Rangers at Senators
Fresh off a huge victory that secured a spot in the postseason, the Ottawa Senators still have some unfinished business as they prepare to host the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. The Senators, who lead third-place Boston by one point in the Atlantic with a game in hand, can wrap up second place in the division with a victory in either of their last two games.
Ottawa, which completed a season sweep of Boston with a 2-1 shootout victory Thursday, also can drop into the second wild card -- which means a first-round matchup with NHL-best Washington -- but the team is not content to settle for a playoff slot. "We're going to keep pushing," coach Guy Boucher said after Thursday's win. "Right now, it's great. But also we want more." The Rangers also have two games remaining but have nothing for which to play, locked into the top wild card and a matchup against Montreal in the opening round. New York sat out six regulars in Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Washington, but will be facing an opponent missing its best player in Senators captain Erik Karlsson.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, MSG (New York), Sportsnet, RDS (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (47-27-6): Captain Ryan McDonagh was back at practice Friday but will sit out a fourth straight game against the Senators, although coach Alain Vigneault said the defenseman could play versus Pittsburgh on Sunday. "He's had just one practice," Vigneault said Friday. "He said to me he felt real good and he's been skating on his own, but he's definitely not going to play tomorrow." Vigneault remained mum on his starting lineup for Saturday's game, although Henrik Lundqvist will get the nod in goal.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (43-27-10): Karlsson, Ottawa's leading scorer with 71 points, injured his right foot Tuesday against Detroit, forcing him to sit out Thursday's game as well as the weekend matchups against the Rangers and New York Islanders. "Most likely Erik will not play until the end of the regular season," general manager Pierre Dorion said. "If tomorrow was Game 1 of the playoffs ... he would be playing." Dorion said Zack Smith, who has missed the last four games, is ready to return to the lineup.
OVERTIME
1. Smith and fellow Senators F Mark Stone are mired in goal droughts of 13 and 14 games, respectively.
2. Despite a 2.08 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, Lundqvist is 15-17-3 against the Senators.
3. Ottawa has surrendered 11 power-play goals in the past 10 games.