they plan to get back to that point last May, but tonight was a promising result after being down and outscored 23-14 heading into the second break.

With Thursday’s win, the Rangers have now recorded at least one point in each of their last six games (4-0-2) and have collected 10 of a possible 12 points since a 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Jan. 4. .

The win also means they leapfrog the vacant Penguins (44 points) and are now four points behind the Bruins (49 points) for the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Special teams goals lead to strong performance in the third period

Entering the third period trailing 3-2 and starting on the penalty kill, it looked like Utah would add to its lead on the man advantage and be the turning point it would need to take a two-goal lead and secure two point.

Yet the complete opposite happened.

Only 28 seconds into the final frame, Reilly Smith’s shot deflected off Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev’s stick and found the back of the net to tie the game, bringing the Rangers back to life after two tough periods.

After Smith’s tying goal, momentum began to go the way of the Rangers, who limited the Utah Hockey Club to just five shots on goal over the final 15 minutes of action, including Utah going nearly 11 minutes without a puck on net during that stretch.

Despite the Rangers finishing 0-for-3 on the power play, momentum off it led directly to Chris Kreider scoring match-winning goal just off a faceoff win in the offensive zone on a snap that found its way past Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka less than 30 seconds after their final man advantage expired.

Artemi Panarin’s empty netter and second goal of the night sealed the deal for the Blueshirts’ victory in their first ever game at the Delta Center.

Arthur Kaliyev scores first goal with Rangers

Late in the first period, Kaliyev found a loose puck in front of the net and slid it by Vejmelka to tie the game at 2-2 in an action-packed first period.

The goal was Kaliyev’s first point with the Rangers and his first in nearly 10 months, the last time he did it with Los Angeles last year on March 28 against the Edmonton Oilers.

The former 2019 second-round pick was claimed off waivers from the Kings on Jan. 6.

In his short time on the ice with the Rangers, Kaliyev has slotted into the third line alongside Chris Kreider on his opposite wing and Filip Chytil in the middle.

Before joining the Blueshirts, the 23-year-old forward had recorded 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists) in 191 games with the Kings. His debut was delayed until 2025 after he broke his collarbone in training camp.

Matt Rempe sat on the bench

To try to get more offensive spark, head coach Peter Laviolette made the decision to bench Rempe midway through the second period.

Forward Will Cuylle replaced the 6-foot-7, 241-pound Rempe on the fourth line during that stretch and saw his ice time increase from 1:28 p.m. on ice (TOI) Tuesday against the Avalanche to 4:18 p.m. TOI in the win over Utah thanks to a double shift after taking Rempe’s place in the lineup.

Rempe saw just 5:33 TOI Thursday night at Utah, his fourth-lowest total of the regular season.

This comes after he logged 6:32 TOI against the Golden Knights on Jan. 11 and 7:47 TOI against the Devils on Jan. 9 as he returned from the eight-game suspension he served after boarding Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen in December. 20.

Given the Rangers place in the standings and now past the halfway mark of the regular season, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if the Blueshirts continue to limit Rempe’s ice time or, like Cuylle tonight, double-shift players if the team is behind and the offense needs a boost.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rangers earn points in sixth straight game with win over Utah