Rangers blow chance to make wild-card statement in brutal OT loss to Senators

Time and time again this season, the Rangers have not risen to the moment. 

There have been many instances this season, but none bigger than the opportunity the Blueshirts had going into this weekend with a back-to-back slate against the two teams who were sitting directly ahead of them in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Senators and Blue Jackets. 

Brady Tkachuk scored 33 seconds into overtime to complete Ottawa’s comeback and hand the Rangers a 4-3 loss Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Center, where the visitors had to settle for a single point and a two-way tie with Columbus for the second wild card entering their matchup Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. 

They’ll get another chance to step into the top spot and assert themselves more in the neck-and-neck race. 

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) reacts after Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) scores a goal in overtime at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates his game-winning goal.

To put it into perspective, however, this weekend is THE ultimate moment thus far. 

The Senators celebrate a goal against the Rangers on March 8.

And the Rangers — unsurprisingly with the way this season has gone — will not deliver in the fullest. 

“That’s disappointing,” said head coach Peter Laviolette, who has opened countless press conferences with such a statement this season. “We were in control of the game. We didn’t finish it.” 

The Rangers blew a two-goal lead in the third period in the span of just under seven minutes. 

Artemi Panarin celebrates his goal for the Rangers on March 8.

Just as the Senators’ fifth and final power play expired, Ridley Greig buried a loose rebound to make it a one-goal game once again.

Ottawa just kept funneling shots to the net in the third, in which they hung 14 on Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, before Michael Amadio cleaned up a loose puck in the crease to the elation of the majority of fans inside the building. 

“We don’t have time [to be] frustrated for too long, we have a very important game tomorrow,” said Artemi Panarin, whose team-leading 27th goal of the season gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead at the 7:08 mark of the third. “We have to be ready.” 

Mika Zibanejad fights for the puck during the Rangers’ loss to the Senators on March 8.

It was a tight opening 20 minutes between the two teams, who were meeting for the third and final time this regular season. 

The Rangers managed to take a lead on newcomer Carson Soucy’s first shot on goal in his first game after getting dealt from Vancouver to New York ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. 

Soucy’s shot trickled through Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark, drawing an audible reaction from the Rangers fans in attendance close to the glass.

Igor Shesterkin makes a save for the Rangers during their loss to the Senators on March 8.

Refs reviewed the play and ultimately deemed it a good goal. 

The Senators thought they had evened the score on their second power play of the period, when chaos around the Rangers net convinced Ottawa players the puck had crossed the goal line.

Review did not show the puck cross the goal line, so the Rangers remained ahead by one. 

Mika Zibanejad then gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the second period, when the Swedish center wristed home J.T. Miller’s feed as he picked up speed skating toward the end. 

Ottawa Senators right wing Michael Amadio (22) shoot on New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterin (31) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Ottawa answered a mere 11 seconds later at the other end of the ice, with Tkachuk tipping in Nick Jensen’s shot at the 4:06 mark of the middle frame for his first goal of the game. 

The Rangers took their 10th too many men on the ice penalty of the season at the tail end of the second period, giving the team three such bench minors in their past three games and four in their past five. 

It forced the visitors to start the third period on the penalty kill, but the Senators ultimately went 0-for-5 on the power play. 

“We’re doing simple mistakes, but that happened, but it can’t be every game, for sure,” Panarin said. “I think everyone’s got to be a little more focused on the bench and then just make sure if you don’t know who you take with you, just ask an extra time.”