NEW YORK _ The talk leading up to Saturday's game was all about the Rangers' long week between games. But when it was over, the matter at hand was history, or at least what the Rangers hope will be a decade-plus of it.
Although they lost, 4-1, to the Oilers at Madison Square Garden for their first defeat of the season, the big moment came in the first period when rookie Kaapo Kakko, the second overall pick in this year's draft, scored his first NHL goal off an assist from Ryan Strome, the former Islander and Oiler.
The Rangers fell to 2-1, while the Oilers rose to 5-0, going ahead on a third-period power-play goal by Connor McDavid. Leon Draisaitl added an insurance goal shortly thereafter and he also scored an empty-netter at the end. Edmonton has come from behind in all five of its victories and swept the met area teams, also beating the Devils and the Islanders.
The Rangers had by far the better of the chances in the opening period, starting less than a minute in when Mika Zibanejad stole the puck from McDavid and turned it into a partial breakaway.
There were other opportunities, including when Chris Kreider hit the left post during a power play, and the celebratory goal horn went off even as play continued.
Then, with the Rangers on a 5-on-3 advantage, Zibanejad's shot from the doorstep was stopped by Oilers goalie Mike Smith.
Later, Brendan Smith whacked a shot off the crossbar.
Finally, with 1:32 left in the period, the Rangers broke through, with Kakko's historic goal.
Strome skated into the top of the slot and fed him with a nifty backhand pass. Kakko quickly maneuvered the puck from his backhand to his forehand then back to his backhand, flipping it past the left pad of a sprawling, face-down Smith with Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom in futile pursuit.
The 18-year-old Finn celebrated with a happy yell and gave Strome a big hug. When the goal was announced soon thereafter while Kakko's face was shown on the video board, fans gave him a long, loud ovation.
The Oilers appeared to have tied it 34 seconds into the second period, but an apparent goal was erased because of a goaltender interference penalty against Zack Kassian. Kassian did not agree with the call.
A few minutes later, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a sprawling stop on Edmonton's Alex Chiasson to preserve the narrow lead.
The Oilers broke through at 6:45 of the second when Klefbom's long shot slithered through traffic in Lundqvist's sightline and beat him for the tying goal.
Edmonton had the better of the play in the second. James Neal nearly put the Oilers ahead on a power play late in the period when he flipped a backhand toward the net from short range. But Lundqvist got a piece of it with his glove and it trickled just wide.
Neal hit the left post with just under 15 minutes left in the third period.
McDavid tripped Zibanejad at 6:20. But the Rangers were unable to convert on the power play despite some pressure.
At 8:33, Brendan Lemieux was called for interfering with McDavid. The Oilers converted at 9:44 when McDavid's centering pass caromed off the skate of defenseman Jacob Trouba and past Lundqvist.
Draisaitl's insurance goal came at 13:12 of the third.
