Ottawa Citizen

Dzingel busts slump at just the right time

- KEN WARREN kwarren@postmedia.com Twitter: @Citizenkwa­rren

Ryan Dzingel had his legs going all night.

With 1:21 remaining in the second period, the speedy Ottawa Senators winger also found his long-lost scoring touch, finally solving the Rangers riddle named Henrik Lundqvist.

The power-play icebreaker against the Rangers goaltender, tying the game 1-1, was also the first playoff goal of his career.

“It’s one of the greatest feelings of my hockey career,” Dzingel said. “And especially in a win, it’s a lot sweeter. It’s hard to explain how exciting it was.”

Clearly, Senators coach Guy Boucher was playing a hunch in putting Dzingel on the power play. He entered the game on a 16-game scoring drought, including his first five games of the playoffs.

Dzingel credits his teammates for trying to lighten the pressure on him by staying away from the negative.

“I’ve got a lot of good linemates and teammates that helped me out,” he said. “(Alex) Burrows is always talking about staying positive and having fun.

“At the end of the day, we’re in the playoffs, we’re in second round and it’s what you dream of as a kid. No matter what happens, having a lot of fun.”

Fittingly, Burrows picked up an assist on the goal, providing a net front presence as Dzingel buried the shot high over Lundqvist.

For the longest time, it appeared as if the Senators might never get a shot past him.

“We were shooting so much and we had 21 shots in the first period,” Dzingel said. “We know he’s a great goalie, but you just try and stay positive and do what always doing. Getting 21 shots (in a period) and not scoring is definitely tough, but we found a way to battle back and found a way to get it done.”

After Erik Karlsson’s game winner, Dzingel was also in a happy place to talk about failing to convert with the potential gamewinnin­g goal on his stick earlier in the third period. All alone on a breakaway, Dzingel opted to take a slapshot that Lundqvist snared with his trapper.

“I tried to be like (Derick) Brassard and do the half slapshot on the breakaway,” he said. “I should have made a move because he was kind of back in his net, but he made an easy save.

“On breakaways, I’ve been snakebitte­n as of late. He was chuckling a little bit ... it hit him right in the glove.”

It’s one of the greatest feelings of my hockey career. … It’s hard to explain how exciting it was.

RYAN DZINGEL, on scoring the first playoff goal of his career Thursday night

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