PHILADELPHIA – The Rangers finally found their response.
In the first game since president and general manager Chris Drury declared the team would be entering a retooling period, the Blueshirts powered through the also-spiraling Flyers on Saturday afternoon in a 6-3 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Both clubs rode a season-high five-game losing streak into the contest, but the Rangers’ desperation – which had seemingly gone dormant – was evident from puck drop and fueled a much-needed victory.
Key skaters, including a few who are on the trade block, shouldered the weight of this one.
Mika Zibanejad recorded his second hat trick of the month, extending his point streak to eight straight games in a dominant performance
Fresh off of learning the Rangers would not give him a contract extension, Artemi Panarin registered two goals and one assist.
Captain J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere all posted two-assist efforts.
Even Brennan Othmann, who has heard his name in trade rumors since October, scored his first goal of his NHL career.
It was a total outpouring from the Rangers amid a precarious time in the organization.
The Flyers may have struck first, but the rest of the first period belonged to the Rangers.
After Travis Konecny opened the scoring, the Rangers netted the next three goals to go into the first intermission with a two-goal lead.
The response was almost immediate, with Panarin capitalizing on an aggressive passing sequence with his linemates, Lafreniere and Trocheck.
Just 21 seconds later, Zibanejad scored the first of his three goals to give the Rangers their first lead of the day.
A tough season for the Rangers has been particularly challenging for Othmann, who competed in his ninth NHL game of the season on Saturday.
From getting cut from training camp early, hearing the Rangers are willing to move on from him and getting lit up by Washington’s Tom Wilson, the 23-year-old Othmann was overdue for a feel-good performance.
Scoring his first goal in the 34th game of his NHL career, Othmann made it a 3-1 game off a snipe on a 3-on-1 rush.
The Flyers were held to one goal on seven shots in the middle frame, in which the Rangers were able to build a 6-2 lead going into the second intermission.
Scoring a power-play goal, Zibanejad became the all-time leader for the franchise.
And after burying a give-and-go with Miller, Zibanejad now leads the NHL in goals (9) and points (16) since Jan. 2.