Rangers lose to Canadiens in OT, but extend point streak to eight games

MONTREAL – About a week ago, Jonathan Quick was asked if he was spending much time thinking about his approaching milestone victory. The Rangers’ backup goaltender, the all-time winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history, was sitting on 399 wins and waiting for his next opportunity to try for No. 400.

“No,’’ he said. “I mean, through the course of the year, there’s a lot of extra stuff that goes on, where you know, everyone has a milestone here or there, and stuff like that. It’s tough to get caught up in that when the goal’s (making the) playoffs, right?”

Quick (33 saves) failed to hit the milestone Sunday, in his third crack at it, when the Rangers lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 5-4, in overtime at the Bell Centre, ending their win streak at two games. They have not won three straight since Nov. 14-19.

The Rangers did extend their point streak to eight games (5-0-3).

Patrik Laine’s goal at 3:20 of the extra session completed a Canadiens comeback from four separate Rangers leads. They trailed 4-3 in the third period, before Juraj Slavkovsky’s goal at 12:52 of the third period tie it 4-4 and forced the Rangers into overtime for the fifth time in the last seven games.

The Rangers (22-20-4) return to action Tuesday in a game against the Ottawa Senators, who currently hold the first wild card spot in the East. That game starts a four-game homestand.

Montreal native Alexis Lafreniere opened the scoring when he was first to the puck on the rebound off the back boards by a shot from K’Andre Miller and banged it in at 11:17 of the first period, for his 12th goal of the season, and fourth in 12 games.

Brendan Gallagher tied it, 1-1, with his goal at 13:52, but the Rangers re-took the lead less than a minute later, when Zibanejad pressured Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj in the corner and forced a weak pass that Will Cuylle picked off and fired past Jakub Dobes at 14:38 for his 12th goal of the season. The goal was Cuylle’s first in 16 games.

The goals came fast and furious in the second period. Matt Rempe, who had paired up with tough guy Xhekaj in an first-period scuffle, fought Xhekaj early in the second and not only did he lose the fight – the 6-4, 240-pound Xhekaj dropped him with a heavy left – but got an extra minor for roughing. That indirectly led to Montreal’s tying the game, 2-2, when Christian Dvorak sored nine seconds after the penalty was over. His right point shot deflected off Filip Chytil’s stick and got by Quick at 5:07.

The Rangers got a power play goal by Mika Zibanejad to take the lead for the third time, at 10:24, but a bad giveaway by Will Borgen to Nick Suzuki in the defensive zone led to Suzuki’s goal at 15:05 that tied it 3-3.

Chris Kreider got them the lead for the fourth time when he drove the net and tapped in a pretty feed from Adam Fox at 16:20. Six seconds later Fox took a penalty for shooting the puck over the glass, but the Rangers killed it.