NEW YORK (AP) -- After two lackluster periods, the New York Rangers turned up the intensity in the third and rallied for a needed win.
Mika Zibanejad got the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left and the Rangers scored four in the final period to beat the expansion Vegas Golden Knights 6-4 on Tuesday night.
Jimmy Vesey, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Pavel Buchnevich and Michael Grabner also scored to help New York win for the third time in seven games (3-2-2). Zibanejad also had assists on the first two goals in the third.
''I think we responded great in the third and hopefully we can build off that,'' Zibanejad said. ''We've got to find a way to bring it early on and maintain it to be a little more consistent throughout the game. Hopefully it's a step in the right direction.''
Reilly Smith scored twice,
adidas Henrik Lundqvist jersey, Oscar Lindberg got a goal against his former team and David Perron converted a penalty shot for Vegas,
adidas Mats Zuccarello jersey, which has lost consecutive games after winning five straight. Maxime Lagace,
authentic Rick Nash jersey, the fourth goalie used by the Golden Knights this season,
authentic Erik Karlsson jersey, stopped 32 shots in his first NHL start.
Trailing by two, the Rangers received a power play after Perron was whistled for a double-minor early in the third, and Kreider pulled them to 4-3 as he took a pass from Zibanejad and beat Lagace from the left side for his third goal at 5:31.
''Until that penalty, we were in control of the game and playing well,'' Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. ''The rest of the period we looked like an expansion team. ... We didn't respond the right way and sat back instead of trying to attack like we did all game.''
Buchnevich tied it nearly four minutes later, taking a pass from Zibanejad on the left side and putting it into the open net with Lagace out of position. It gave Buchnevich a goal for the third straight game.
Grabner added an empty-netter with 1:14 left to seal it.
''I think our group proved tonight that there's no quit,'' Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. ''There are some pieces of our game that are real good, others are not Picassos. We're trying to put it together. We're trying to work hard. We'll take the two points tonight and move on.''
Trailing 2-1, the Rangers came out aggressively to start the second period and tied the score at 1:29. Kevin Hayes' shot from the left side behind the net went off Rick Nash's skate to Zuccarello, who put it in for his third.
The Golden Knights went back ahead 3-2 at 7:06 as Smith scored on a backhand from the right side for his fourth of the season.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made a pair of sprawling saves on his back with about a minute left in the second,
authentic Henrik Lundqvist jersey, but Perron was hooked by Hayes and awarded a penalty shot. Perron deked and scored five-hole on Lundqvist for his fourth to put Vegas up by two.
they scored late goals and a team like us in a position we're in,
authentic Mats Zuccarello jersey,''After the first and second,
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adidas Erik Karlsson jersey, it can really beat you down, who made 30 saves. ''The way the guys came out and competed in the third, it shows a lot about the group.''
Vesey put the Rangers up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game on their first shot on goal.
The Golden Knights tied it as Lindberg scored at 5:22, backhanding the rebound of a shot by Alex Tuch past a sprawled Lundqvist for his fifth.
Vegas took a 2-1 lead with 39 seconds left in the first when Colin Miller's point shot was deflected in front by Jonathan Marchessault and put in by Smith.