Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren scores key goal in win over Devils

No single play in the Rangers’ convincing 5-1 win over the Devils in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday night was more appreciated by the Rangers than the second-period goal by Ryan Lindgren.

The Rangers’ 25-year-old defenseman, who does absolutely everything for the team except cook team meals and wash the dishes, gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead with an artistic wrist-shot flip from an impossible angle past Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek 3:03 remaining in the second period.

Lindgren, who sacrifices his body like no one else on the Rangers’ roster and is, bar none, the toughest player on the team, scored one goal in the regular season.

So, when this one rippled the back of the net, his teammates went nuts on the ice and on the bench at Prudential Center.

“I think I jumped like two feet in the air,” Chris Kreider, who scored two goals of his own, said. “Yeah, that was crazy. That was a really pretty goal. It as awesome to see. He just keeps on getting better and better. From his first year to now the way he moves in the offensive zone, makes reads, gets open.

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“That was a beautiful goal, a high-skilled play. Every single day he gets better and better. His approach is awesome. The group is excited for him. Big goal.”

Big reaction.

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“He saves his goals for this time of year,” Rangers defenseman Ryan Fox said. “When he’s able to contribute like he does, it’s always huge for us. It was a big goal, too, it made it 3-0. I saw him come down and I know he sometimes likes to flick it up there. He’s got the offensive game. He’s smart and doesn’t cheat for it, but when he’s got the opportunity for it, he doesn’t mind going in and he got a nice one there.”

Fox was one of the Rangers players who reacted with great exuberance when Lindgren scored.

“The way he scored was pretty good — in a tight window there and it was a big goal to make it 3-0,” Fox said. “When guys do other things like he does and get rewarded offensively, everyone obviously appreciates it. I don’t think anyone’s looking at him like, ‘Hey, you need to do the goal scoring for us.’ But he does so many other things and when he’s able to contribute in that sense, everyone gets a little boost from it.”