Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt scored on special teams 87 seconds apart in the second period as the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 4-0 on Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J.
Meier’s power-play goal and Bratt’s short-handed marker gave the Devils (41-29-7, 89 points) their third win over the Rangers in four matchups this season. New Jersey won its third straight and for the fourth time in five games.
Meier added his second goal of the contest with 4:59 remaining to effectively seal matters for the Devils. Nico Hischier scored an empty-net goal with 3:48 left after setting up New Jersey’s first two tallies.
Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves, including four on New York’s first power play in the second period shortly before the Devils went ahead. Markstrom notched his fourth shutout this season and second over the Rangers.
The Rangers (36-33-7, 79 points) were denied their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 14-19. New York failed to win three straight for the eighth time since mid-November and its path to the postseason may become murkier.
The Rangers began the day trailing the Montreal Canadiens by two points for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal is playing a back-to-back set this weekend against the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators before New York hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
New York’s Igor Shesterkin stopped 12 shots as the Rangers were blanked for the second time by New Jersey.
Four seconds into an interference penalty on the Rangers’ Sam Carrick, the Devils took the lead with 9:04 left.
Hischier won an offensive zone faceoff from Vincent Trocheck and sent the puck to Luke Hughes. Hughes quickly moved it to the right circle for Meier, who blasted a one-timer over Shesterkin before J.T. Miller could get in position to block the shot.
The Devils scored again following a blocked shot by Brenden Dillon. After Dillon blocked a shot by Artemi Panarin, the puck caromed to the right corner and New York’s Chris Kreider tried to get the puck to a teammate behind the net.
Instead, Dillon beat Panarin and Miller to the loose puck and found Bratt just below the blue line in the defensive zone. Bratt made a quick pass to Hischier and was uncovered along the left side for the return feed which he easily lifted over Shesterkin with 7:37 remaining.
After Meier jammed in a loose puck, Markstrom made two pad stops on Will Cuylle before Hischier finished it off shortly after Shesterkin was pulled for the extra attacker.
–Field Level Media
