National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
NY Rangers 5, Minnesota 4
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, October 27, 2014
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Referees: Frederic L'Ecuyer, Gord Dwyer
Linesmen: Mike Cvik, John Grandt
Attendance: 18006

Rangers 5, Wild 4: Mats Zuccarello scored the go-ahead goal with 3:11 remaining after Anthony Duclair tied the contest 37 seconds earlier with his first career tally as host New York erupted for five third-period goals to stun Minnesota.

Derick Brassard matched Zuccarello with a goal and two assists while red-hot Rick Nash and defenseman Kevin Klein both added one of each for the Rangers, who trailed 3-0 after two periods and 4-2 with just under 14 1/2 minutes to play. Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves for New York, which staged the dramatic comeback despite losing Chris Kreider and blue-liner John Moore to ejections.

Matt Cooke notched a goal and an assist while defenseman Nate Prosser, Jason Pominville and Jason Zucker also tallied for the Wild, who had surrendered only six goals in their first six games before the third-period collapse. Darcy Kuemper, bidding for his fourth shutout of the season, finished with 15 saves as Minnesota failed on all four of its power-play chances to fall to 0-for-24 on the season.

Prosser tipped home the opening goal 5 1/2 minutes into the second, Justin Fontaine set up Cooke all alone in front 55 seconds later and Pominville capped the second-period blitz with a shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Lundqvist low to the far corner of the net. New York came to life early in the third as Klein drove a slap shot through a screen and Nash tallied his ninth goal in nine games 1:56 later, backhanding a rebound past Kuemper.

Zucker responded 47 seconds later, deflecting a shot past Lundqvist at 5:35, but Brassard buried the rebound after Carl Hagelin rang one off the crossbar at 7:54. Duclair knotted it with 3:48 remaining and Zuccarello beat Kuemper with a snap shot from the right wing for the game-winner. It marked the first time the Rangers erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period to win since Dec. 27, 1992.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Moore was tossed when he elbowed Minnesota's Erik Haula in the head after the center unleashed a shot, a hit eerily similar to one that earned Moore a two-game suspension for elbowing Montreal's Dale Weise in last season's Eastern Conference final. ... Minnesota LW Zach Parise took an inadvertent stick to the face from Rangers D Marc Staal early in the second period and went to the locker room to receive stitches above his lip. ... Kreider received a boarding penalty and game misconduct when he plowed into Wild D Jonas Brodin from behind Minnesota's end line and sent him head-first into the boards. Brodin returned in the second period.
Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   NY Rangers
Matt Cooke 2 Points Derick Brassard 3
Matt Cooke 1 Goals Derick Brassard 1
Justin Fontaine 2 Assists Derick Brassard 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Darcy Kuemper .750 Save Percentage Henrik Lundqvist .867
Darcy Kuemper 15 Saves Henrik Lundqvist 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Minnesota 30 4 0-4 1-1 2 17
NY Rangers 20 5 0-1 4-4 29 30
Upcoming Games
  • NY Rangers will play their next game at home against Winnipeg. The Rangers have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .600 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Wild have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .500 after a loss.