With the thrilling 5-4 overtime win in Game 5, the Senators kept the series’ trend of the home team winning every game alive. It had a classic postseason intensity, as they rallied from two goals down and needed an extra period to complete the comeback.
Kyle Turris recorded the game-winning goal at the 6:28 mark of the OT. He now has one goal in back-to-back contests after only scoring one in his previous nine playoff games this season. Derrick Brassard, Erik Hoffman, and Mark Stone also scored for Ottawa, and they join Turris in having three scores in the postseason.
We should see all four become a focal point of the offense Tuesday night, with Erik Karlsson remaining as the main facilitator. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has 10 assists in the playoffs, tied for second-most in the that span.
The 15-year veteran, Craig Anderson, meanwhile, continues to have a tough time stopping the Rangers. Over the last four games of the series, he has allowed 16 goals and could only compile a .878 save percentage (115-for-131).
The Rangers had a frustrating defeat in Game 5. They had the Senators chasing for much of the game, but they just couldn’t close it out. It’s another addition to their 2016-17 collection of losses that had them giving up comfortable leads.
However, it’s good that Game 6 will be at their own turf. The Blueshirts have won four straight at the Garden, with their defense only allowing one goal per game in their last three. It’s a good relief, as they have finally erased the much-talked about strange playoff struggles at home, where they lost nine in an 11-game stretch.
In trying to push the series to the anxiety-inducing Game 7, we should see the Rangers rely a lot on their best guys on offense – Chris Kreider, Rick Nash, and Michael Grabner, who joins Mats Zucarello in leading the team in goals this postseason, with four.
Over on defense, Henrik Lundqvist’s presence should once again be felt. The former Vezina Trophy winner and future Hall-of-Famer has a 2.18 goals against average in the playoffs, along with a .930 save percentage.
