Game 7 Recap: Rangers End Sens Season

Pre-Game Warmup:

After failing to eliminate the Rangers the first chance they had in game 6 at Scotiabank place the team headed back to New York. With the series tied at 3 it was do or die time for both teams.

First Period:

Rangers came out stronger and got the first few chances but Craig Anderson was solid in net, keeping everything out. Sens quickly got going and generated some chances of their own. A nice set-up by Karlsson was deflected by a Senator in front but they couldn’t get it past Henrik Lundvist who was just as good. Rangers nearly got a goal with an empty Ottawa net but fortunately for the Sens the point shot went wide. Where was Craig Anderson? He was lying on the ice behind the net after being knocked by a Rangers player when he went to play the puck, no interference called on the play. The refs made it clear there would be few calls made is this game. Ottawa had a stronger second half but the period ended scoreless.

 Second Period:

Marc Staal opened the scoring, giving New York Rangers a 1-0 lead early in the second. Simultaneous lapses in play from Foligno, Cowen, and Gonchar led to an easy goal for the Rangers. They made it  2-0 not long after with another goal from a defenseman. Dan Girardi came up in the high slight unnoticed and fire one past Anderson. Less than a minute after the second goal Ottawa headed to the power play, a glorious chance to keep themselves in the game and they capitalized. Who else but the captain, Daniel Alfredsson, leading his team and making it a one goal game.

Third Period:

Sens wouldn’t go away. They kept coming and put on what may be the best pressure the have all season. Sens held the zone for at least two minutes, cycling the puck perfectly and getting lots of chances. When it finally did come out, it was back in withing ten seconds and they were doing the exact same thing again. Sens were getting it on net but right there to stop it was Vezina candidate Henrik Lundqvist. What would’ve been the best chance didn’t even go down as a shot on goal. Zack Smith would’ve had a wide open net but he couldn’t get his stick on the cross ice feed. Sens pulled the goalie to try and add even more pressure but they couldn’t get another.

Rangers won the game 2-1 and took the series 4-3, thus ending the Ottawa Senators season.