Vesey puts New York ahead, Krieder scores 2, Rangers beat Bruins 7-4 in matchup of East's top teams

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Vesey’s goal put the Rangers ahead late in the second period, Chris Kreider scored twice and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves as New York beat the Boston Bruins 7-4 on Saturday in a matchup of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Vesey’s fourth goal of the season came during a delayed penalty at 16:37 off a scramble in front of the Boston net. It gave the Rangers the lead to stay en route to their seventh win in eight games.

Kreider scored on the power play and short-handed and leads the Rangers with 13 goals.

Nick Bonino, K’Andre Miller, Tyler Pitlick and Artemi Panarin also scored for New York. Vincent Trocheck had two assists for the Rangers (15-3-1), who are 13-1-1 in their last 15 games and have 15 wins in 19 or fewer games for the first time in franchise history.

Charlie Coyle scored twice for Boston (14-3-3), which was coming off a 5-2 loss to visiting Detroit on Friday. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak also scored for the Bruins.

Quick continued his sterling start as a Ranger, improving to 6-0-1. The 37-year-old signed as a free agent last summer.

Bonino opened the scoring with his first goal as a Ranger, whipping the puck past goaltender Linus Ullmark at 5:58 of the first. Kreider made it 2-0 at 10:56 with the 99th power-play goal of his career.

Boston didn’t record its first shot until more than 13 minutes had elapsed in the first, but the Bruins then scored two quick goals to tie it.

Coyle scored at 13:50 when he picked up his own rebound, and Geekie rifled a shot past Quick at 14:14.

Kreider put the Rangers ahead 3-2 with a short-handed score at 18:41 of the first, bursting in alone on Ullmark. With 278 career goals, Kreider is two behind Adam Graves for third in Rangers history.

Pastrnak scored 26 seconds into the middle period on the power play to tie the game at 3-all. Pastrnak leads Boston with 13 goals and 31 points.

After Vesey’s go-ahead goal, Miller added his second of the season at 19:36 of the second.

In the third, Pitlick increased the lead to 6-3 at 1:26 with his first goal as a Ranger before Boston’s Coyle scored his second of the game and ninth of the season at 2:29. Panarin made it 7-4 with his 11th goal at 4:36.

New York improved to 8-1-0 against Eastern Conference opponents this season.

UP NEXT

Bruins: At Columbus on Monday.

Rangers: Host Buffalo on Monday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl