It started out like any other Ranger game. The Rangers were turning over the puck and looked lackluster in their defensive zone. It ended as a narrow but refreshing 2-1 victory for the home Rangers at Madison Square Garden over the Boston Bruins.
The Ranger goaltender who got the start in place of an injured Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick made 32 saves en route to his 399th NHL victory.
Those saves included a triple save at 12:35 of the second period. Quick saved a tame backhander from Mark Kastelic, before he had to scramble and save a tough wrist shot by Justin Brazeau. After that shot, the rebound came out to John Beecher and Quick slid over and made the glove save for what was an incredible sequence.
OH MY JONATHAN QUICK 👀 pic.twitter.com/FoYEvSNkim
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 3, 2025
The Rangers needed a little luck to get started off on the right foot. The Bruins turned the puck over at their own blueline to Chris Kreider. Kreider passed over to Mika Zibanejad who took a quick wrist shot that was saved by Bruins goalie, Jeremy Swayman. Swayman left a rebound for Rangers winger Reilly Smith who slid the puck across the crease where it was stuffed home by Zibanejad at 9:48 of the first period. The goal was Zibanejad’s first in his last nine games.
First goal of 2025 for the Rangers? Mika Zibanejad 👀 pic.twitter.com/bRgBzLPOSW
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 3, 2025
The Broadway Blueshirts didn’t take their feet off the pedal after opening the scoring, either. Three minutes after the opening goal, the Rangers Brett Berard went into the Bruins zone on an odd man rush. The Ranger rookie looked off the pass and fired a wrist shot that beat Swayman over his left shoulder and the Rangers had a two-goal lead for the first time since Dec. 20.
What. A. Shot. pic.twitter.com/ewACjXn1tz
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 3, 2025
It took all the way until 7:57 of the second period for the visitors to answer. Elias Lindholm scored the goal, receiving an assist from David Pastrnak.
There were very few penalties as the only two taken all game came from K’Andre Miller at 3:41 of the second period for delay of game and David Pastrnak at 4:08 of the second period for high sticking Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
Despite the Bruins pulling their goaltender and putting pressure on the Rangers at the end of the game, the Rangers held on for a 2-1 victory which snapped their four-game losing streak.
Unsurprisingly, Jonathan Quick was named the first star of the game for his clutch performance ending the Rangers losing streak in a game where they were outshot 33-27. Berard was named second star of the game and Zibanejad, third star. Berard’s goal was his first at Madison Square Garden and his first in his last six games.
That was the first meeting of the 2024-25 season between these two Original Six clubs. The Rangers (last place in the Metropolitan Division) take the ice next against the first-place team in the Metropolitan Division, the Washington Capitals on Jan. 4 at 12 p.m.
