Dubinsky's shootout goal caps off gutsy Rangers win

2010-11 Game No. 70; Road Game No. 36		Rangers' Record: 36-30-4
VIDEO: HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
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GAME RECAP By Jim Cerny, newyorkrangers.com Three nights after a disappointing loss in Anaheim to start a two-game West Coast road trip, the Rangers responded with one of their most important victories of the season, a 3-2 decision over the San Jose Sharks at the HP Pavilion which was secured after a six-round overtime shootout. Henrik Lundqvist, who made 31 saves through 65 minutes of action, stopped five of six shots in the shootout, while Brandon Dubinsky scored the winner after Wojtek Wolski extended the shootout by beating Sharks goalie Antti Niemi in the third round with the Rangers trailing 1-0 and on the verge of losing the game. “It was huge how we responded after that game on Wednesday,” said Lundqvist, who made his 14th consecutive start in goal on Saturday. “We needed to play well, but more importantly we needed the points. And we got both. This was such an important win for us.” With the two crucial points earned in the victory, the Rangers vaulted past the Buffalo Sabres, who lost earlier on Saturday night, and back into seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with 76 points. The Rangers are now 11-4 in overtime this season, and 8-2 in games decided by the shootout. Lundqvist was a major reason why the Rangers reached OT and were able to secure both points. He stopped all 12 shots in the third period when his team was outshot by the Sharks 12-3 and another three in the five-minute OT period. His lightning-quick glove save on a Jason Demers open one-timer with nine minutes to play in the third was Lundqvist’s best of the night. ... • READ THE FULL STORY | PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTO OF THE GAME STAT OF THE GAME The Rangers had 28 blocked shots in the contest, led by Dan Girardi who recorded a season-high, nine blocked shots. The Blueshirts are second in the league with 1,119 blocked shots on the season, and Girardi leads all NHL skaters with 206 blocked shots. THREE STARS (selected by newyorkrangers.com) 1. H. Lundqvist 2. Dan Girardi 3. M. Sauer

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THE BIGGER PICTURE When the Rangers play their game -- and they played it to perfection on Saturday night -- they are one of the NHL's hardest teams to beat. This win brought the team closer to a playoff berth, and it's this very brand of hockey that wins playoff games, too.

RANGERS LEADERS Icetime -- Staal (30:31) Shots -- Dubinsky (5) Hits -- Fedotenko (7) Blocks -- Girardi (9) Takeaways -- Two players tied (2) Faceoffs -- Boyle (19)

NEW YORK RANGERS LINEUP AT SAN JOSE
FORWARD LINES
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Brandon Dubinsky	Artem Anisimov	Ryan Callahan
Vinny Prospal	Erik Christensen	Marian Gaborik
Wojtek Wolski	Derek Stepan	Mats Zuccarello
Ruslan Fedotenko	Brian Boyle	Brandon Prust

DEFENSE PAIRINGS
Left Defense	Right Defense
Marc Staal	Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh	Michael Sauer
Bryan McCabe	Matt Gilroy
Goaltenders: Henrik Lundqvist, Chad Johnson Starting Lineup: Lundqvist, Staal, Girardi, Fedotenko, Boyle, Prust.

POWER PLAY UNITS
FORWARD LINES
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Ryan Callahan	Vinny Prospal	Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky	Erik Christensen	Mats Zuccarello

POINT MEN
Left Point	Right Point
Derek Stepan	Bryan McCabe
Marc Staal	Wojtek Wolski

PENALTY KILLING UNITS
FORWARD UNITS
Forward	Forward
Brandon Prust	Brian Boyle
Ruslan Fedotenko	Artem Anisimov
Ryan Callahan	Brandon Dubinsky

DEFENSE PAIRINGS
Left Defense	Right Defense
Marc Staal	Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh	Michael Sauer