Minus two top-6 forwards, the NHL’s best offence kept rolling.
Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller each scored twice, and Mats Zuccarello added a goal and two assists Tuesday as the New York Rangers embarrassed the Vancouver Canucks 7-2.
The Rangers, who were without Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich because of injury, now sit at 72 goals on the season through 17 games — 15 more than the next closest club.
“We have a good team and we’re playing the right way,” said Miller. “It’s surprising scoring at the rate we’re scoring at right now, but we’ve got every line chipping in and that’s one of the hardest things to stop.”
Nick Holden, with a goal and an assist, and Brandon Pirri also scored for New York (13-4-0), which has won three straight and eight of its last nine. Mika Zibanejad, Jesper Fast and Kevin Klein each added two assists for a roster that already has 13 players in double digits for points.
The Rangers also own a plus-34 goal differential, 16 more than second-place Montreal.
“We just know sooner or later good things are going to happen,” said New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who finished with 36 saves. “Someone is going to make a big play.”
On the other side, Brandon Sutter and Markus Granlund replied for Vancouver (6-10-1), Lucas Sbisa picked up two assists, and Jacob Markstrom allowed all seven goals on 25 shots.
“Our guys were focused,” said Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins. “It wasn’t like we gave up.”
Desjardins has been under increasing pressure with the team faltering and was asked directly after the game if he felt his job was in jeopardy.
“I really don’t worry about it. The thing that bothers me is losing,” he said. “(Being fired), I don’t think about. That part I can’t control. The only thing I can control is how we play.”
The Rangers, who picked up back-to-back road wins against Calgary and Edmonton over the weekend, led 1-0 after the first period, and stretched their advantage at 9:08 of second with Hayes’ seventh of the season on a slapshot that beat Markstrom shortside.
New York then made it 3-0 on the power play at 14:38 when Pirri banged home his fifth off Zibanejad’s rebound.
Vancouver finally got on the board with 40.1 left in the period when Sutter threw a puck on net that found its way past Lundqvist with Henrik Sedin right in front for his third.
The Canucks came in having won two of three following Saturday’s 5-4 overtime victory against Dallas after dropping nine straight (0-8-1), and had a number of chances after Hayes put New York up by two, including a power play that had lots of possession and pressure, but failed to register a shot.
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Vancouver’s Michael Chaput, playing in just his fifth NHL game, had a great opportunity before Pirri made it 3-0, but Lundqvist did well to get a blocker on the rookie forward’s effort.
After Sutter got the Canucks to 3-1 through 40 minutes, New York put the game away early in the third when Hayes scored on a breakaway for his eighth at 1:49, and Miller also popped his second of the night and seventh of the year off a pass from Zuccarello just 42 seconds later.
“It’s happened a few times where we’re a goal or two down going into the third and we give up a goal right away and the game’s over,” said Henrik Sedin, who along with brother Daniel are the only two Vancouver players in double digits for points. “We took some chances early on (in the third) and it cost us.”
Granlund batted his fifth out of the air at 13:26 to get the Canucks to within three, but Zuccarello made it 6-2 with his seventh at 15:02 before Holden buried his second on a power play at 18:04 to round out the scoring.
“As a goalie I’ve got to make some timely saves,” said Markstrom. “I did not do that tonight.”
Vancouver defeated New York 5-3 in Manhattan on Nov. 8, a victory that snapped that ugly nine-game losing streak and represented the club’s only points on a six-game road trip.
Miller, who had two great chances early, opened the scoring with 1:18 left in the first on a slick deflection between his own legs, off Sbisa and through Markstrom’s five-hole.
The Canucks carried the play for most of the opening 20 minutes and held a 17-10 edge in shots, but failed to capitalize on two power plays and a couple of other close calls around Lundqvist’s net before Miller’s opener.
“The big thing is when guys are getting an opportunity, they are seeing net, they are not seeing a goalie,” said Lundqvist. “That’s huge to be able to score when you are under pressure for a while and you get an opportunity and you make them pay. That gives you a lot of confidence.
“In the end you could see it was one team with a lot of confidence and one team looking for a little bit more.”
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