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 Rangers’ real strength is their depth-they have four lines capable of pushing play, and over the course of a game or a series, that constant pressure can exhaust a tired, banged-up defense like Ottawa’s.
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Chants of “Andy!” followed a little while later when Anderson shut down Chris Kreider’s chance from in tight.
Former Rangers forward Derick Brassard sent the game into OT with a late-game goal to tie it up while Tom Pyatt, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone were also able to beat NY goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
The former Rangers centre batted Clarke MacArthur’s rebound attempt off a number in bodies in front before it finally beat Lundqvist to tie the game at four.
Jesper Fast, Nick Holden and Ryan McDonagh had the other Rangers goals. Lundqvist made 27 saves.
The Senators held onto that lead for roughly eight minutes until the Rangers tied it and eventually took the lead. It was the third of the playoffs for Hoffman.
What the Rangers really need to do is win a game in Ottawa, but to get that opportunity they’ll have to hold serve in NY. It was Pyatt’s first of the playoffs.
The Rangers tied it up 3-3 with only 2:11 left in the period when McDonagh tipped a shot from Grabner by Anderson on the stick side which made for a tense third period.
Nearly immediately, the Senators moved in front when Smith carried the puck in the Rangers’ zone and sent a bad pass toward Tom Pyatt, who had to turn backward as he hit the slot area in front of the net.
The teams ended the second tied 23-23 on the shot clock.
With the Rangers on an odd-man rush, Holden darted past the hobbled Karlsson, accepted a lead pass from Kevin Hayes and beat Anderson over the right pad. Vesey had the only helper. The lead quickly vanished when the Sens scored two quick goals in a span of two minutes.
Three keys NY needs to focus on.
The frenzied first period action had fans cussing and mothers wondering how their parenting efforts had gone so horribly wrong.
The Senators decided they needed to save Erik Karlsson for Game 5 when he was clearly hurting Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. That kind of experience surely came in handy when he and his teammates arrived home from Ottawa trailing 2-0 in this series.
They’d be wise to find a way to get that done on Saturday. Ottawa only lost three games in a row just four times this season.
Each team had goals in the third period, courtesy of New York’s Jimmy Vesey and Ottawa’s Derick Brassard before Kyle Turris settled the contest in OT.
As indicated by Friday’s practice, Ovechkin skated on the third line and Burkovsky moved up to the first. Washington’s comeback spoiled the return of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby after a one-game absence due to a concussion.
It was a pretty strong statement from a Senators team trying to advance past the second round for the first time in a decade.
Washington’s Lars Eller had two assists.
“After games some times we were laughing and saying, ‘We brought the Wall tonight boys”. As the puck fell back toward the ice, Brassard swatted it out of the air, the puck hitting two Rangers before slipping in behind Lundqvist. The officials ruled no goal on the ice but video replay showed that the puck had indeed crossed the goal line.
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It was the first Capitals’ first goal from a bottom-six forward in the series. The all-star defenceman, who is playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel, fell awkwardly late in the second period.
