Kreider’s 3rd-period goal gives Rangers 3-2 win over Jets

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- Chris Kreider scored with 3:46 left in the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Lundqvist, playing for the second time since missing 25 games with a neck injury, stopped 32 shots and earned his first win in his return.

Kreider beat defensemen Adam Pardy and Dustin Byfuglien near the blue line and sent a backhand deke past sprawling goalie Ondrej Pavelec to break a 2-2 tie.

The playoff-bound Rangers (48-21-7) also got goals from Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard, snapped a two-game skid, and moved one point ahead of Montreal atop the Eastern Conference.

Jim Slater and Lee Stempniak scored for Winnipeg (39-26-12). Pavelec made 21 saves in the loss.

Slater scored his fourth goal of the season and second in three games. He kicked a loose puck to his stick at the side of the net and beat Lundqvist at 3:16 of the first period to put the Jets ahead 1-0.

Zuccarello tied it six and a half minutes later with a close shot off a rebound of Rick Nash's shot for his 15th goal.

Winnipeg outshot New York 16-9 in the first period.

Stempniak, acquired in a trade with the Rangers on March 1, capitalized on a slick pass from Mathieu Perreault to restore Winnipeg's lead.

Perreault was skating along the boards past the faceoff circle and suddenly sent a pass back and out to Stempniak, who beat Lundqvist high on the glove side at 1:25 to make it 2-1.

The Rangers tied it again when Brassard benefited from a screened Pavelec to score his 17th goal of the season at 10:13 on the power play.

The teams tied 7-7 in shots in the middle frame.

NOTES: Lundqvist lost at Boston on Saturday in his first game back. ... The Jets welcomed back top center Bryan Little, who missed 11 games with an upper-body injury. He logged 19:41 of ice time. ... Winnipeg will host Vancouver on Saturday to end a four-game homestand. The Rangers will visit Minnesota on Thursday.

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