Rangers blank Senators behind Lundqvist's 20 saves
NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 20 shots as the New York Rangers ended a two-game slide by defeating the Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
Kevin Hayes, Michael Grabner and Mika Zibanejad had the goals for the Rangers (10-9-2), who had to kill off a five-minute penalty midway through the third period to preserve the win.
Senators goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 24 shots. The Senators (8-5-6) dropped their third game in a row.
After a scoreless first period, Hayes gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 4:46 of the second period. Jesper Fast earned the primary assist with a cross-ice pass to Hayes, who roofed a wrist shot over Anderson's catching glove from the left faceoff circle for his fifth goal of the season.
The Senators entered the night 0-for-8 on the power play over their previous two games and allowed two dangerous chances to the short-handed Rangers during their two power plays in the first period.
Derick Brassard nearly tied the game at 1 early in the third period when Lundqvist lost sight of the puck for a moment, but the goalie recovered in time to deny Brassard on the doorstep with his left pad.
About two minutes later, Grabner deflected home an insurance goal to give to the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Defenseman Marc Staal was able to glide in from the blue line unchecked, and he fired a wrist shot that Grabner redirected in the slot for his ninth goal of the season at 4:52.
Less than three minutes later, Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference against Senators forward Mark Borowiecki. Smith and Borowiecki were chasing a puck deep in the Rangers zone, and Smith launched Borowiecki into the boards, causing the back of the latter's head to whip into the boards.
The Rangers killed the five-minute power play and allowed just one shot.
Zibanejad put the game away by scoring an empty-net goal with 2:29 remaining.
NOTES: After using 11 forwards and seven defensemen the previous four games, the Senators scratched D Ben Harpur and inserted LW Nick Paul into the lineup. ... Since being acquired in a trade, C Matt Duchene has zero points in five games as a member of the Senators. ... Rangers C David Desharnais was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. ... The Rangers also scratched D Steven Kampfer.