SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Rangers are champions of the Metropolitan Division.
The Blueshirts captured their second division crown in the last four years — they won the then-named Atlantic in 2011-12 — by defeating the surging Wild 3-2 on Thursday.
J.T. Miller deflected Ryan McDonagh's point drive at 6:48 of the third to give the Rangers the game-deciding lead after Thomas Vanek's goal at 5:53 had tied the score. Henrik Lundqvist was outstanding with his team under siege for much of the third period.
The Blueshirts, who have five games remaining, were seven points behind the Islanders (while holding two games in hand) following their Jan. 27, 4-1 defeat at the Coliseum. The Rangers, 38-11-3 since Dec. 8, had previously trailed the then-division-leading Penguins by 13 points (with a pair of games in hand) on Dec. 12.
By winning the division, the Rangers are guaranteed home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Blueshirts played one of their most impressive periods of the year in gaining a 2-0 lead over the Wild before the first intermission. The Rangers beat the Wild to the spot, to the puck, and created a significant advantage in zone time through the opening 17 minutes before Minnesota's first power play stunted the Rangers' momentum.
Dominic Moore got the Rangers on the board at 2:08, going directly to the front on a change for Kevin Hayes to get a piece of Carl Hagelin's left point drive after it glanced off defenseman Marco Scandella.
The Rangers increased their lead to 2-0 at 14:37 when Rick Nash's sharp angle shot from the right goal line snuck through Devan Dubnyk, the goaltender perhaps concerned about an uncovered Keith Yandle breaking to the net from the left point.
Nash's 41st of the year — tying a career high first established in 2003-04 with the Blue Jackets — was just his sixth of the year on the power play and first with the man advantage since Feb. 7 at Nashville. It also was the Rangers' second power-play goal in four advantages over two games after having gone 2-for-30 over the previous 14 matches.
Lundqvist did not face a heavy burden, but the netminder did make a couple of sparkling saves, including a pad stop on Zach Parise's backhand in front at 1:45 after the former Devils captain was left alone in front following a failed clearing attempt by Tanner Glass, who struggled badly throughout.
Martin St. Louis skated with Hayes and Hagelin in returning to the lineup after being sidelined for eight games with the knee injury he sustained on Feb. 15.
The winger had missed a total of seven games because of injury — seven! — over the last 11 seasons. He missed 29 games with a broken leg in 2001-02, and four others due to injury the previous season.
"I don't know the amount of games I've missed in my career, but I know it's not a lot," said No. 26. "I've never enjoyed the time away from it, away from the guys and not being in the battle. That's all I know.
"Some people ask me, 'What would you be if you weren't a hockey player? I say, 'I have no clue,'' St. Louis said. "My whole life I've dedicated myself to being a hockey player. That's all I know and that's all I want to be, and I have a chance to be that again [Thursday]."
The Wild reversed the first period's imbalance in the second, carrying the play for much of the first 11 minutes before the penalty parade. Minnesota — on 6-0, 8-1 and 25-5-1 runs — cut the Rangers' margin to 2-1 at 5:24 when Matt Dumba's attempted pass/shot from low on the left side glanced in off Jason Pominville's skate at the right post.
The Blueshirts managed just four shots on Dubnyk with their man-advantages despite the almost continuous string of power plays that began at 11:13 and included a double-minor high stick against Ryan Suter when the defenseman reopened the cut on Miller's nose that first bled as a result of the Dustin Byfuglien uncalled — but suspension-worthy — cross check on Tuesday in Winnipeg.
The Rangers entered the third with 1:05 remaining on the delay of game penalty on Ryan Carter that had overlapped with the back end of Suter's high-sticking infraction.
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