Rangers settle for a point after Artemi Panarin nets a late goal to force OT, but Avalanche survive in the extra period
The grit and determination the Rangers displayed on Saturday afternoon embodies what the team has been chasing all season, even if the scoreboard only reflected one point. A resilient, hard-fought 60 minutes kept the Blueshirts in it, pushing the leaders of the league to overtime before Nathan MacKinnon struck 2:46 into the extra session to give Colorado a 3-2 win at Madison Square Garden.
With under 41 seconds left in regulation and an extra skater on the ice, Panarin snapped home his 10th goal of the season from the top of the zone to secure at least a point for New York.
The Rangers started strong against a Colorado squad riding a long streak, aiming to snap the Avalanche’s 17-game point run. They outshot the visitors in the first period and hit the post twice during their initial power play, signaling early danger.
Colorado gained momentum in the second period, tilting the ice and narrowing the shot gap, but neither team could light the lamp in the opening 20 minutes. The period heavily belonged to the Avalanche, with Igor Shesterkin turning away 12 shots on the day for a 38-save performance overall, while Colorado controlled much of the play.
Parker Kelly opened the scoring for Colorado with a tip-in at 7:06 of the second, converting a Sam Malinski shot to make it 1-0. Shesterkin stood tall amidst a wave of trouble after the goal.
Even though the middle frame was tilted toward Colorado, the Rangers remained within striking distance.
In the third period, Conor Sheary tallied his first goal as a Ranger, tying the game at 1-1 just under 4:30 into the final frame. He split two Avalanche defenders with a pass from Vincent Trocheck, driving in and roofing a shot past Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to even the score.
The game would head to overtime where MacKinnon sealed the win for Colorado with the sudden-death marker just under the three-minute mark, sending the Avalanche home with the extra point.
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