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Tarasenko scores in debut as Rangers beat Kraken for 4th straight win
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Rangers have won five straight at home and are 12-3-0 in their last 15 at Madison Square Garden

Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first goal for New York Rangers, who defeated the slumping Seattle Kraken 6-3 on Friday night.

The Rangers recorded their fourth consecutive victory as they have won five straight at home and are 12-3-0 in their last 15 at Madison Square Garden.

Tarasenko, who was placed on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad after being obtained from the St. Louis Blues Thursday afternoon, hit the target for his new team 2:49 into the first period.

“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this in my life. It’s my first time getting traded in the NHL, like I spent 11 years in one city,″ 31-year-old Tarasenko said. “The guys give us a very warm welcome … Crazy day though.”

Kaapo Kakko and Vincent Trocheck also scored in the three-goal opening period as the Rangers improved to 5-0-1 since revamping their lines in the wake of a 3-1 home loss to the league-best Boston Bruins on Jan. 19.

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren added a short-handed empty-net goal.

Jacob Trouba and Zibanejad added power-play goals as New York also improved to 19-4-3 in their past 26 games.

Rangers’s Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves and stopped Brandon Tanev on a short-handed breakaway late in the third.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the second period while Jared McCann and Tanev tallied 22 seconds apart in the third as the Kraken dropped to 3-6-1 since winning eight straight Jan. 1-14.

Seattle goalie Martin Jones allowed five goals on 27 shots.

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