Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, left, is congratulated by teammates Chris Kreider, center, and Kaapo Kakko after scoring his third goal in New York’s 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday in New York. Rich Schultz/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad had his eighth career hat trick, Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for his second shutout of the season and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 Sunday.
Ryan Strome also scored, Chris Kreider had three assists and Adam Fox added two to help New York win for the third time in five games (3-1-1). The Rangers beat the Lightning for the second time in three days after a 4-2 shootout victory at Tampa, Florida, on Friday night.
In this one, New York was without star forward Artemi Panarin, who was placed in COVID-19 protocols before the game.
Shesterkin had 18 saves in the first period, 11 in the second and nine in the third for his fourth career shutout. He improved to 15-4-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average this season.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, playing for the first time in 12 days after coming off COVID-19 protocols earlier in the day, had 17 saves as the Lightning lost their third straight (0-2-1) after winning nine of 10.
PENGUINS 8, SHARKS 5: Evan Rodrigues and Bryan Rust both finished off hat tricks in the third period and Pittsburgh won at home for its eighth straight win – and its first since Dec. 19.
Rodrigues and Rust each scored twice as the Penguins built a 6-1 lead in the first period. Rodrigues completed his first career hat trick with 2:01 left after the Sharks cut the lead to 6-5, and Rust scored into an empty net with 11 seconds remaining. Rust had a career-best five points.
DEVILS 4, CAPITALS 3: Nico Hischier scored his second goal of the game with 2:04 left in overtime to give New Jersey a victory at Washington.
Washington rallied late in regulation to force overtime, with Nic Dowd pulling the Capitals within a goal with 6:38 remaining and Conor Sheary tying it with 3:47 left.
Yegor Sharangovich and Damon Severson scored in a 1:14 span of the first period for the Devils, and John Carlson connected for Washington with 47 seconds left in the period.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves for the Devils. Ilya Samsonov stopped 33 shots for the Capitals.
AVALANCHE 4, DUCKS 2: Logan O’Connor scored a tiebreaking goal late in the third period and Colorado rallied from two goals down against visiting Anaheim.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists and Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves for the Avalanche, who were playing their first game in nearly three weeks because of COVID-19 cases.
Anaheim grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Sam Carrick in the first and Cam Fowler in the second.
Josh Gibson made 32 saves and kept Colorado off the board until Devon Toews scored midway through the second period. Gabriel Landeskog tied it early in the third with his 10th of the season.
JETS 5, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4: Kyle Connor scored in overtime and Winnipeg won in Las Vegas in its return from a two-week hiatus.
Mattias Janmark scored twice for Vegas in the third period, including a tying goal with 8.1 seconds left, but Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck improved to 4-1-1 career against the Golden Knights by stopping 42 shots.
FLAMES 5, BLACKHAWKS 1: Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists, Matthew Tkachuk scored for a third straight game and Calgary won at Chicago.
Elias Lindholm and Trevor Lewis also scored for Calgary, Oliver Kylington added a long empty-netter and Jacob Markstrom blocked 30 shots in the Flames’ second straight win. Calgary is coming off a COVID-19 outbreak that shut the team down from Dec. 11 until Dec. 30, when they topped the Kraken in Seattle.
Alex DeBrincat scored his team-leading 18th goal, but Chicago dropped its fourth straight.
NOTES
PANTHERS: Florida forward Sam Bennett was suspended three games without pay by the NHL for an illegal check to the head of Montreal Canadiens forward Cedric Paquette during a game Saturday.
Bennett, who scored twice during Florida’s 5-2 win, injured Paquette with his hit 3:09 into the first period. Paquette took possession of the puck in front of his own net and turned up ice to make a pass when Bennett glided in and drove a shoulder into Paquette’s head.
Paquette left with a neck injury and did not return. Bennett wasn’t penalized on the play.
Bennett, 25, is considered a repeat offender under terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement and will forfeit just under $162,000.
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