NEW YORK _ Every time the Edmonton Oilers scored Thursday night _ in the first, second and early in the third period _ the Rangers responded.
But the resilient Blueshirts, who had not played in overtime in the first 10 games of the season, are still waiting for the extra session.
Rick Nash gave the Rangers a lead for the first time with 1:21 left, pounding in a rebound of Nick Holden's long shot after Mats Zuccarello freed the puck in the corner and J.T. Miller sealed the 5-3 win with an empty-netter at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers went 3-0 on their three-game homestand.
After a battle of almost mirror-image styles, the Blueshirts scored three times in the third period to win their sixth in seven games and are now 8-3. The Oilers are 7-3-1
In the third, with the score tied at 2, Kevin Hayes got his stick on the hands of former Rangers' Benoit Pouliot, giving the Oilers a power play at 6:46 and Pouliot almost scored but the shot bounced off Henrik Lundqvist's mask into the crowd. Just after the power play ended, the Rangers lost a faceoff and Adam Larsson's shot went through the wickets of Lundqvist.
But Jesper Fast forced a turnover and answered 42 seconds later, deflecting Brandon Pirri's shot past former Ranger Cam Talbot to tie it at 3. It was Fast's first goal of the season and Brady Skjei was awarded his second assist, and fourth in the last three games. Talbot stopped Chris Kreider at the left post with his right pad on a power play, as each side traded end-to-end rushes.
In the second, the Rangers had responded for the second time when Michael Grabner, battling in front, edged away from Larsson, the Devils defenseman who was traded for Taylor Hall, in front and tied the score at 2 by tapping in the rebound of J.T. Miller's sharp angle shot at 15:46 of the second period.
At 10:28, the Oilers capitalized on an odd-man rush when Ryan McDonagh's one timer was blocked at the blue line, and when he dove to try to prevent a breakaway, he tripped Derek Stepan. In the developing two-on-one, Jesse Puljujarvi waited, Dan Girardi snow-angeled and Puljujarvi slipped a pass to Patrick Maroon, who tucked the puck around Lundqvist before help arrived.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring at 6:36 of the first on a power play, with Fast in the box for a high-sticking double minor that drew blood on Leon Draisaitl.
Hayes' fourth of the season tied it when Skjei's long shot bounced off Talbot, Grabner scooped it in front and fed Hayes on his right, who swept the puck past Talbot at 8:34.
Larsson had high-sticked Zuccarello just 39 seconds after the puck dropped, but the Rangers couldn't get a shot on Talbot, making his first return to the Garden after being traded at the 2015 draft for three prospects.
