Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist and J.T. Miller had three assists in the New York Rangers’ 4-2 road win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen scored for the Rangers, who are 5-1-0 over their last six games.
Three of those victories were on the road, as the Rangers continued their dominance outside of New York. The Rangers are 12-4-1 in away games this season, leading the NHL in road wins and road points (25).
Igor Shesterkin stopped 25 of 27 shots to earn his 12th win of the season. Shesterkin’s strong game was highlighted by a fantastic glove save on Tim Stutzle during a breakaway chance early in the third period.
Drake Batherson had a power-play goal and an assist for Ottawa, and Jake Sanderson had two assists. Dylan Cozens scored the Senators’ other goal, also on the power play.
Leevi Merilainen stopped 24 of 27 shots for the Senators, who are 1-3-0 in their last four games.
Shane Pinto didn’t return after sustaining a lower-body injury during the first period, leaving the Senators without one of their top playmakers for most of the game.
Zibanejad gave New York the early lead 3:19 into the first period, as the forward converted Miller’s pass on a 2-on-1 rush for his 10th goal of the year. At the 9:45 mark, Gavrikov extended the Rangers’ lead with a brilliant snipe from the left circle.
Ninety seconds before the first intermission, Cozens converted his own nicely-placed wrist shot from the circle during an Ottawa power play. It was Cozens’ ninth goal of the season, and fifth power-play marker.
The Rangers outshot the Senators by a 12-7 margin in the second period, and Borgen’s tally at the 7:24 mark ended up being the game’s deciding goal.
Ottawa made it a 2-for-3 night on the power play on Batherson’s re-directed goal 13:08 into the third period. This was as close as the Senators would get, as Panarin’s empty-net goal with 44 seconds remaining sealed New York’s victory.
