Rangers squander opportunity for wild-card push in painful OT defeat to Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario — Once again, the Rangers failed to seize a critical moment this season.
They had a significant opportunity this weekend with back-to-back games against the two teams directly ahead of them in the Eastern Conference wild-card race — the Senators and the Blue Jackets. Yet, in what seemed like their moment to make a statement, the Rangers came up short.
Brady Tkachuk netted the game-winning goal just 33 seconds into overtime, completing Ottawa’s comeback and delivering a 4-3 loss to the Rangers Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre. As a result, the Rangers were forced to settle for one point and enter their Sunday night matchup at Madison Square Garden tied with Columbus for the second wild-card spot.
The Rangers now have another shot to break into the top spot and make their mark in the tight wild-card race. But to truly emphasize the significance of this moment, this weekend represented one of their biggest opportunities — and, unsurprisingly, the Rangers couldn’t capitalize.
“That’s disappointing,” head coach Peter Laviolette remarked, a sentiment he’s expressed many times this season. “We were in control of the game. We didn’t finish it.”
The Rangers watched a two-goal lead evaporate in the third period in just under seven minutes. Ridley Greig scored off a rebound just as the Senators’ fifth power play expired, pulling Ottawa within one. The Senators kept pressuring, firing 14 shots on Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin in the third, and Michael Amadio pounced on a loose puck in the crease to tie the game, sending the majority of the crowd into a frenzy.
“We don’t have time to be frustrated for too long. We have a very important game tomorrow,” said Artemi Panarin, whose team-leading 27th goal had given the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the third period. “We have to be ready.”
The game started tight in the first period, with both teams fighting for control in their third and final regular-season meeting. The Rangers took the lead when Carson Soucy, in his first game with New York after being traded from Vancouver, scored on his first shot. Soucy’s shot trickled past Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark, prompting a review, but the goal was confirmed after the refs ruled it valid.
The Senators thought they had equalized during their second power play when a scramble in front of the net led them to believe the puck had crossed the line. However, after review, the goal was disallowed, and the Rangers retained their one-goal lead.
Mika Zibanejad extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 early in the second period, firing a wrist shot past Ullmark off a feed from J.T. Miller. However, Ottawa responded just 11 seconds later when Tkachuk tipped in a shot from Nick Jensen to make it 2-1.
Late in the second period, the Rangers took their 10th “too many men on the ice” penalty of the season — their third such penalty in as many games. That penalty carried over into the third period, but despite Ottawa having multiple chances, the Senators went 0-for-5 on the power play.
“We’re making simple mistakes, but it happened. It can’t be every game, though,” Panarin said. “I think everyone just needs to stay more focused on the bench and, if you’re unsure, ask one extra time.”
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