NEW YORK — Igor Shesterkin showcased his skills by making 20 saves as the New York Rangers secured a dominant 5-0 victory against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday evening.
Alexis Lafreniere contributed to the scoreline with a goal and an assist, while Arthur Kaliyev, Matt Rempe, Artemi Panarin, and Will Cuylle each found the back of the net for the Rangers, who now hold a record of 7 wins, 1 loss, and 3 overtime losses since January 2. This marks their third consecutive win at Madison Square Garden.
Shesterkin’s shutout was not only his third of the season but also the 18th of his career, cementing his reputation as a top goaltender in the league.
Lafreniere opened the scoring by netting his 13th goal of the season at 18:48 in the first period, beating Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen.
Kaliyev extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 just over a minute into the second period, marking his second goal since joining the team after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on January 6.
The excitement continued as Kaliyev appeared to score again at 4:59, only for the goal to be disallowed after an offside call. Earlier, a similar fate befell Rangers forward Sam Carrick, whose goal was also waved off for offside just moments before Lafreniere’s tally.
Following the disallowed goal, Merilainen made 14 saves before being replaced by Anton Forsberg. Forsberg continued the defensive effort, recording 10 saves in relief.
The Rangers saw Rempe score his first goal of the season at 3:34 into the third period, successfully sliding the puck past Forsberg with a backhand shot. Not long after, Panarin scored his 20th goal of the season on a power play at 9:01, making the score 4-0. Cuylle wrapped up the scoring at 9:57 to complete the Rangers’ emphatic victory.
The Senators, who had been on a remarkable streak with a record of 5-0-1 in their previous six games, suffered their first regulation loss since January 9.
Takeaways from the game indicate that the Rangers have improved to 11-9-2 at home, bouncing back after a disappointing December where they earned just one victory in six home games.
A notable highlight from the match was Rempe’s goal, marking a significant moment as it was his first in 12 games this season. He had faced an eight-game suspension in late December for a hit on Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
In terms of individual performances, defenseman Adam Fox notched two assists, allowing him to surpass Hall of Famer Harry Howell and claim the fifth spot on the franchise’s all-time points list for defensemen.
Looking ahead, the Rangers will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, while the Senators are set to visit the Boston Bruins on the same evening.
