Chris Kreider hat trick powers Rangers past Canadiens

Chris Kreider scored twice in the second period and finished off his sixth career hat trick with 12:01 left in the third as the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to six games with a 7-4 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens Thursday night.

The Rangers matched their longest winning streak of the season by dominating the latter portion of the second after losing right wing Blake Wheeler to a scary right leg injury with about nine minutes left in the first.

Kreider scored the first and final goal of New York's four-goal outburst in a span of 4:10 in the second. He ended New York's 0-for-18 skid on the power play with his second tally and notched the hat trick by finishing off an odd-man rush with Mika Zibanejad, who collected a short-handed goal and two assists.

Rookie Will Cuylle also scored and Zibanejad scored after his goal was waved off in the first period due to a high stick.

Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko scored around Kreider's third goal.

Adam Fox collected four assists and Artemi Panarin contributed three assists as the Rangers scored seven goals for the third time this season.

New York goalie Jonathan Quick made 31 saves.

Jake Evans and Juraj Slafkovsky scored before Cole Caulfield tallied twice in the third for the Canadiens, who allowed seven goals or more for the third time.

Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault allowed seven goals on 31 shots.

Kreider began the outburst with 8:51 left in the second with a shot from the right circle after Zibanejad dug the puck out from the right corner. Cuylle put the Rangers ahead 78 seconds later by deflecting Ryan Lindgren's pass over Montembeault.

Zibanejad scored on a delayed Montreal penalty by ripping a slap shot from the right circle with 5:17 left that sailed past Montembeault's right pad inside the right post and was upheld after Montreal challenged for goaltender interference.

New York took a 4-1 lead with 4:41 left when Kreider tipped in Panarin's pass from near the blue line over Montembeault's stick and New York answered Slafkovsky's goal when Trocheck ripped a shot from the circle 4:22 into the third.

Kreider scored his third goal by tapping the puck into the vacated net after Zibanejad's pass slid past Montreal defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic. Kakko followed by making a strong move to the net for New York's seventh goal with 10:04 left.