Zibanejad goal helps Rangers defeat Devils

NEW YORK -- Mika Zibanejad ended a 30-game streak without a 5-on-5 goal, and the New York Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Zibanejad hadn't scored a 5-on-5 goal since Dec. 23 against the Buffalo Sabres. He had six goals in the 30-game stretch; three on the power play, two short-handed and one in overtime.

"When we're winning it takes off some of that pressure," Zibanejad said, "but when the puck hasn't gone in for a while it's nice to see one go in."

Erik Gustafsson and Vincent Trocheck also scored, and Jonathan Quick made 19 saves for the Rangers (42-18-4), who have won their past two games to stay four points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 18 games to play.

They play the Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday.

"There's another big game coming up tomorrow against Carolina, a team that we're battling for that spot," Zibanejad said. "It's going to be a tough game and a good challenge."

The Rangers are 3-0-0 against the Devils this season. They play for the final time at the Garden on April 3.

Kaapo Kahkonen made 23 saves in his Devils debut. He was acquired in a trade from the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

"Good to get the first one out of the way, obviously, but tough to not come up with the two points," Kahkonen said.

New Jersey (31-30-4) has lost two in a row and five of six. The Devils are six points out of a Stanley Cup Playoff spot with 17 games to play.

"I thought we came up light a little bit in a couple areas, little loose puck battles," Devils coach Travis Green said. "A lot of nights those little battles determine the game. Obviously, our power play needs to get us one and we didn't convert on some really good chances where we had some good looks or even backdoor plays that didn't connect that we're capable of. It was a tough loss against a good team."

Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 12:25 of the second period.

Zac Jones sent the puck down the ice and Jack Roslovic chipped it into the zone before going into the right corner on the forecheck against Jonas Siegenthaler.

The forecheck allowed the puck to come free to Curtis Lazar, but he gave it away to Chris Kreider behind the net. Kreider found Zibanejad in front. With the puck on his backhand, he carried it across the slot, around John Marino, and scored with a shot under Kahkonen's blocker.

Zibanejad glided backward into the left corner boards and glass, took a deep breath, a sigh of relief and smiled as his teammates came over to celebrate his 20th goal of the season.

"I think my face said it all," Zibanejad said.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said the forecheck from Roslovic is an example of the speed he has brought to the Rangers in the two games he's played since they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

He said the same about Alex Wennberg, who has played his first two games since being traded from the Seattle Kraken as the center on the third line between Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.

"They bring a lot of speed and they hang onto pucks and they look to make plays," Laviolette said. "They can put it behind them and go to work or they can attack off the rush, which they've done as well. They're noticeable and I think they've had positive impacts on their lines."

Gustafsson made it 2-0 at 19:08 of the second with a wrist shot through traffic.

Matt Rempe, who won the face-off in the right circle of the offensive zone, screened Kahkonen in front as Gustafsson's shot went over the goalie's glove.

Twenty-two seconds later, Rempe was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing Siegenthaler in the chin, giving the Devils a five-minute power play.

The Rangers killed it off allowing the Devils two shots on goal.

"I like that we kept our shifts really short and that way when it did come time with areas we could pressure we had the gas in the tank to do it," Laviolette said. "We just kept moving things quick and because of that it was just a lot of pressure, and they weren't able to set up and generate much."

Green said the Devils were not connected and couldn't get organized on the power play.

"This late in the season it's hard 5-on-5 to score goals and obviously you need your power play to step up in those times, especially late in the game," Devils forward Jesper Bratt said. "We just need our power play to honestly be better there. We could have made a difference for the team and we did not. Frustrating."

Siegenthaler left the game after the hit and did not return. Green said he did not have an update on Siegenthaler other than "he's not doing great, obviously."

Nemec gave the Devils a chance with a 6-on-5 goal on a wrist shot through traffic at 17:26 of the third period to make it 2-1. Kahkonen had just come off the ice seconds earlier.

Trocheck scored an empty-net goal at 18:47 for the 3-1 final.

NOTES: Quick got his 389th NHL win, tying Dominik Hasek for 16th all-time and moving within two of Ryan Miller for most by a United States-born goalie. …Zibanejad became the fifth player in Rangers history with seven consecutive 20-goal seasons, joining Jean Ratelle (eight), Rod Gilbert (seven), Vic Hadfield (seven) and Andy Bathgate (seven).