Winners, losers from Rangers deflating overtime loss to Senators
For the second consecutive game, the New York Rangers squandered a third period lead and were unable to win in overtime, leaving another valuable point on the table at a time when points have never been more crucial. Up 3-1 early in the third period, the Rangers gave up two goals, and lost in overtime 4-3 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
While it’s not the end of the world for the Rangers, the loss warrants plenty of concern going forward. Failing to close out a game with a two-goal lead in the third period is not the characteristic of a team fighting for their playoff lives.
Nonetheless, the Blueshirts won’t have much time to dwell. They’ve got another game Sunday that carries even more significance against the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Rangers can overtake in the standings with a win.
Now, lets take a look at the winners and losers from the overtime loss in Ottawa:
Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from another brutal overtime loss
Winner – Carson Soucy – Rangers
It was about as good of a Rangers debut as it could get for newest acquisition Carson Soucy, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick ahead of the trade deadline. While not known for his offensive capabilities, Soucy scored a big goal in the first period to put the Rangers ahead 1-0. He finished the day with that goal and 15:39 of ice time.
Loser – K’Andre Miller and the Rangers at 3-on-3
When the Rangers desperately needed to find an extra point in overtime, K’Andre Miller gave a brutal cross-ice pass that was intended for J.T. Miller, but it was far behind him as he was streaking up the ice. The end result, a 2-on-1 opportunity and the overtime winner for Brady Tkachuck. In games decided in the five-minute overtime, the Rangers now have a 1-6 record. Turn half of those losses into wins, and the playoff picture looks a little different right now.
Winner – Brady Tkachuk – Senators
In his 500th NHL game, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk came up with a big-time performance. He scored two goals for Ottawa including the overtime winner less than 24 hours after an emotional interview following the trade of one of his closest friends in Josh Norris. Tkachuk had an incredible nine shots on goal against the Rangers, showing why he is one of the most dominant power-forwards in the NHL.
Winner – Rangers penalty kill
While it’s certainly not ideal that the Rangers found themselves short-handed five times in this contest, their penalty kill came up big once again. Among the top-three in the League, the PK unit went a perfect 5-for-5 on the night, although the third Ottawa goal came just as a Ranger penalty was expiring. Still, this game could have easily been a regulation loss if not for the outstanding work of Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers man-down unit.
Loser – Columbus Blue Jackets
The worst-case scenario for the Columbus Blue Jackets was for this game to go to overtime, and that’s exactly what happened. Columbus, inactive on Saturday, entered the day hanging onto the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With the Senators getting two points, they leapfrog the Blue Jackets and bring their season total to 69 points. The Rangers earn the single point by getting to overtime, and tie the Blue Jackets for the second wild card at 68. The game Sunday between New York and Columbus will be another huge four-point swing.
Winner – Artemi Panarin’s goal streak
If there’s any positives to take away from this game for the Rangers, it’s that Artemi Panarin continues to stay red-hot as he extends his goal streak to four consecutive games. Panarin scored New York’s third goal of the game to put them ahead 3-1 roughly seven minutes into the third period. On top of his four goals, he has three assists for a total of seven points in his past four games, heating up at the perfect time for the Rangers.
Loser – Rangers’ inability to put games away
Once again, the Rangers threw away a golden opportunity to earn important points. While they were the comeback kings last season, they now seem to lack the killer instinct that it takes to put games away. They’ve blown third period leads in back-to-back games, and have had trouble hanging onto games throughout the season. Their inability to win in overtime only makes matters worse. All in all, this is a trend that will have to stop if the Rangers want any chance at a playoff berth.
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