Ryan McDonagh’s goal with two seconds left in overtime gave the Rangers a 3-2 win in Calgary on Thursday.
On the game-winning goal, Brandon Dubinsky kept the puck in the Flames’ zone in the final seconds and left it for Dan Girardi at the point. As Ryan Callahan screened Calgary goaltender Henrik Karlsson, Girardi shot wide of the net, but the puck bounced off the boards behind the goal and to the stick of McDonagh. He wristed the puck into a mostly uncovered goal just before the horn was about to sound.
“I knew there wasn’t a lot of time left, so I just tried to drill it home,” McDonagh said on the MSG Network broadcast after the game.
The Rangers had to kill a Calgary penalty in the final minutes of regulation when Jeff Woywitka, their new defenseman, inadvertently cleared the puck over the glass, resulting in a penalty for delay of game.
Before overtime, the Rangers and Flames scored all their goals in the first period. Marian Gaborik scored his fourth goal of the season to open the scoring. After Jarome Iginla, the Flames’ captain, tied the score, Brandon Prust gave New York a 2-1 lead at 13 minutes 42 seconds of the period.
Henrik Lundqvist showed some rare public frustration with a teammate after Mark Giordano scored on a snap shot soon after Prust’s goal. Just before Giordano prepared to shoot, McDonagh screened his goalie. Lundqvist was late to react on a shot he could not see. Although he was upset after the goal, Lundqvist did not allow Calgary to score for the remainder of regulation. He made 33 saves in the game’s 65 minutes.
The game was a return for Tim Erixon, the Flames’ first-round pick who declined to sign with Calgary, forcing a trade to the Rangers. Playing his fifth N.H.L. game Thursday, the 20-year-old defenseman was confronted by the Calgary news media after the Rangers’ morning workout about why he slighted the franchise.
“I had nothing against Calgary,” Erixon said. “I love the organization, and it’s a great city. Everybody was good to me. It was never about the money. There were just some small issues, and it’s in the past now.”
Asked to detail the issues, he declined to provide further details. “I really don’t think I have to explain myself,” he said. While he was booed by Calgary fans every time he carried the puck, Erixon played well in the game, especially during a pair of shifts in overtime.
While Comeau Sits Again, Isles Lose at Tampa Bay
The Islanders lost to Tampa Bay, 4-1, on Thursday, failing to sustain an offensive attack after dominating the Lightning in a victory in New York a week earlier.
“We didn’t skate in the first period,” Islanders Coach Jack Capuano said after the game. Tampa Bay “set the tone right away. Our line combinations, for whatever reason, couldn’t generate any offense. We weren’t able to establish our forecheck. They had more zone time than we did tonight.”
Although John Tavares created some scoring chances, the Islanders’ first line was held scoreless after dominating performances in the team’s last two games — wins over Tampa Bay and the Rangers. The Islanders’ only goal, by Michael Grabner, came in the third period after they were trailing, 3-0.
Asked about the possibility of altering some of his forward lines, Capuano said: “Yeah, I think there’s a good chance of that happening. Some guys deserve more of an opportunity. But there’s nothing to panic about yet.
The Islanders have a minor lineup controversy. The last two games, the team has scratched Blake Comeau, a third-line wing who scored 24 goals last season. In an early-season stretch in which the Islanders have received little offense outside of their first line, the benching of Comeau is suspicious.
Capuano’s non-responses to requests for an explanation have not clarified the Comeau matter. The coach has said his lineup decision is between him and the player, but Comeau said he has not received an explanation. Capuano is so mum on the issue, he has declined to even rule out that Comeau is being disciplined for an off-ice matter. All the secrecy has done is throw mud on Comeau and limit his trade value. With a surplus of skilled forwards, General Manager Garth Snow could make a move to fill his team’s biggest need, a regular shift defenseman.
The Islanders and Comeau agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract this summer before a scheduled arbitration hearing. As Comeau sat in the press box in Tampa Bay, Capuano played the enforcer Trevor Gillies for a total of 3 minutes 14 seconds. If the coaching staff plays him, the Islanders can probably count on an angry and motivated Comeau when they visit the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
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