Senators at Rangers
The New York Rangers look to snap out of their funk on both ends of the ice when they host the red-hot Ottawa Senators on Sunday. New York has won just once in their last six games (1-4-1) while managing just one goal or fewer four times during that span, following a dominant start when it gained at least a point in 18 of the first 21 contests.
The Rangers have also allowed 17 goals during their slump. “At the end of the day we just have to play hard, play our system, play in our structure, and try to be better than the other team,” forward Derick Brassard told the New York Post. “Obviously we are facing some adversity right now and we are just going to have to battle through it.” The Senators come in off a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on Saturday that improved them to 7-2-2 in the last 11 games. Erik Karlsson, who leads all defensemen in the league with 32 points, had the winner Saturday to go along with two assists.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVAS, TSN5 (Ottawa), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (14-7-5): Forward Mike Hoffman is just as hot as Karlsson, recording nine goals during a seven-game point streak after notching his team-leading 14th Saturday to tie the game with 36.2 seconds left in the third period. Center Kyle Turris left Saturday’s game late in regulation with an apparent leg injury and his status is uncertain. Turris is one of five Senators with at least 22 points, including Karlsson, Hoffman, Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone, while Mika Zibanejad boasts 17.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (17-7-3): Leading scorer Mats Zuccarello has 22 points, but owns just one in the last seven games to join a group of forwards struggling in the offensive end. Power forward Rick Nash has slowed down after a hot stretch, registering no goals and one point the last four contests, while Kevin Hayes has just one assist in the past six games. Center Oscar Lindberg could earn more ice time after notching three goals in five games, tying for second among rookies with 10 overall.
OVERTIME
1. New York G Henrik Lundqvist’s next victory would tie him with Evgeni Nabokov (353) for 18th in NHL history.
2. Ottawa G Craig Anderson won on consecutive nights late last month, but the Senators lost the other three second games of back-to-backs this season.
3. The Rangers beat the Senators 2-1 in a shootout on Nov. 14 and took two of the three meetings last season.