OTTAWA — Because the Rangers let it, this game teetered on the edge all afternoon.
And now, their season is on the brink of ending.
The Blueshirts dropped one more gut-busting game in Ottawa, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Senators in Game 5 of their second-round series on Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre. The game-winner from Kyle Turris at 6:28 of the extra frame gave Ottawa a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series, with Game 6 at the Garden on Tuesday night a must-win for the Rangers or their season is over.
“We have to win two games, easy as that,” said forward Mats Zuccarello, with a possible Game 7 set for Thursday night in Ottawa, where the Rangers are yet to win in three games this series. “This game, we have to forget right now. Focus on the next one. We have to win one at home and then steal one here. Easy as that. Nothing magical, we just have to play our way.”
Playing the way the Rangers want to means having all their players going, and that was far from what happened in this one. They had passengers galore, and it almost seemed inevitable when old pal Derick Brassard got the game-tying goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation, as Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson was on the bench for the extra attacker.
It was the third 6-on-5 goal this postseason the Rangers have allowed, and it set up a dramatic overtime period. With just 4:12 gone by in the extra frame, the Rangers appeared to score, with Michael Grabner tipping in a high crossing feed from Kevin Hayes. But it was ruled no goal because of a high stick, and play continued.
Just over two minutes later, Turris wheeled into the offensive zone, having total control of the puck as his skates entered first — the crucial fact that would not make him offsides after Alain Vigneault had used his coach’s challenge to dispute the goal. Turris’ first shot was blocked by Dan Girardi, but he was able to corral the loose puck and walk in on Henrik Lundqvist, throwing a little change-up just under his glove to set the relatively rowdy 19,082 fans into a towel-waving tizzy.
“Disappointed, obviously, and frustrated,” said Lundqvist, who allowed five goals on 37 shots and was not at his sharpest after two relatively seamless victories at the Garden in Games 3 and 4. “It stinks [after] we battled back the way we did.”
The Blueshirts were given a 4-3 lead when rookie Jimmy Vesey — one of the very few aggressors in visiting white — made a great diving play to poke one over the goal line with 7:12 remaining in regulation. It had been gloved by Anderson, but upon review, it was confirmed to have crossed the goal line.
But if there was any feeling of the Rangers being in control at that point, it was minimal. The sentiment they had been the better overall team — which had defined the two previous games at the Garden — did not make the trip north.
“We had opportunities to close out some games here, we just haven’t been able to do it,” said defenseman Marc Staal, on yet again for another late-game goal, as he was almost laying across Lundqvist while Brassard batted in the tying goal with utter chaos in front.
Yet it seemed like this game never really stood on solid ground from the beginning, as the Rangers went up 2-0 in the opening 5:13 on goals from Jesper Fast and Nick Holden. But Mark Stone got one at 6:03 to pull his team back in it before Ottawa opened the second with a flurry, getting goals from Mike Hoffman an Tom Pyatt just 33 seconds apart to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, having a rare off-night, managed to tie it 3-3 at 17:49 of the second when he tapped in a Grabner shot, but these good moments seemed fleeting.
And now the Rangers’ season is on the verge of ending, and only two straight wins will save it.
“What’s done is done,” Zuccarello said. “We have to win two games.”