New York, NY (Sports Network) - Mats Zuccarello netted the deciding goal in the shootout as the New York Rangers nipped Los Angeles, 4-3, at Madison Square Garden. Zuccarello began the second round with a wrister past Jonathan Bernier to give New York its second score in as many tries. Jarrett Stoll then tallied to keep the Kings alive, and though Bernier poke-checked away Wojtek Wolski's chance to start the third round, Henrik Lundqvist knocked down Anze Kopitar's shot to end the game.
Marian Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan tallied in regulation for the Rangers, who have won two in a row after losing six straight. "We know they weren't going to give up or let up. That's a good team over there. They work hard," Callahan said of the Kings. It was really tough to get through the neutral zone and I thought we really struggled with that early on, getting pucks deep. We kept at it and kept with the game plan and it paid off in the end."
Lundqvist earned his 200th career victory by stopping 25 shots. "It's a great feeling to reach that. It's a milestone for me. I'm happy I've been able to be here for almost six years now. I just hope I get the opportunity to stay here and get another 200," Lundqvist said of his achievement. Dustin Brown scored twice and Matt Greene once for the Kings, whose three-game win streak ended. Bernier allowed three goals on 37 shots for the loss.
LA took a 1-0 lead at 5:25 of the first period when Brown's turnaround shot in the slot on a power play beat Lundqvist under the blocker. New York tied the game at 4:01 of the second period as Callahan potted a Derek Stepan rebound in front. The Rangers went up 2-1 when Gaborik whipped a shot under the crossbar from the right circle at the 6:10 mark of the third period, but Greene's one-timer from the right wing tied it at 7:50.
The home team went ahead by a 3-2 count with 3:08 left in regulation when Dubinsky followed up an errant Callahan shot, turned around the far post and banked the puck off Bernier's glove and in. Los Angeles equalized just 47 seconds later when Brown banked the disc off Lundqvist from behind the goal line. The Rangers began overtime with a four-minute power play but took a penalty that wiped out the advantage less than two minutes later.
Lundqvist's career mark stands at 200-128-48 in 383 games (377 starts) since entering the league with the Rangers in 2005...The Rangers have won three of the last four meetings with the Kings since December, 2008...New York plays in New Jersey on Friday, while Los Angeles continues its 10-game sojourn at Uniondale on Saturday.
For more news and information on tonight's game, be sure to read Jewels From The Crown.