Top–seeded Rangers in must-win situation
Six months of sitting atop the Eastern Conference has come down to having to win in
Ottawa just to force a decisive seventh game next week at Madison Square Garden.
Henrik Lundqvist was barely outdueled by Senators counterpart Craig Anderson in a 2-0
(including empty-netter) loss in Game 5, putting the Eastern Conference-champion Rangers
on the brink of elimination in Game 6 on Monday on the road.
"He played well, and he's been playing well in the series," Lundqvist said of Anderson,
who made 41 saves for his second career playoff shutout. "It's a challenge for us to win
this.
"We have to keep working, have to keep pushing ourselves to play even better and get a
little more involved in front of their net. The guys have been doing a great job. You
can't work harder. The guys put everything out there."
They certainly did that, coming at Anderson in waves in Game 5 and registering at least
12 shots in each period. Still, the Rangers only have managed one even-strength goal in
the past three games, losing two of them.
Neither offensive stars Marian Gaborik or Brad Richards have scored since Game 1.
Expected contributors Brandon Dubinsky and Derek Stepan have no points. And Brian Boyle,
who scored three goals in the first three games, might not play in Game 6 after suffering
a concussion late in Saturday's game on what the Rangers are charging was a dirty hit by
Ottawa's Chris Neil.
"I feel better about the team after tonight's game than after a couple of wins that
we've had," coach John Tortorella said. "So we go to Ottawa and have to play the same way
and keep banging away and see if we can score some goals. Everything about our game was
good except our power play struggled, but that's why it's a series and they have to win
four.
"Things happen for a reason and these types of situations, as you continue to go
further in the playoffs, they help you. I couldn't be happier as far as how hard we
played. I thought we re-identified ourselves as a team."
