Louis Domingue sharp in net to back Alexis Lafreniere's 3-point game as Rangers beat Wild

With both of their goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick unavailable Thursday and with defenseman Adam Fox and center Filip Chytil still sidelined with injuries, the Rangers needed their entire roster to dig deep if they were to keep their winning ways going.

Louis Domingue, recalled from AHL Hartford Wednesday, gave the Rangers what they needed in net by stopping 26 of 27 shots, and Alexis Lafrenière recorded a three-point game as the Rangers beat the Minnesota Wild, 4-1, at the Garden.

Lafreniere’s goal at 1:41 of the third period broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Rangers (10-2-1) to their eighth win in nine games.

“We certainly miss having those guys out of our lineup,’’ Rangers forward Blake Wheeler said when asked how the team could continue to have success without the injured players. “But what a gift it is to have the depth that we have, and to be able to call on Louis to come in here. It's definitely a blessing to have the amount of bodies we have in here that can get the job done.

Wheeler scored his first goal as a Ranger, on a power play at 14:38 of the third, to make it 3-1 and provide a little insurance.

Artemi Panarin, who set up Lafrenière’s goal with a cross-ice feed on a two-on-one to extend his season-opening point-streak to 13 games, added an empty-net goal with 1:21 remaining.

For Panarin, his point streak is one short of the franchise record for the longest streak to start a season. Rod Gilbert scored a point in 14 straight games to open the 1972-73 season. The franchise record for longest point streak overall is held by Brian Leetch, who had a point in 17 straight games in the 1991-92 season.

Red-hot Vincent Trocheck, who took Chytil’s spot on the second line, between Panarin and Lafrenière, had a goal (his third in two games) and two assists, as did Lafrenière. Panarin had one and one, giving the line a combined three goals and five assists in the game.

“Alexis’ got a lot of skill that I think [he and Panarin] think alike and they have a lot of skill that matches up and connects on the ice,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said of the line. “Vinny’s done a good job moving up in there and adding a little bit of a different element that’s more physical, a guy that’s heavy on the pucks and wins faceoffs, yet still has an unbelievable skill level, to complement those two players.’’

Trocheck, who had two goals in the 5-3 win over Detroit on Tuesday, opened the scoring at 3:56 of the first period, finishing a pretty passing sequence that started when Erik Gustafsson intercepted a clearing attempt by Minnesota just inside the offensive blue line. He passed the puck cross-ice to Lafrenière, who relayed it to a driving Trocheck in the middle. In one catch-and-shoot motion, Trocheck lifted a wrist shot over goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s stick hand for his fourth goal of the season.

The Rangers dominated the first period, outshooting Minnesota 14-2, but things turned 180 degrees in the second, as the Wild outshot the Rangers 15-3 and tied the score on a tip-in goal by Brandon Duhaime at 12:33. The goal came after Trocheck was foiled by Fleury (24 saves) on a shorthanded breakaway.

But the Rangers came out strong in the third, starting with a forceful opening shift by the top line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Wheeler, and the second line kept it going, until Lafrenière scored to break the tie.

“I don’t think anybody’s really happy with the second period and the way we played,’’ Laviolette said. “They kind of dictated what went on in the second, and then I really, really liked the response of our guys in the third period. We came right out again, off the hop, and pressed the action, pushed the action. We played just a terrific third period.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.