OTTAWA, Ontario – Given how entertaining the Eastern Conference quarterfinal between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers has been so far, it only seems fitting the matchup would go the full seven games. The Rangers forced a seventh and deciding game with a 3-2 win in Ottawa on Monday night. The series will conclude Thursday at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“I’m thinking about it right now,” Rangers’ forward Brandon Prust told the New York Times of the highly anticipated game seven.
Derek Stepan led New York offensively in game six, scoring once and adding two assists. It was an impressive night of work by any measure, especially since Stepan failed to register a single point in the first five games of the series.
“I got a little of a monkey off my back,” Stepan said to Newsday. “I was having a tough time scoring. It was a relief to find the back of the net. Not only that, the power play gets a boost from it, too.”
The Senators struck first in game six, sending the capacity crowd in Scotiabank Place into a frenzy when Chris Neil redirected a Sergei Gonchar point shot past Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist at 7:05 of the opening period.
The Rangers used a power play goal from Stepan at 8:55 of the second period to tie the game at one. Brad Richards put New York up 2-1 with a power play marker at 17:08 of the middle frame, before Rangers rookie Chris Kreider gave his club a 3-1 lead when he scored his first NHL goal with just 41 seconds remaining in the second period.
Ottawa valiantly attempted a comeback in the third period and cut the Rangers lead to one when Jason Spezza scored with just 38.4 seconds left on the clock. The goal was controversial, however, as the puck appeared to have been kicked in by Neil during a wild scum in front of the New York net.
Lundqvist was livid with officials after they decided the goal would stand. He remained displeased even after the game ended and reporters descended on the Rangers locker room.
“It’s unbelievable,” Lundqvist told the Canadian Press of the goal. “”It still upsets me because we had this game, then they get a chance. Someone wants them back in the game, obviously, because there’s no other explanation.”
Lundqvist finished the game with 25 saves, while Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson stopped 19 shots in a losing effort.
New York scored two power play goals in the contest, while the Senators cashed in once with the man advantage.
“We did a great job drawing the penalties. That’s the difference: capitalizing. It’s deflating when you don’t,” Richards told Newsday. “We knew it’s tough to close out on home ice when you know you have another game to play, so we knew if we could just stay in the game and get a little momentum that it’s going to be tough for them.”
Contact Darcy.MacRae@prohockeynews.com
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