Rangers Rebound With 5-2 Win Over Devils at MSG

Head coach Alain Vigneault called Saturday's tilt with the Devils at The Garden a "big game," and after he felt his team responded with a big effort in topping New Jersey, 5-2.
Mats Zuccarello scored twice and Jesper Fast added another as New York completed its four-game stretch against the Metropolitan Division with three wins, quickly erasing the memory of last night's loss in Washington.
"This is what we needed," said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 26 saves and earned his 419th win as a Ranger, passing Tony Esposito for the second-most wins with one franchise in NHL history. "That's the good part about this league: when you lose a game, you have not a lot of time to walk around and think about it. You just regroup and focus on the next one."

New York's depth continued to chip in offensively, beginning with Jimmy Vesey, who was slotted onto the team's fourth line alongside Boo Nieves and Paul Carey. Vesey fired a wrist shot stick side that beat Keith Kinkaid 6:14 into the game to put the Blueshirts up 1-0.

Fast doubled the lead midway through the second when Rick Nash found Fast alone in the slot. Fast beat Kinkaid for his third goal in as many games and sixth in his last eight contests.
"I've always thought of him as a hardworking, two-way hockey player," Vigneault said of Fast. "He's definitely one of our guys that plays the right way in all situations. He's a good example, and he never gives up on a play. He'll put his body on the line to get the job done. I'm hoping that that's going to rub off on a couple of other guys because he's a real good example."
New Jersey got on the board at 13:45 of the second when Damon Severson fired a slap shot over Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder, but New York responded just 2:18 later to regain the two-goal lead.
At the end of a penalty kill, Zuccarello stripped the puck from Severson at the Devils blueline and broke in for the breakaway tally with 3:57 remaining in the middle frame.

Zuccarello potted his second of the night off a feed from J.T. Miller 6:21 into the third that put the Rangers ahead, 4-1. New Jersey answered just 13 seconds later on a goal by Miles Wood.
Kevin Hayes added his sixth of the year with 8:01 remaining.
It may just be December, but Lundqvist and the Rangers know how crucial points are in a division that leaves little margin for error.
"There's no time to relax," said Lundqvist, who picked up his 36th career win against New Jersey. "You just have to keep going. The way the league is shaping up this year, it's going to be a tight race, and our division is so competitive that we have to continue to push ourselves here.
"It's been a good week," he added. "Obviously disappointing loss yesterday, but a big way to end the week here. We'll take a day off tomorrow and look forward to another test on Monday."