Recap: Senators Pile On Rangers 8–4 in Another Home-Ice Humiliation

For the second time this season, the New York Rangers took on the Ottawa Senators. For the second time in a span of four days, the Rangers got completely embarrassed on home ice as the goals started coming early and didn't stop. The one bright side, the Rangers didn't completely quit and Gabe Perreault's first multi-point game in his young NHL career came as a positive sign for the future this team needs to start prioritizing.

First Period

A minute and a half in, the Rangers were called for the first penalty of the game as Vincent Trocheck got his glove up high on Ridley Greig which earned him a holding call. After some truly brilliant passing from the Senators top unit, Dylan Cozens threw a puck on net and Drake Batherson was right there in the blue paint to put the loose puck home, 1-0 Ottawa. 

Just two and a half minutes later after numerous failed zone entries followed by failed clearing attempts, a shot from Nick Jensen at the point went off some traffic in front and found the back of the net off the skate of Braden Schneider. 2-0 Ottawa. 

It only took two goals and being out-shot 8-1 in the first quarter of the opening period for Mike Sullivan to break out ole reliable. That’s right folks, our friend known as “the line blender” made its first appearance in quite a while as Sullivan rolled out some new combinations:

Miller - Zibanejad - Perreault
Panarin - Trocheck - Lafrenière
Cuylle - Laba - Othmann

The Senators continued to control play with the only Rangers chance coming as a result of a post hit by Jonny Brodzinski. With five minutes to go, Brady Tkachuk led an odd-man rush for the Senators and while he had a wide open teammate, he opted for the shot and sniped one past Jonathan Quick to make it a 3-0 game. 

As if things weren’t going poorly enough, with less than six seconds to go, Tkachuk won a way too easy board battle, found Greig in the slot who one-touched it over to Cozens for a shot in the slot Quick didn’t stand a chance on, 4-0 game. 

You’ll notice I didn’t say much about what the Rangers did in this period. That’s because they didn’t do anything. Six shots on goal to Ottawa’s 14 as they lost practically every puck battle, constantly gave up the puck, glided around and didn't have an ounce of life to their game whatsoever. 

Second Period

After a whole lot of nothing to start the period, Carson Soucy blocked a shot about five and a half minutes in and struggled to get back to his feet. While that was happening, the Senators regained possession in the offensive zone and another shot from the point, this time from Jake Sanderson, found the back of the net to extend his team's lead, 5-0. 

With about eight minutes to go in the second, a shot from Thomas Chabot snuck its way through Quick so quickly it took a couple of seconds for anyone to realize with certainty that Ottawa had scored again. The game was now 6-0 in the Senators favor. This would be the end of Quick’s night as Spencer Martin came in for relief. The Garden crowd erupted in one of its loudest cheers of the night as he made his first save of the game. 

Martin continued to get cheers every time he touched the puck and with 65 seconds to go in the period, it was his breakout pass that led to the Rangers first goal of the night. Gabe Perreault created a nice give and go opportunity with Miller and pulled off a nice forehand-backhand move all alone in front to pick up his second of the season to make it 6-1. 

In the dying seconds of the period, Vincent Trocheck—who has been having just a truly atrocious stretch of hockey—was reaching with his stick and clipped Chabot in the face. This meant the Rangers were going to start the final period of regulation on the penalty kill. Which given how this game went, didn't really matter but this was 60 seconds after Perreault's goal. They weren't going to come back and win this game but any chance you had at momentum seemingly went out the window as a result of a careless mistake from a guy who is supposed to be a leader and allegedly an integral glue guy.

Third Period

After successfully killing off Trocheck's infraction, Zibanejad caught a breakout pass from Miller and found himself on a 2-on-1 with Perreault. A nice feed from Mika found Perreault who was pushing hard to the net and managed to deke around Leevi Meralianen for his second of the game to make it 6-2.

Just a few minutes later, Brodzinski coughed the puck up at the blue line and David Perron banked a shot off the blocker of Martin and in from behind the Rangers goal line to make it 7-2. Soon thereafter, Perron would head to the penalty box as he was called for interference following a hit on Brennan Othmann. This would result in the Rangers first power play of the evening.

The top unit wouldn't accomplish much aside from a Vladislav Gavrikov shot that would hit the post. Alexis Lafrenière did a good job of following up on a block shot in the slot and on his second attempt, the puck would find the back of the net. The shot came from Lafrenière but it would be Noah Laba's goal as he got a piece of it on its way it. 7-3 game.

With four minutes to go, a nice pass from Panarin found Lafrenière in the slot and a quick shot snuck through to make it a 7-4 game.

On the following face-off, chaos ensued as Laba's stick got tangled up with Tkachuk off the draw. Tkachuk took exception to this and shoved the Rangers rookie and as Tkachuk went to hit him, his stick lifted Laba's which ended clipping Tkachuk up high. This drew a crowd and a quick scrum but it was Laba who came out of it with the only penalty.

After another successful Rangers penalty kill, they pulled Martin for the extra attacker as they were down by three looking to make something out of this otherwise disastrous showing. Of course it wasn't long before the Senators cleared and Tim Stutzle picked up the empty netter to seal the deal 8-4.

Another burn the tape night in what's becoming another lost season. The Rangers will be back at it on the road as they head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers for another Saturday matinee this weekend.