Recap: Lindgren Leads Rangers Past Senators, 3-1

The gritty defender had three assists to help the Rangers break their three game losing streak.

The Rangers arrived in Ottawa having lost their last three games. Jaroslav Halak started the game, having lost each of the six games he’s started. After a 3-1 victory, both the team and the goalie are on a one game winning streak.

Jimmy Vesey, who was all over the ice, struck first with his third goal of the season, when he jammed home a rebound. Ryan Lindgren, who picked up the assist, started the sequence by sending the puck deep and stepping up to forecheck. Neither team got much going offensively for most of the period. The Senators had a few chances late, but Halak stood tall in net.

Lindgren continued to make his presence felt in the second period. On an Ottawa powerplay, he blocked a hard shot by Alex Debrincat. Later, he picked up his second assist of the game when Barclay Goodrow out muscled Jake Sanderson to deflect the defender’s shot past Cam Talbot. It was Goodrow’s fourth goal in the last ten games.

The Senators got on the board just a few shifts later, when Shane Pinto turned on the jets and beat Halak to the far side on a quick release.

Though they’ve struggled with playing with leads the past couple games, the Rangers shut door in the third. They dominated possession, holding the Senators to four shots on goal through the first ten minutes. Chris Kreider gave the Rangers an insurance goal when he deflected another shot by–you guessed it–Ryan Lindgren. The goal was Kreider’s eleventh of the season. Mika Zibanejad was credited with the assist, giving him 300 for his career. Though the Rangers hit the post three times in the ensuing minutes, Kreider’s goal would be the last of the game, which ended 3-1.

The Rangers needed a win, and they got one tonight. Halak was rock solid, making 35 saves en route to earning his first win as a Ranger. Lindgren was great on both sides of the puck, and the Zibanejad line was excellent. I also consider it a postive sign to see Kravstov return to the lineup, even if he was unremarkable. Hopefully this confident team will build some momentum for a Rangers team that needs to get on a roll.

The Rangers and Senators will go at it again Friday night at Madison Square Garden.