Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox each score two goals as Rangers top Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each scored two goals, Jonathan Quick had 21 saves, and the Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks 6-1 on Saturday.

Jonny Brodzinski and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Rangers.

Cam Lund scored a power play goal for San Jose for his first career point, and Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev had 27 saves.

Panarin, who scored his team-leading 32nd and 33rd goals, got the Rangers started scoring twice in less than two minutes in a first period in which the Rangers out-shot San Jose 14-5. His first goal broke a scoreless tie at 12:04 of the first and then next at 13:58 made it 2-0.

Takeaways

Rangers: The Rangers solidified their position in the wild card playoff race. They had lost eight of their previous 11 games (3-6-2) going into Saturday.

Sharks: Were seeking what would have been their first three-game winning streak since early December.

Key moment

Fox’s goal at 4:48 of the second period made it a 3-0 game and gave the Rangers some breathing room a day after they blew a two-goal lead in the third period of Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Anaheim.

Key stat

The Rangers won 67.9% of the faceoffs in Saturday’s game. New York ranked third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (53%) going into Saturday, and San Jose ranked No. 25 (48.2%)

Up next

The Rangers host Minnesota on Wednesday, and the Sharks play the Kings in Los Angeles on Sunday.