Marchand scores in OT, Bruins beat Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) — Brad Marchand scored 36 seconds into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night in the opener of a two-game set at Madison Square Garden.

Marchand beat goalie Alexander Georgiev with a nifty forehand-backhand maneuver. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy broke up an odd-man rush and set up Marchand.

Chris Wagner and Ander Bjork also scored and Tuukka Rask made 33 saves to help the Bruins extended their winning streak to four and points streak to nine games at 8-0-1.

Julien Gauthier — with his first in NHL goal — and Kevin Rooney scored for New York, Brendan Lemieux had two assists and Georgiev stopped 29 shots. The Rangers have lost two in a row.

The teams will meet again Friday night.

Georgiev made his first start since a postgame altercation with defenseman Tony DeAngelo that followed an overtime loss to Pittsburgh. DeAngelo has since cleared waivers and will not play another game with the Rangers, according to general manager Jeff Gorton.

Rooney evened it at 2 midway through the third, less than three minutes after Bjork gave the Bruins the lead. Rooney buried a loose puck at the side of the net after Lemieux redirected a shot from Ryan Lindgren.

Wagner tied it at 1 with a short-handed goal midway through the second period.

Gauthier opened the scoring in the first.

TIGHT FINISH

Each of the Rangers’ last 10 games have been decided by two goals or fewer and seven of those contests have had a one-goal differential.