Rangers 4, Senators 1
NEW YORK -- Center Derick Brassard scored twice as the New York Rangers defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.
Brassard's second of the game and 10th of the season came midway through the third period, as he beat Senators goaltender Craig Anderson with a slap shot on a breakaway to give the Rangers a two-goal lead.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 23 shots to earn the win.
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh scored in the first period and right winger Jesper Fast added an empty-net goal with 1:31 remaining.
Defenseman Marc Methot scored for the Senators, who received 27 saves from goaltender Craig Anderson.
Power-play goals about five minutes apart gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead after one period.
McDonagh struck at 8:40 to make it 1-0. Defenseman Keith Yandle offered a beautiful drop pass for McDonagh, who was able to get everything into a one-timer from the point that beat a screened Anderson for his third goal of the season.
The Rangers made Senators coach Dave Cameron pay for a bench minor penalty when Brassard scored on a deflection at 13:47 to increase the lead to 2-0. This time McDonagh wristed a shot toward the net that Brassard deflected in the slot for his eighth goal of the season.
Methot pulled the Senators to with 2-1 at 6:01 of the second period. After a faceoff win, Methot unleashed a shot from near the blue line that bounced off the stick of Rangers defenseman Marc Staal and behind Lundqvist for his second goal of the season.
Lundqvist preserved that one-goal lead with an outstanding save late in the second period. Senators right winger Mark Stone had a shot blocked in the left faceoff circle. The puck squirted out of a pile and onto the stick of left winger Dave Dziurzynski, whose quick wrist shot was snared by the goalie's catching glove.
NOTES: Senators C Kyle Turris was in the lineup after being considered a game-time decision. He suffered a leg injury near the end of Saturday's home game against the New York Islanders but was good to go against the Rangers. ... Senators G Craig Anderson made his 11th consecutive start. ... The Senators were without G Andrew Hammond (upper body), LW Clarke MacArthur (concussion), LW Milan Michalek (finger) and D Chris Phillips (back). ... Rangers RW Emerson Etem was a healthy scratch. ... Rangers C Derek Stepan (ribs) and D Kevin Klein (oblique) did not play.