Rangers Top Bruins 5-2 Behind Power Play, Lundqvist

(via NYRangers Twitter)

NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry series was an original six matchup at Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins. It was a game the Rangers desperately needed to win to put some space between themselves and Pittsburgh in the race for a playoff spot.

From the outset, the Rangers certainly looked like the team that needed the game more. They got out of the gate early with two power play goals – one from Mats Zuccarello and one from Derek Stepan – and both goals were created thanks to awesome setups from Keith Yandle, the Rangers power play quarterback. The two power play goals mark the first time in the last 17 games that the Rangers have done that.

In the second period, Derick Brassard blasted a slap shot past Jonas Gustavsson to make it 3-0 and the Rangers never looked back from there. J.T. Miller would add his 20^th goal of the season in the third and then Rick Nash would finish it off with an empty netter to give the Rangers a 5-2 win.

However, the real story of this game was goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He made some spectacular saves, stopping 39 shots en route to his 33^rd win of the season.

With just eight games remaining in the regular season, the Rangers now hold a four-point lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division and are nine points clear of the last wild card spot for the Eastern Conference.

Next up is the Montreal Canadiens.  Tickets are available from TiqIQ.com with hotels in Montreal, as well as Montreal flights available from Hipmunk.  Hotel rates start at a very low $42.