NEW YORK – Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris scored in a 1:04 span late in the second period and the Ottawa Senators’ continued their dazzling playoff push behind goaltender Andrew Hammond with a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Hammond had 26 saves in collecting his third shutout as the Senators improved to 22-4-4 since Feb. 10, giving them 97 points in the wild race five-team race for the final four playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Hammond has been the difference for Ottawa. The 27-year-old is 19-1-2 since taking over as the starting goaltender on Feb. 8, and this win over the Presidents’ Cup winners avenged his only loss.
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Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored into an empty net with 1:39 to play.
The Rangers tested him, particularly in the third period but he stood tall.
Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves in seeing his four-game winning streak and the Rangers’ five-game run stopped.
The loss in their regular-season home finale prevented the Rangers (52-21-7) from breaking their franchise record for wins (52) and points (112), both set in 1993-94, the last time they won the Stanley Cup. New York will close its season at Washington on Saturday.
The Senators took the lead in the final three minutes of the second period, less than a minute after Hammond slid across the crease to make a pad stop on Kevin Hayes with the net wide open. All Hayes had to do was lift the puck and he slid it into the goaltender.
MacArthur put the Senators ahead when he ripped a Mark Stone pass from behind the net past Lundqvist from low in the left circle. It was his 16th goal of the season and third in the last six games.
Turris increased the margin 64 seconds later with a deflection of MacArthur’s shot. The puck bounced on the ice after it was redirected and Lundqvist made a snapping glove move to get a piece of it. However, it fell out of his glove, went over his shoulder and dropped into the net.
New York made its push in the opening 10 minutes of the third period, sending at least a half-dozen good scoring chances at Hammond.
Derick Brassard and James Sheppard had chances from the left circle, Carl Hagelin had a deflection in front, and Keith Yandle and Chris Kreider had hard shots that tested the goaltender.
The Senators had an apparent first-period goal by defenceman Patrick Wiercioch nullified when Mika Zibanejad was called for goaltender interference. The forward hit Lundqvist’s skate with the shot en route, knocking the goaltender off-balance and causing some concern about his left knee.
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