SENS ADVANCE TO EAST FINAL
OTTAWA HOLDS ON FOR 3-2 VICTORY OVER HOST RANGERS
Senators await the winner of series between Penguins and Capitals
When it was over, Guy Boucher was asked to explain Erik Karlsson.
A wide grin crossed Boucher’s face as the press conference room on Madison Square Garden’s fifth floor dissolved into laughter.
“I’m glad he’s on my team,” Boucher said, a few minutes after Karlsson scored and added an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Tuesday night.
“Like all the other top quality stars that evolve into winners — whether it’s the (Sidney) Crosbys or those guys — that’s what he has,” Boucher said. “That’s why those stars become winners.” 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 semi.
“We want more,” said Mark Stone, who along with Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for the Senators. Craig Anderson stopped 37-of-39 shots.
Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves.
For the second time in three years, the Rangers’ season ended on home ice. And for 22nd straight year, they begin their summer without a Stanley Cup to celebrate.
“It’s an emotional and tough loss for everybody,” New York coach Alain Vigneault said.
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.
“We are just going to have to wait and see,” Lundqvist said. “All you feel is disappointment and it’s a numb feeling. It’s not a great feeling.”
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.
“That was something we needed,” Karlsson said about playing with a lead. “We took care of the few (offensive opportunities) we got and made it hard for them to get through the neutral zone and create anything really dangerous.”