Zibanejad puts up 2 points as the Rangers top the Canucks 4-3

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored and added an assist as the New York Rangers edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko also posted a goal and an assist apiece for the Rangers, while Chris Kreider scored the game winner midway through the third period. Adam Fox contributed a pair of helpers.

Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots as New York improved its road record to 7-1-0.

The Canucks got goals from Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland. Arturs Silovs made 29 saves for a Vancouver.

The loss comes after the Canucks announced earlier Tuesday that star center J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave for “personal reasons.”

Rangers: Artemi Panarin saw his seven-game point streak snapped. The left-winger had four games and five assists across the stretch, but didn’t land on the scoresheet Tuesday.

Canucks: With Miller out of the lineup, Vancouver’s depth was tested. The Canucks are also missing all-star goalie Thatcher Demko (knee), sniper Brock Boeser (upper body) and defenseman Derek Forbort (lower body). Coach Rick Tocchet said earlier in the day that Boeser and Forbort skated on Tuesday morning and that Demko had strung together several good practices, but did not offer any expected return dates.

Kreider sealed the score 10:43 into the third period, collecting a pass from Zibanejad and firing it in from the bottom of the faceoff circle for his ninth goal of the season.

The Rangers shutout the Canucks on all three of their power plays. New York came into the game with the second best penalty kill in the league, operating at 88.2%.

The Rangers visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday. The Canucks start a six-game road trip at Ottawa on Saturday.

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