RANGERS OVERPOWER BRUINS IN BOSTON, 5-2

RANGERS ON DEMAND
Anisimov's Highlight-Reel Goal	Watch

• PHOTO GALLERY
• Five Players Assigned to Hartford
• Dubinsky Rejoins Rangers

By Jim Cerny, newyorkrangers.com

Saturday was a very good day for the Rangers. First, Brandon Dubinsky ended his week-long holdout and agreed to terms on a new contract with the club. Then the Rangers went out and won their first preseason game, defeating the Boston Bruins 5-2 at TD Banknorth Garden.

Dubinsky, the 23-year-old center who played in all 82 games in each of his first two NHL seasons, worked out on his own at the MSG Training Center after his deal was finalized. His first practice with his teammates will take place on Monday, since the Rangers have a day off on Sunday.

Ales Kotalik was one of four Rangers players with multiple points in Saturday's 5-2 win at Boston.

While Dubinsky was taking care of his business, the Rangers were playing with grit and passion in picking up their first preseason victory and improving their record to 1-2-1.

The Rangers raced out to a 2-0 lead just 7:44 into the game on goals by Ales Kotalik and Sean Avery. By the end of the first period, the Rangers held a 3-1 advantage, and they had scored an even-strength goal, a power-play goal, and a shorthanded goal.

Kotalik’s first goal of the preseason came with the Rangers on the power play. Michael Del Zotto patiently drew two defenders towards him at the Boston blueline before sliding a pass to Vinny Prospal on the right wing. Prospal sent a crisp cross-ice pass to Kotalik, who ripped a left-circle shot through the pads of Tim Thomas at 4:30 of the first period.

A mistake by former Rangers defenseman Derek Morris led to the second goal of the game. Morris, who signed with the Bruins as a free agent this past summer, got caught in the Rangers zone, letting the visitors break the other way on a 3-on-1 rush. Avery carried the puck into the offensive zone and fired a shot between Thomas’ legs to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

After Marc Savard banked a bad angle shot off Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette and into the net at the nine-minute mark of the first, Artem Anisimov answered for the Blueshirts nearly seven minutes later.

Anisimov, who recorded a goal and an assist in an impressive showing during Friday night’s 4-3 loss in Detroit, scored a breathtaking shorthanded goal to once again give the Rangers a two-goal advantage.

The 21-year-old Russian center moved with the puck on right wing over the Boston blueline, turned defenseman Jeffrey Penner inside out with a great power move, and then finished with one more gorgeous move around a diving Thomas for his second goal of the preseason.

The highlight-reel score by Anisimov was the second such goal recorded by a Rangers prospect so far in the preseason. Defenseman Matt Gilroy also drew raves for his exciting goal against New Jersey on Wednesday night.

In the second period, Anisimov had a scare when he was drilled into the boards head-first on a check by Boston’s Milan Lucic. Anisimov was slow to come off the ice, but fortunately returned to action.

Later in the second period, Lucic was tossed from the match when he was assessed a five-minute major for spearing Del Zotto. The 19-year-old defenseman was clearly in pain on the Rangers bench after the play, but he did not miss a shift, and continued to impress in his bid to earn a spot on the opening-night roster. He logged 23:33 worth of ice-time and recorded an assist on Saturday.

Boston’s Zach Hamill brought the Bruins to within 3-2 at 8:47 of the second. A Rangers’ turnover in the neutral zone started the scoring play, and Hamill finished by sliding the puck past a diving Valiquette.

In his second appearance of the preseason, Valiquette played 29:14 and allowed two goals on 14 shots. He was replaced by Chad Johnson, who immediately had to face a 5-on-3 Bruins power play. Johnson made three big saves during the two-man kill, and received clutch assistance from Brian Boyle, who had a key blocked shot, helping the Rangers to kill off both penalties successfully.

Enver Lisin scored his second goal in as many nights to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead at 14:04 of the second. Defenseman Matt Gilroy found Kotalik straightaway from the Bruins net. Kotalik blasted a shot toward the goal, and the puck pinballed to Lisin, deflecting off the young forward’s foot and over the goal line.

Unlike Friday -- when they surrendered four goals to the Red Wings -- the Rangers shut the door on the Bruins in the final 20 minutes on Saturday. Johnson helped keep the Bruins off the scoreboard with some good stops, including a great save with eight minutes to go on a Jeff LoVecchio breakaway. Johnson stopped all 12 shots he faced in his impressive performance on Saturday.

PA Parenteau, who has played in all four preseason games to date, put the game away with 3:02 remaining to play, scoring off a neat Dane Byers’ drop pass. Anisimov added an assist for his second straight two-point outing.

Parenteau logged 18:15 worth of ice time, and finished with the goal and an assist, and a plus-2 rating.

A well-deserved day off takes place on Sunday, and then it’s back to work on Monday, when the Rangers will welcome Dubinsky back to practice in the morning and then skate against the Red Wings at Madison Square Garden in the evening.