Rangers at Utah Hockey Club | Recap

SALT LAKE CITY -- The New York Rangers scored three goals in the third period to defeat the Utah Hockey Club 5-3 at Delta Center on Thursday.

Artemi Panarin scored twice, and Sam Carrick had two assists for the Rangers (21-20-3), who extended their point streak to six games (4-0-2). Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves.

“What I really liked was the response in the second period and the third period,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said. “Especially the third period, just going out there and fighting for a win. It showed a lot of character and a lot of heart by the guys.”

Matias Maccelli scored twice, and Barrett Hayton had two assists for Utah (18-19-7), which has lost three in a row and is 1-4-0 on a seven-game homestand. Karel Vejmelka made 20 saves.

“I think we did a lot of good things to be honest. I think we were disappointed,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “I think we played hard. The way they scored their two goals in the third, those things will happen. But I think we deserved better today.”

NYR@UTA: Kreider sends it home off the face-off

Reilly Smith tied it 3-3 with a short-handed goal 28 seconds into the third period. He took a stretch pass from Braden Schneider and scored with a shot from the top of the left circle that went over the blocker of Vejmelka and in under the crossbar.

“You always want to pick up at least half the points on a road trip,” Smith said. “To be able to cap it off with coming back tonight and picking up an extra [two points] is important.”

Chris Kreider gave the Rangers their first lead, 4-3, at 10:22. Carrick won a face-off back to Kreider, who skated into the high slot and scored with a shot that deflected in off the stick of Utah defenseman Ian Cole.

Panarin then scored his second goal of the game into an empty net at 19:22 for the 5-3 final.

“[Smith], obviously, got an important goal, and then everyone battled like a team,” Panarin said. “It was a great road trip for us (2-0-1), but we'll be ready for the next game.”

Maccelli gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 1:01 of the first period. He got to the rebound of Hayton's shot below the left circle and scored past a sprawling Shesterkin from a sharp angle.

Panarin responded at 3:42 to tie it 1-1. He beat Vejmelka glove side from the left circle off a pass from Alexis Lafreniere, who intercepted a pass from Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev below the goal line.

NYR@UTA: Lafrenière steals and Panarin scores to tie it

Maccelli scored his second of the period to make it 2-1 at 8:12. He lifted the stick of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren and jammed in another rebound off a shot from Hayton.

Arthur Kaliyev tied it 2-2 at 16:25 of the first, knocking in a rebound that trickled behind Vejmelka. It was his first goal in four games with New York since being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 6.

“I think he's getting settled in a little bit. It was nice to see him score a goal,” Laviolette said. “I wasn't sure whether it was him or [Kreider], but he ended up tapping it in, and that was good for him. Sometimes getting a goal gives you a little bit of confidence, too, and you can run with that.”

Logan Cooley scored a power-play goal 57 seconds into the second period to put Utah back in front 3-2. He buried a shot five-hole from the right circle off a no-look pass from Clayton Keller.

“We are all trying to do the right things. We're trying to be selfless, do what's best for the team,” Cooley said. “But at the end of the day, it comes down to the result, and it's another loss. ... So, it's frustrating, but we've got to find a way out of this.”