Up 2-0 in the series, the Senators will look to bury the Rangers deeper when they make their way to the Big Apple later tonight. The Senators are coming off an improbable 6-5 double overtime win, thanks largely to the heroics of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who tallied four times in the game, including the game winner.
The Senators, who are 4-1 in their last five road contests, were down 5-3 with less than four minutes to go in regulation in Game 2 before Pageau scored the last remaining goals of the game. With his Game 2 performance, Pageau just became the newest headache for the Rangers. While it’s unlikely Pageau will cough up another four-goal game, he’ll be a man to watch moving forward in addition to Bobby Ryan and Derick Brassard. Ryan is now second to Pageau on the team in goals this postseason with five, while Brassard paces the Sens in points with 8.
Craig Anderson had a heavy workload in Game 2, facing 48 shots and stopping 43. He’ll need better support from the guys in front of him as the Rangers are too deadly of a team on offense for the Senators to allow plenty of looks at the goal. Anderson is 6-2 with a 2.09 GAA and .923 SV% in eight starts thus far these playoffs.
Game 2’s loss isn’t going to be easy to forget for the Rangers but playing at home for the first time in this series should help ease the heartbreak for New York. The Rangers are 4-1 in its last five home games.
The Rangers will have to get Henrik Lundqvist back to his royal ways in front of the net. Lundqvist wasn’t himself in Game 2, allowing 6 goals on 34 shots faced. He’s now surrendered 8 goals out of 77 shots the Senators threw his way this series. A shutdown performance from Lundqvist tonight should refresh Ottawa just how hard it is to face a goalie of Lundqvist’s caliber. The Rangers are 3-1 in Lundqvist’s last four starts at home.
The Rangers’ offense is fine after scoring five goals in Game 2. They even netted two shorthanded goals, bringing their league-leading total to three these playoffs. Defenseman Brady Skjei is showing some great two-way play of late with four goals in his last eight games. Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner, meanwhile, each have three goals.
