The New York Rangers were nearly down and out against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. In fact, they were less than 15 seconds away from losing just their third game in regulation this season. However, Alexis Lafreniere rose to the occasion. He scored his second goal of the game with 11 seconds remaining before winning the game in the shootout.

The Rangers are white-hot to begin the 2023-24 NHL season. They have won three games in a row, and nine of their last 10 games. New York has wins over the equally red-hot Vancouver Canucks and Metro Division rivals Carolina Hurricanes during this span.

Lafreniere has played a big role in New York's success early on. His two goals on Sunday give him seven on the young season. He now has 12 points through his first 14 games of the year. These are encouraging signs for the former first-overall pick.

“I'm playing with really good linemates and trying to get open,” the Rangers forward said of his performance, via ESPN. “We’ve got a lot of games to play, so I’m just trying to stay consistent and keep playing well.”

Lafreniere scored the only New York goal in the second period. Artemi Panarin found Vincent Trocheck skating into the offensive zone. Trocheck passed the puck through the slot to Lafreniere to give his team the lead at the time.

In the dying embers of the game, the 2020 first-overall pick slotted home a rebound to tie the game. And in the shootout, the 22-year-old skated through the slot and lifted a nifty backhand into the net for the win.

The Rangers have hoped to get the Quebec native going and to see some of the potential we saw from his draft year. It certainly seems like we are seeing some of that talent now. Let's see if Lafreniere can keep this going for the rest of the season.