Associated Press
Derek Stepan scored 22 seconds into overtime, and the Rangers overcame a late tying goal by Columbus and one disallowed on their side in a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets on Sunday night.
Stepan took a pass from Michael Del Zotto, who faked a shot, and scored into a wide-open left side of the net.
Columbus captain Rick Nash got the Blue Jackets even at 2-2 with 1:33 left in regulation.
Artem Anisimov snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period for the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers, who got back to their winning ways following a 4-2 loss at home to Chicago on Thursday. The Blueshirts (38-14-5) have won five of six and nine of 12 (9-2-1), and lead second-place Boston by nine points.
Brad Richards gave the Rangers a first-period lead, and Derick Brassard tied it in the second. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots to earn the victory after taking a day off against Chicago. Steve Mason made 32 saves for Columbus (17-35-7).
Anisimov used a fortuitous bounce to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 6:47 left in the second. Dan Girardi fired a shot from the right point that sailed high and wide of the net and slammed off the end boards. While Mason scrambled to locate the puck, it kicked back out front to Anisimov, who scored his 11th of the season from just in front of the left post.
Columbus escaped danger in the final second of the second when the Rangers appeared to stretch the lead to 3-1. Del Zotto fired in a shot as the buzzer sounded. The officials huddled around the scorer's table as a video review ensued in Toronto. Unofficial TV replays showed that the puck entered the net with 0:00.1 seconds left.
• COMMENT ON BLUESHIRTS UNITED | PHOTO GALLERY
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STATS OF THE GAME
The Blueshirts' 19-7-2 (40 pts) mark at Madison Square Garden is their best start at home through 28 games since 1995-96 (19-3-6, 44 pts). The Rangers’ .711 winning percentage through 57 games is the team’s best start in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 38-14-5 record (.711 winning percentage), and is tied as the second best start in franchise history.
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| (selected by the local media) |
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| 1. Callahan |
2. Anisimov |
3. Stepan |
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[29-46-7]
[51-24-7]