Pageau’s 4th of game is winner
Jean-Gabriel Pageau might not have seen the goal that capped his fourgoal afternoon for the Ottawa Senators.
Pageau scored a careerhigh four goals, including the winner 2:54 into the second overtime, to lift the host Senators to a 6-5 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday and give Ottawa a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series.
“I think I closed my eyes when I shot, and thankfully it went in,” Pageau said of the winner. “I was on a cloud, and it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Pageau also scored twice in the final 3:19 of regulation to tie the score. He tipped Zack Smith’s shot past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist to pull the Senators to 5-4 and then tied it by deflecting a shot by Kyle Turris with 1:02 remaining.
“That last deflection, I don’t even know how he did that,” Lundqvist said. “The way he angled the stick, he didn’t even know he hit the net, I think.”
Pageau then scored the winner by snapping in a shot during a 2-on-1 rush alongside former Shark Tommy Wingels.
After the score, Pageau slid into the end boards, skated to the left corner and was swarmed by teammates. Wingels scooped the puck out of the goal before joining the pile.
Pageau is the first Senator with four goals in a playoff game.
“I thought his quota was full,” captain Erik Karlsson said when asked if Pageau was his pick for the double-OT winner.
The series heads to New York for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Penguins 6, Capitals 2: Sidney Crosby set up two goals and visiting Pittsburgh chased goalie Braden Holtby in a Game 2 win. The Penguins have a 2-0 lead in the East series as it heads to Pittsburgh. Game 3 is Monday night.
Penguins goalie MarcAndre Fleury stopped 34 shots in his second consecutive strong performance. Holtby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, surrendered three goals on 14 shots before getting pulled after the second period.
Capitals backup Philipp Grubauer allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced in relief.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals are in a difficult hole. Teams that have lost the first two games of a best-of-seven series at home are 18-69 (21.7 percent) all time in the Stanley Cup playoffs.