His overtime victor put the Senators one win away from the Eastern Conference finals. The Senators certainly didn’t look good on the road earlier in this series, outscored 8-2 in Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden.
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For the third time this postseason, the Rangers gave up a 6-on-5 goal and blew a late-game lead, this one resulting in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Senators in Game 5 of their second-round series Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre. “Every game is tough and you’re not going to get anything for free”, NY netminder Henrik Lundqvist told reporters. “Definitely somebody who came out with the max character and pushback that we can expect from him”.
“It’s the only approach we can have right now”, Vigneault said referring to the home dominance in the series.
“I know it’s Kentucky Derby day”.
That’s where Kyle Turris won it, giving the Senators a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and putting the Rangers on the brink of elimination. The Senators are now 5-1 in overtime during their incredible 2017 playoff run, including a ideal 4-0 mark in Saturday afternoon games at home.
The Rangers have been the better team for the vast majority of the series. “We hadn’t given them much at all”.
Then, at 15:54, Lindberg floated a shot from the left wing that somehow eluded Anderson after a strong forecheck by Glass and J.T. Miller to give NY a three-goal advantage.
NEW YORK Its up to you, New York.
Oscar Lindberg, thriving on a line with J.T. Miller and Tanner Glass, has scored three goals in the last two games.
NY nearly snared the game-winner four minutes into the extra period, but Michael Grabner’s goal was disallowed due to a high stick.
The Turris victor also was reviewed, when New York’s bench challenged that he was offside.
“After reviewing all available replays and consulting with the linesman, NHL Hockey Operations staff confirmed that Turris had possession and control of the puck as he entered the attacking zone prior to the goal”, an NHL statement said.
“I guess that was our horse tonight”, Boucher said with a nod to the Kentucky Derby.
“I’ve never known a guy so passionate about the game”, Brassard said. On the forecheck, it usually manifests by pinching up to the point-in the best-case scenario, keeping the puck in the offensive zone for more chances, and at the very least cutting off rushes the other way.
Boucher said he wasn’t concerned about the lack of playing time for Neil when asked about it before the game.
If the Rangers are unable to come back and win the final two games of the series, they’ll look back at their blown opportunities.
After spotting the Rangers a two-goal lead, the Senators were able to get a little momentum back when Stone scored his third of the playoffs. “That’s our mindset. We play well at home and we have to keep playing like that”.
For long stretches, he’ll look like the only thing keeping the Sens in the game, and then he’ll either make a boneheaded move or forget how to stop the puck, and suddenly become the reason the Sens are losing.
Told his team has been written off after being badly outplayed in Games 3 and 4, Boucher said the Senators are not done yet.
NOTES: The Senators sat LW Ryan Dzingel to get RW Chris Neil into just his second game since February 26.
On Thursday, he played 14:54, leaving those additional minutes to Cody Ceci, Marc Methot and Ben Harpur. The Rangers made no lineup changes.
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Despite being outshot early once again, the Penguins took a 1-0 lead on Hagelin’s first goal of the playoffs at 10:24 of the first period.
