NEW YORK _ With all the excitement for the Rangers' season opener, and all the hype surrounding all the big-name additions to their roster over the summer, it ended up being a third-line grinder who got the biggest goal of the game for the Blueshirts, and a spirited penalty kill that preserved the victory.
Brett Howden popped in the rebound of a Jesper Fast shot to break a tie with 4:09 remaining in regulation and Brendan Smith, who played as a forward on the fourth line and as a defenseman on the penalty kill, iced the game with an empty-net goal with 16.1 seconds as the Rangers started off the 2019-20 season with a 6-4, come from behind victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets Thursday night at the Garden.
The Rangers, who led three times in the game, fell behind early in the third period, 4-3, before Mika Zibanejad tied the game, 4-4 on a backhander off a breakaway at 5:04 of the third period, from an assist by ex-Jet Jacob Trouba. Kyle Connor had given the Jets their first lead with a power play goal at 2:41 of the third, when he tipped in a shot by Josh Morrissey. Brady Skjei was in the box for delay of game, after shooting the puck over the glass.
