Glenn Gawdin scored the first two goals of his NHL career to propel the New York Rangers to a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. Gawdin, a center who recently joined the Rangers during their Western road trip, played in front of his hometown crowd for the first time.
Gawdin's emergence comes as the Rangers navigate an injury to fourth-line center Joe Veleno, who is on long-term injured reserve. The 29-year-old forward signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Rangers in the offseason. Prior to his recall, Gawdin had been playing in the American Hockey League, where he led the Wolf Pack with five goals and nine assists through 16 games.
The Rangers' offense surged in the second period, scoring three goals in a span of 3:09. Oliver Bjorkstrand broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal. Gawdin then capitalized on a misfired pass from Canucks goalie Leevi Merilainen to score his first NHL goal. The Rangers' top line contributed next, with Alexis Lafrenière scoring his 10th goal of the season off a passing sequence.
Gawdin sealed his career night by redirecting a Vladislav Gavrikov shot, extending the Rangers' lead to 5-1 heading into the third period. This marked the Rangers' sixth point from a possible eight on their longest road trip of the season.
The Canucks struggled offensively, managing only three high-danger chances in the first period despite sustained offensive zone time, according to Natural Stat Trick. Elias Pettersson opened the scoring for Vancouver early in the first period. However, the Rangers responded quickly, with Graeme Perreault tying the game shortly after with his seventh goal of the season.
The Canucks have struggled significantly this season, with their loss to the Rangers marking their seventh consecutive defeat and 17th in their last 18 games. Vancouver's sole regulation win this season dates back to October 3.