Recap: Rangers Blow Another Lead, Lose 3-2

Brady Tkachuk does it all for Ottawa.

After a much needed victory against the Senators earlier this week, the Rangers reverted to their old ways on Friday, blowing a late lead before succumbing 3-2 in OT.

Things started promisingly enough, when Vitali Kravstov notched his first goal of the season. The play started, as it often does, with an Adam Fox breakout pass. Panarin moved the puck to Kravstov, who took a shot that hit defender Travis Hamonic up high. Kravstov collected the puck and shot it off the post and in to put the Rangers up 1-0 in the first.

It took until the second period for the Senators to get on the board. After a trip by Jacob Trouba put Ottawa on the powerplay, the Sens put the puck on net and Tim Stuzle jammed it home. The rest of the period was scoreless, but things got heated out there with multiple fights.

With about 15 minutes to go in the third, Mika Zibanejad drove home a rebound from a Chris Kreider backhander to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Despite pressure, the Rangers held the lead for a while, but eventually succumbed in the final minute. Ottawa sustained some offense with the extra skater. Brady Tkachuk stole the puck, passed the puck high to Tomas Chabot, and tipped the ensuing shot past Shesterkin to send the game to OT.

In the three-on-three, the Rangers had a prime opportunity to put the game away when Zibanejad was sprung on a breakaway. He had time and put on a decent move, but our old friend Cam Talbot came up with the save. Moments after the Rangers missed a prime opportunity, as it often happens, the Senators scored. This time Tkachuk found himself on a breakaway and he scored yet again, earning his third point of the game and a win for Ottawa.

And so the rut continues. It’s nice that Kravstov scored and all, but the Rangers really need to figure out how to hold on to leads. The Rangers will be right back at it tomorrow night as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks.