With second-year forward Kaapo Kakko unavailable after being placed on the Rangers’ COVID list, coach David Quinn shuffled his forward lines and put his best offensive player, Artemi Panarin, together with the struggling Mika Zibanejad for Saturday’s matinee against the Washington Capitals.
It worked, kind of. Zibanejad finally ended an 12-game goalless drought when he scored a shorthanded goal into an empty net with 2:12 remaining to seal a 4-1 victory for the Rangers. And the Rangers’ offense looked as good as it has in weeks, pumping in three goals in the second period and protecting a lead in the third period to hold on for their second straight victory.