Zibanejad scores 1st goal in 9 games, Rangers bounce back against Sharks

NEW YORK -- Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal in nine games and the New York Rangers hung on to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

"It's nice to contribute," Zibanejad said. "This means I get to go home and enjoy tonight with my family."

Zibanejad hadn't scored since Oct. 22. He had three turnovers that each led to goals in the Rangers' 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he publicly addressed the mental challenge of his struggles, calling it the "hardest thing ever."

"He's a guy who has had a lot of success and scored a lot of goals," Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. "I think it was a big goal just for him to get that going and for the team to kind of jumpstart us as well."

Jimmy Vesey and Vincent Trocheck also scored, Artemi Panarin had an assist to extend his point streak to six games and Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves for the Rangers (10-4-1).

New York won a game after giving up the first goal for the first time this season (1-4-1).

"We talked about playing a little bit more, I guess, predictable and simple," Zibanejad said. "We have the talent and skill in here that we can make the plays when we get through the neutral zone, but it's being a little bit more predictable for each other and playing a brand of hockey that we know will make us successful. We did more of that in the second [period] and from there a lot of plays open up."

Timothy Liljegren and Fabian Zetterlund scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves for San Jose (5-10-3), which has lost four of six (2-3-1) since a three-game winning streak from Oct. 28-31.

"We had a great start, a great first period. We did the things we talked about," Sharks forward Alex Wennberg said. "Obviously, the second period they get momentum. It's a couple of small mistakes and it's a really good team so obviously they're going to have the chance to score. In those situations when they get momentum, you play a little bit, safe isn't the right word but maybe smarter, maybe get the puck down deep. It felt like we gave them a little more momentum."

The Sharks took a 1-0 lead on Liljegren's goal at 2:51 of the first period. His shot from the point deflected off Vesey high in the zone and sailed into the net, going over both Sam Carrick and Carl Grundstrom in front.

"It was kind of flukey," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "I mean, it deflected 90 feet away and kind of popped up over everything and went in. I don't think we gave up much, but we didn't get as much as we wanted offensively. I thought the second period we moved it better."

The Rangers cashed in at 11:41, when Zibanejad scored off a rebound on Fox's shot to tie it 1-1.

"It was just a big goal and that's what he's capable of," Laviolette said. "He's a guy that we count on to produce."

Vesey made it 2-1 at 13:15 of the second. He followed his pass to the net, got the puck back after it hit off Carrick in front and scored with a backhand from the slot.

Fox had a goal taken off the board at 14:32 because of a successful coach's challenge for goalie interference. Trocheck was ruled to have knocked Blackwood's stick out of his hands as he going to the front of the net, preventing the goalie from playing his position on Fox's shot.

Trocheck made up for it at 16:21, when he finished a pretty play from Panarin to make it 3-1.

Panarin hesitated with the puck high in the zone, drawing two defenders to him. Trocheck slipped behind them through the right circle. Panarin found him and Trocheck redirected the pass over Blackwood's glove.

"When you see one go in, your confidence gets built up a little bit and then you start to roll from there," Trocheck said. "I thought we played well in the first and second, and obviously sat back a little bit in the third, but that tends to happen when you have the lead."

Shesterkin stopped the first 10 shots he faced in the third period until Zetterlund cut the lead to 3-2 at 19:33, scoring a 6-on-4 power-play goal from the front of the net.

Zetterlund got another shot on goal at 19:53, but Shesterkin turned it aside for the 3-2 final.

"I think our first period was our identity and the way we need to play," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "We've got to do that more often. Hopefully this is a learning moment."

NOTES: Sharks forward Nico Sturm did not play the third period because of an upper-body injury. Warsofsky said he did not have an update on Sturm. … Rangers forward Filip Chytil also did not return for the third period because of an upper-body injury. Laviolette said he is day to day and being evaluated. Chytil collided with defenseman K'Andre Miller in the second period and was slow to get up. He left the game at 12:26 and returned at 16:21 for a 61-second shift. He didn't play again. … Panarin has at least one point in each of New York's nine home games this season (five goals, eight assists). … The Rangers are 10-0-2 in their past 12 games against the Sharks.