NYR OTT The New York Rangers defeated the Ottawa Senators 7-2 on Saturday night, scoring seven unanswered goals in the contest. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves in the victory. Here’s how it happened: Brady Tkachuk scored the games opening goal 11:43 into the first period on a feed from Claude Giroux. It was the only score of the first period. One minute into the second period, Jakob Chychrun scored on the power play to put the Senators up 2-0. Jacob Trouba laid a heavy hit and Connor Mackey gave the Rangers some life engaging in a heavy weight tilt with Tkachuk. From that point on the Rangers poured it on. Alexis Lafreniere scored a rebound from behind the net at the 5:51 marker to make it 2-1. Chris Kreider potted the game tying goal from Mika Zibanejad at 8:33. It was Zibanejads’ 500th point as a Ranger, becoming the fourth fastest Blueshirt in history to notch 500 with the club. Zac Jones scored his first goal of the season off the rush on a feed from Artemi Panarin to take a 3-2 lead 9:12 into the second frame. Jonny Brodzinski extended the lead to 4-2 on a passing play with Jones and Will Cuylle. All four rapid succession goals came at even strength. Joonas Korpisalo was pulled and replaced with Mads Soogard. Blake Wheeler scored his ninth goal of the season to make the score 5-2 at the 16:54 mark of the second period to put the game out of reach for the Rangers. Panarin would score his thirtieth goal of the season to make the score 6-2, Lafreniere racking up his seventeenth assist of the year on the play. Kaapo Kakko wanted in on the action, scoring his second goal in the last two games to make it a 7-2 game 35 seconds later. The Rangers scored seven even strength goals on the evening. Panarin recorded a three point night, Lafreniere tallied a goal and an assist, Zibanejad notched two assists, Zac Jones recorded a goal and an assist, as did Brodzinski. Up Next: The NHL All-Star break will keep the Rangers off the ice until they host the Colorado Avalanche on Feb.5. Lines: Kreider-Zibanejad-Wheeler Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere Cuylle- Brodzinski-Kakko Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick Mackey-Fox Gustafsson-Jones Miller-Schneider Quick TOP STORIES:
