Rangers get past Senators
Marian Gaborik scored twice, Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists, and the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to five with a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots for New York (8-3-3), which hit the road for the first time since a 4-1-1 homestand. The Rangers haven't lost since Oct. 29 when Ottawa rallied from three goals down in the third period and won 5-4 in a shootout.
Gaborik, who extended his point streak to four games, and Stepan scored 2:17 apart to put the Rangers up 2-1 midway through the second period.
Stepan assisted on both of Gaborik's goals, including the Slovakian right wing's second of the game that gave New York a short-lived, two-goal lead 8:30 into the third. Artem Anisimov earned his second assist of the game on the goal.
Nick Foligno drew Ottawa within one 1:18 later, but the Senators' comeback attempt fell short. Milan Michalek scored his 10th goal and Craig Anderson made 16 saves for Ottawa, which lost its fourth in a row.
Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson missed his fifth straight game because of a concussion. Ottawa is 1-3-1 since losing Alfredsson, who was injured on a hit to the head by Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski in the previous meeting between the teams.
The Rangers' fortunes have headed in the opposite direction since the hit, which drew a minor penalty for Wolski but no supplemental discipline.
Rangers agitator Sean Avery fought Zenon Konopka 2:50 in, and Senators defenseman Jared Cowan and New York's Andre Deveaux also received fighting majors 13:16 into the second.
Anisimov had a breakaway in the first but Anderson got a piece of his shot, which glanced off the left post.
Ottawa struck first to take a 1-0 lead 8:39 into the second.
Jason Spezza stick-handled his way past referee Ghislain Hebert to start the play before Michalek picked up the puck in the slot and put a wrist shot past Lundqvist.
The Rangers struck back to tie it and take the lead with two quick goals, both resulting from turnovers by Ottawa defensemen.
Stepan intercepted Sergei Gonchar's pass back along the left boards to set up the tying goal. He fed a pass to Gaborik, who put a shot past Anderson at 9:21.
Anisimov cut off David Rundblad's misguided pass attempt as the rookie defenseman tried to carry the puck out from behind the net. Stepan jumped on the loose puck to beat a helpless Anderson for his third goal at 11:38.
Stepan fed a cross-ice pass to Gaborik to launch the 2-on-1 break that led to New York's third goal. Gaborik fired a shot past Anderson from the left circle for his ninth goal and second of the game.
NOTES: Gaborik has four goals and three assists during his point streak. Stepan and Anisimov both have points in three consecutive games. ... Lundqvist made a fantastic glove save to rob Senators D Erik Karlsson 3:08 into the second. ... Karlsson earned his team-leading 13th assist on Michalek's goal.