Glenn Gawdin scored his first two NHL goals during a four-goal second period to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.
The win marked the first time this season that the Rangers triumphed after allowing the game’s opening goal, as “the Rangers were 0-7-1 when allowing the first goal before Friday,” according to Yahoo Sports.
The Rangers, who finished a four-game road trip with three victories, have now won five of their last six games to improve their record to 12-8-1.
In contrast, the struggling Vancouver Canucks have dropped seven straight games, falling to a league-worst 3-17-1 record.
Playing in his 15th career NHL game and his second of the season, the 29-year-old Gawdin from the Vancouver suburb of Richmond made an immediate impact after being called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
Gawdin netted his first goal on a snap shot with seven minutes remaining in the second period to extend the Rangers’ lead to 3-1.
He added his second goal of the night with 3:50 remaining in the same period to push the score to 5-1.
Vancouver center Elias Pettersson opened the scoring with a tip-in 7:47 into the first period.
That goal was notable for Canucks winger Brock Boeser, who recorded an assist to reach the 500th point of his NHL career.
Gabe Perreault tied the game for New York with 1:13 remaining in the opening frame.
The Rangers then dominated the second period, with Oliver Bjorkstrand starting the scoring spree on a power play at 8:21.
Alexis Lafreniere also added a goal during the period to contribute to the offensive surge.
New York goaltender Dylan Garand anchored the defensive effort by making 27 saves.
Looking ahead, “the Rangers will host Montreal on Monday night,” while the Canucks are scheduled to play at Vegas on Sunday night, as reported by AP News.