Six different players hit the target for the Rangers (30-14-8), who are 5-0-1 in six games. The Kraken (29-18-5) meanwhile suffered a third loss in as many games in a five-game trip.
Pumped up by the transaction that allowed them to acquire Tarasenko and the defender Niko Mikkola of the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, the Rangers got off to a flying start.
Tarasenko completed a line to the right of Mika Zibanejad et Artemi Panarin. He wasted no time in pleasing his new fans when he redirected a pass from Panarin as he raced towards the net of Martin Jones to register his 11th of the season at 2:49.
Only 2:12 later, a reversal of Jordan Eberle in the neutral zone led to a nice three-way exchange between Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil et Kaapo Kako into enemy territory, and it was the latter who had the last word.
At 2:29 p.m., Vincent Trocheck tripled the home side’s lead following receiving a brilliant pass from Chris Kreider from the left corner of the opponent’s territory. Eight Rangers players got on the board in the first period.
Jacob Oven gave New Yorkers a 4-0 lead early in the middle frame at 1:03 on the power play, scoring the game-changing goal.
The Kraken finally broke the ice 1:04 later. Oliver Bjorkstrand took advantage of a change from Rangers to charge towards the blue line off the bench, and Eeli Tolvanen spotted him with a precise long pass. Bjorkstrand spun alone once morest Shesterkin to thread the needle.
The Rangers struck once more early in the next period. Zibanejad scored his 15th of the season on the power play and 26th overall by accepting a skillful blind pass from Kreider at the mouth of the net to increase the team’s lead to 5-1 at 3:19.
Video: Tarasenko wins on Rangers debut
Just over two minutes later, the cannonball of Jared McCann allowed the Kraken to reduce the gap to three goals, then Brandon Tanev managed to force his way past Shesterkin on a long pass to allow the Kraken to come within two goals of Rangers at 6:21.
The Kraken continued to press on, withdrawing their goalkeeper in the dying moments, but Ryan Lindgren took the opportunity to score in an empty cage and end the debate.
No less than 11 players participated in this superb offensive performance by Rangers, and four (Kakko, Lindgren, Trocheck and Kreider) collected two points.
Maple Leafs 3, Blue Jackets 0
The captain John Tavares scored twice and Mitchell Marner had two assists in a 3-0 win by the Toronto Maple Leafs, which handed the Columbus Blue Jackets their fourth straight loss at Nationwide Arena.
In his eighth straight start, Ilya Samsonov recorded his third shutout of the season in front of the Maple Leafs net (32-13-8), making 30 saves.
Both teams were playing their first game since the All-Star Game break.
At 5:45, Tavares redirected a short lifted pass from Marner’s backhand on the power play to register his 22nd of the campaign and a seventh point in his last six games.
The fans there were then treated to close play with good chances on both sides, but the goaltenders did the job.
It took until almost halfway through the third period to see another goal. Pierre Engvall completed a brilliant game piece initiated along the ramp by David fight by accepting a pass from Morgan Rielly to double Toronto’s lead at 7:49.
Video: Maple Leafs blank Blue Jackets
Then, 49 seconds later, Tavares carried the disc from one end to the other before losing control of it, but his sidekick Marner promptly handed it to him on a silver platter. Tavares took a shot that beat Joonas Korpisalo to make it 3-0 in favor of Toronto.
Korpisalo was a busy man in front of the net for the Blue Jackets (15-33-4), blocking 38 pucks. He faced at least 13 shots per period, frustrating the Swede a few times William Nylanderwho finished the night with seven shots but no points.
The two troops will face off once more on Saturday night in Toronto.
Coyotes 3, Blackhawks 4 (P)
Caleb Jones made the difference 3:37 into overtime on the 44th shot of the Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 at United Center.
After an aborted game in Chicago territory (16-29-5), Andreas Athanasiou spun alone towards the Cerberus Connor Ingramwho made a nice save from the pad, but no Coyotes player (17-28-7) had returned to check on Jones, who flashed the red light with a sharp shot.
Athanasiou finished the game with three points (one goal, two assists) and eight shots. In a losing cause, Clayton Keller emulated Athanasiou offensively.
The Coyotes suffered their 17th straight loss on opposing rinks (0-13-4) since their 4-0 win in Carolina on November 23.
In his first start at the United Center – his third in his career -, Jason Stauber signed the victory, he who still has not lost in three games.
From the first moments of this duel between the two worst clubs in the Central Division, Keller, the Coyotes’ leading scorer and scorer, took over the center of the ice in the opposing zone and fired a wrist shot that Stauber didn’t. was able to block, at 1:28.
In his 400th career game once morest his former team, Nick Schmaltz doubled the Coyotes’ lead at 12:34 when Keller spotted him at the goal gate to take a one-timer that required high accuracy due to the tight angle. That assist from Keller allowed him to record his 300th point in his 412th NHL game.
Just over a minute later, the Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones scored his sixth of the season with a shield side shot that beat Ingram. The Blackhawks were able to retreat to the locker room with a slim one-goal deficit.
Only one goal was scored in the middle period. After only 2:43 of play, the relentlessness of the locals forced Christian Fischer to commit a turnover in the offensive zone, and Athanasiou grabbed the puck, which he handled well before taking a backhand shot in the upper part.
With just over five minutes left in the third period, Athanasiou put in a magnificent individual effort to maneuver to the net from the top of the right circle, and Colin Blackwell just had to push the puck past Ingram.
After having passed a penalty of Nick Ritchie, the Coyotes settled in the opposing zone. Keller grabbed a generous return from Stauber to spot Nick Bjugstadwho hit the target in the center of the opposing zone with the goal that forced extra time.
