The Rangers douse the Senators

Shesterkin stops 40 and the Rangers burn on

Forty-one shots, one goal

The Ottawa Senators fired 41 shots at Madison Square Garden and got one past the goalie. That was the night in a sentence. Only 12 flames still burned in the round of 16, and one loss meant going dark. Ottawa had arrived after snuffing the Hurricanes on qualification night. The New York Rangers had doused the Canadiens. Last season the Rangers finished 1st of 32 and the Senators 26th, but both had seen their 2023-24 Gauntlets end at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.

Shesterkin holds the line

Artemi Panarin struck early with a wrist shot at 3:03 of the first, set up by Alexis Lafrenière. After that the Rangers kept handing Ottawa the man advantage. Sam Carrick tripped in the first. Chris Kreider, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren all went to the box in the second. Igor Shesterkin turned every one of those power plays away.

A tip, then a scare

Josh Norris hooked at 1:09 of the third, and New York made him pay. Lafrenière tipped in a power-play goal at 2:56, fed by Filip Chytil and Reilly Smith, 39:53 after Panarin's opener. It stood as the winner. Fox tripped at 9:23, and at 12:28 Adam Gaudette snapped one home off assists from Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot. It was the only shot of 41 that beat Shesterkin. Linus Ullmark stopped 16 of 18 at the other end, but Ottawa's candle went cold. The Rangers burn on.