The New York Rangers visited the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre looking to bounce back from Thursday's crushing loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and like most times on the road this season, they came up short.
Ottawa turned to Jonas Johansson, who was making his first start since Linus Ullmark suffered an injury on Wednesday night.
The Rangers' road woes continued almost immediately. The Senators jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, scoring twice in a 66-second span during the opening period. Two costly Rangers turnovers led directly to goals by Drake Batherson, his fifth of the season, and Tim Stützle, who netted his eighth.
Ottawa did an excellent job limiting New York's forecheck and offensive-zone time for much of the game. The Rangers struggled to complete passes cleanly and looked out of sync early. By the time they settled into the contest, they were already facing a two-goal deficit.
The second period began much like the first, with the Rangers scrambling in their own zone. Ottawa took advantage when Batherson scored his second goal of the night into a wide-open net, leaving Dylan Garand with virtually no chance to make the save.
Fortunately for New York, the offense finally came alive.
The comeback began with Noah Laba's aggressive work on the penalty kill, which sprung Will Cuylle on a breakaway for a shorthanded goal. That tally provided a much-needed spark and helped shift the momentum. Dylan Cozens unfortunately responded with a goal of his own to make it 4-2. but then the Rangers got to work again.
The Rangers carried that momentum through the latter stages of the second period. Alexis Lafrenière capped the surge when he ripped a wrist shot past Johansson for his ninth goal of the season with just 26 seconds remaining in the frame, energizing both the bench and the fans.
New York continued to push in the third period, spending long stretches in the offensive zone and keeping Ottawa on its heels. The ice appeared tilted toward Johansson as the Rangers relentlessly searched for the tying goal.
However, while pressing for the equalizer, the Rangers left themselves vulnerable defensively. Ottawa capitalized on an odd-man rush after Garand made an impressive initial stop. With no defender available to clear the rebound, Jake Sanderson buried his first goal of the season to restore the Senators' cushion.
Pavel Dorofeyev brought the Rangers back within one with 4:28 remaining, unleashing a rocket one-timer that cut the deficit to 5-4 and gave New York one final spark of hope.
But with the Rangers pressing aggressively and Garand pulled for the extra attacker, the Senators slammed the door shut. Batherson completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal, capping off an outstanding performance and restoring Ottawa's two-goal advantage. The Senators then added another empty-net marker to put the game away and seal a 7-4 victory.
One concerning trend continues to follow this Rangers team. They have yet to win a game this season when allowing the opening goal, while remaining undefeated when scoring first. It is becoming increasingly clear that this group is heavily dependent on strong starts. When they fall behind early, they spend the rest of the night chasing the game.
Meanwhile, Garand continues to perform admirably in his newfound role as the Rangers' No. 1 goaltender. Still, this stretch has underscored just how much the Rangers miss Igor Shesterkin and his ability to clean up defensive mistakes with spectacular saves. Garand has battled hard, but rebound control remains a concern.
Too often, his initial saves are creating dangerous second-chance opportunities in front of the net. While the defense bears some responsibility for clearing rebounds and boxing out attackers, goaltenders must also limit those opportunities by swallowing pucks and controlling play. That's the next step in Garand's development, and one that could make a significant difference for a Rangers team searching for stability between the pipes.
Whether the Rangers choose to acquire another capable goaltender to ease Garand's workload or simply ride out the situation, one thing is certain: their defensive structure must improve. Giving up seven goals, including two empty-netters after mounting a furious comeback attempt, underscores how thin the margin for error currently is.
The Rangers have shown they can generate enough offense to compete. However, until they eliminate the defensive breakdowns and stop digging themselves early holes, nights like this will continue to be a recurring theme.
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