Music: {allcanada} Kreider hat trick lifts Rangers past Canucks, Tortorella

Saturday, November 30, 2013

{allcanada} Kreider hat trick lifts Rangers past Canucks, Tortorella

Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas - The Play

NEW YORK -- John Tortorella admitted earlier in the day that all he wanted to do in his return to New York was win and "get out of here." But it was Alain Vigneault who savored a big win against his former club Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

With each coach pitted against the club he led last season, Chris Kreider scored three goals, Cam Talbot made 35 saves in his first career start at MSG, and the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouer Canucks 5-2. Rick Nash added a goal and two assists, and Michael Del Zotto scored for the Rangers.

David Booth and Daniel Sedin scored for Vancouver (13-10-5), who got 12 saves in relief from Eddie Lack. Roberto Luongo made seven saves before being pulled in the second period.

Playing on a new line with Derek Stepan and Nash, Kreider opened the scoring with 7:23 remaining in the first period after being sent in on Luongo with a pass from the blue line by Nash. Kreider snapped the puck past Luongo's blocker for his fourth of the season to give New York a 1-0 lead.

Kreider doubled New York's lead 4:17 later with Zack Kassian in the penalty box for delay of game. Ryan McDonagh's shot from the right faceoff circle was redirected by the Boston College product past Luongo for his second of the game.

Kreider completed his first NHL hat trick with 10:22 remaining in the game when he deflected Anton Stralman's wrist shot from the point past Lack.

Though Talbot he wasn't tested often by high-percentage shots, he came up with some big saves when it counted. In a sequence that began with 9:16 remaining in the first, Talbot stopped Alexandre Burrows in front of the net before making a toe save off a spinning shot from Kevin Bieksa five seconds later. The 26-year-old then perfectly played an odd-man rush in which Daniel Sedin fed brother Henrik for a scoring chance with 8:50 remaining.

Those big saves appeared to spark the Rangers (14-13-0), who opened the scoring 87 seconds after Talbot's stop on the Sedins.

Nash expanded the Rangers lead 17 seconds into the second. After Dan Girardi's point shot was blocked by Daniel Sedin, Stepan found the puck in the slot and fired toward the net, where Nash got a piece of the puck for his fourth of the season. The 3-0 lead gave Nash a goal in three straight games and spelled the end for Luongo, who was replaced by Lack after allowing three goals on 10 shots.

Del Zotto, a healthy scratch in five of the Rangers' previous eight games, scored on the power play as Christopher Tanev sat for holding. Following some quick passing between Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello, Del Zotto was left alone with the puck at the point. His blast beat Lack for his second of the season, giving New York a 4-0 lead 11:04 into the second period despite being outshot 19-15 to that point.

David Booth replied for Vancouver with 4:10 remaining in the second. The wing was streaking toward the net from the left side when Mike Santorelli found him with a one-touch pass before Booth went to the backhand to beat Talbot between the legs for his third of the season.

Talbot's best save of the third came when Chris Higgins sped down the left wing with 12:42 remaining. The Long Island native fired a quick shot, but Talbot batted the puck away with his glove.

Daniel Sedin scored with 2:35 remaining and Kreider off for roughing.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas