Senators finish off the Big Apple
Senators were outscored in the series, but Karlsson and cohorts had four close wins
NEW YORK— Captain Erik Karlsson scored and added an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 4-2 win against the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Tuesday night.
The Senators have reached the Eastern Conference final for the third time in franchise history, making it that deep into the playoffs in 2003 and 2007.
Ottawa won its best-of-seven series with New York 4-2, and awaits the winner of the Penguins-Capitals series. Game 7 of that series is Wednesday in Washington. Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson stopped 37 of 39 shots.
Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider scored for New York, which outscored Ottawa 20-19 during the series. Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves.
For the second time in three years, the Rangers’ season ended on home ice. And for 22nd consecutive season, the Rangers begin their summer without a Stanley Cup to celebrate.
This might be the most painful defeat as Lundqvist turned 35 earlier this season, and there has been season-long speculation that general manager Jeff Gorton may attempt to either trade or buy out veteran defencemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal in an attempt to get younger and free up salary cap space
Hoffman deftly redirected Karlsson’s slap pass from the point 4:27 into the game to stop the Senators’ series-long trend of allowing the game-opening goal. Karlsson began the sequence which culminated with Hoffman’s fourth of the playoffs by blocking a Nick Holden shot before leading the rush up-ice.
Ottawa very nearly took a 2-0 lead with 6:49 left in the period on a Karlsson slapshot from the right wing, but Lundqvist made a dazzling glove save as he fell to the ice. But there was nothing the New York goalkeeper could do on Stone’s goal one minute 36 seconds later.
Stone’s goal, his fourth of the playoffs, was challenged by New York head coach Alain Vigneault as the Rangers believed Kyle Turris was offside. A review confirmed the goal.
Zibanejad, the ex-Senator, halved the lead with goal 13:32 into the second period. But for all intents and purposes, Karlsson’s snapshot from the low slot at 15:53 ended the series. The goal was his second of the playoffs and his 13th point overall. It also finished a chain in which Mats Zuccarello’s cross ice pass to Zibanejad was knocked away, leading to Karlsson’s counterattacking with Bobby Ryan.
Kreider’s third of the playoffs 53 seconds into the third cut the Senators’ lead to 3-2. Kreider had a good chance nearly five minutes later, but Anderson’s pad save kept Ottawa in the lead.
The Rangers outshot Ottawa, 15-5, in the third period and 38-26 overall.
Pageau’s empty-netter with seven seconds left in the third ended the scoring.