The third period of a low-energy rematch with the Red Wings saw the Rangers pull out the win on a whim.
First, the equalizer came, and then Jimmy Vesey netted the game-winning goal with 4:15 left in regulation to secure a 3-2 win over an overachieving Detroit team Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts’ victory snapped the Red Wings’ three-game winning streak.
Vesey, who started the season as the 13th forward and watched Game 1 from the press box, now has five goals and three assists in 19 games.
The 30-year-old has been particularly effective in the last handful of games, putting forth a notable performance each and every night despite skating on the fourth line.
He’s brought skill to a physical unit.
His aggression in pursuit of the puck has made the fourth line effective on the forecheck.
And with four goals in the last seven contests, Vesey has chipped in on offense in a big way.
With 9:14 left in regulation, K’Andre Miller blasted a one-timer from his knee to even the score, 2-2, and tie the game up for a second time.
The Rangers found their second wind from there.
Artemi Panarin opened the scoring in the second period to break a 0-0 tie, which allowed the Russian wing to join Wayne Gretzky as just the second Ranger in the past 30 years to record a season-opening home point streak of at least nine games.
After Miller intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, Alexis Lafreniere sent a cross-zone feed to Panarin, who buried his 12th goal of the season to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
In a matter of 23 seconds later in the period, however, the Red Wings tied it up and pulled ahead.
Detroit was barely able to hold the zone on its second power play of the night before Moritz Seider capitalized with 12 seconds left with the man-advantage.
A Blake Wheeler turnover along the wall then led to Robby Fabbri sweeping in the go-ahead goal amid some passive Rangers.
This was the second time in the last three games that the Rangers allowed back-to-back goals in a matter of seconds.
The same thing happened in the first period against the Bruins, when Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie scored 24 seconds apart to knot the game at two-all.
Adam Fox was re-acclimated with his power-play responsibilities early in his first game back from long-term injured reserve, as the Rangers earned two stretches with the man-advantage in the first period.
Neither team was able to break through in the opening 20 minutes.
The Rangers, however, generated eight high-danger chances on the power play over that span, according to Natural Stat Trick.