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| Zach Smith exchanges fists with Robert Potuzzo. The Canadian Press/Fred Chartrand |
The Rangers haven’t gotten much help down the stretch. However, they received an assist from the Pens, who defeated the slumping Sens 3-1 at Scotia Bank. It was Ottawa’s second consecutive loss. With a chance to put themselves in a more favorable position, they were shutdown by conference leader Pittsburgh, who skated without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, James Neal and Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Penguins were still able to win their sixth straight. Brenden Morrow set up their first two goals 4:13 apart in the first period. Both came off sloppy turnovers. Dustin Jeffrey scored the first thanks to some great teamwork between Pascal Dupuis and Morrow. They worked a give-and-go through the neutral zone with Morrow finding a vacated Jeffrey in the slot for a blast past Craig Anderson.
Ottawa was preoccupied with Matt Cooke, who returned for the first time since injuring star defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Sens received some good news. The Norris winner could return for the playoffs. First, they must get there. Predictably, Cooke wanted no part of Chris Neil on his first shift. He drew an interference minor that looked like two guys going for the puck. The officiating wasn’t good with every ticky tac call made.
With Tomas Vokoun stopping one Senator shot at a time, Jeffrey and Morrow combined on the Pens’ second. Lousy coverage left Jarome Iginla all alone for a Morrow centering feed which the ex-Flames’ all-time leading scorer buried. Iginla started off slowly in the Steel City but has been gaining steam. It marked the third consecutive game he’s lit the lamp. He has four points over the last three.
The Sens had chances to get back in it. They out-shot the Pens 14-9 in a penalty marred opening stanza. That included matching cross checks between Daniel Alfredsson and Robert Bortuzzo. It heated up with seven seconds left when Bortuzzo dropped the gloves with Zach Smith during a post-scrum. Neil mixed it up with Steve MacIntyre, drawing an extra two on the Pens enforcer. That drew the ire of Brooks Orpik.
The penalty fest continued in a scoreless yet entertaining second. In it, Neil caught Simon Despres with a hit prompting Craig Adams to respond. Neil was called for charging while Adams received a roughing double minor. But Chris Phillips negated it with a high-sticking minor on Cooke. Despite being handed chances, the Sens couldn’t penetrate a stingy Pittsburgh D which kept their shots to the outside.
It took a Morrow penalty to awaken Ottawa. Off a face-off win, rookie Patrick Wiercioch teed up a Sergei Gonchar pass for his fifth, cutting it to 2-1 with 12:42 left. Alfredsson netted the other helper. But a more desperate Sens’ club could get no closer. Sloppy defense from Wiercioch allowed a fore checking Cooke to set up Tyler Kennedy for 3-1 with 2:34 remaining. That finished them off.
Winnipeg Edges Buffalo: The Winnipeg Jets stayed alive by edging the Sabres 2-1 in Western New York. The difference was vet Antti Miettinen’s goal sneaking past Jhonas Enroth with 7:36 remaining in regulation.
Aaron Gagnon and Thomas Vanek exchanged second period markers. The period intensified with 26 seconds left when Steve Ott got retribution on a hit Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd delivered on fallen teammate Christian Ehrhoff. Ott stood up for Ehrhoff and beat Ladd, who probably should’ve been called for charging. Instead, Ott got an extra two for roughing.
The Jets got the only goal in a tightly contested third. Vanek had a great chance to tie it but was robbed by Pavelec, who flashed the leather. Winnipeg never allowed Buffalo to get a shot after Enroth was pulled for an extra attacker. Outside of a shootout defeat to the Islanders, the Jets have won six of seven (6-0-1). The win moved them within a point of eighth Ottawa and the seventh Rangers.
Here’s the updated Eastern Race:
DOWN TO THE WIRE
GP Pts ROW Games Remaining
z-1.Penguins 45 70 32 4/23 vs Buf 4/25 @NJD 4/27 vs Car
x-2.Bruins 44 59 23 4/23 @Phi 4/25 vs TBL 4/27 @Wsh 4/28 vs Ott
3.Capitals 45 52 22 4/23 vs WPG 4/25 vs Ott 4/27 vs Bos
x-4.Canadiens 45 59 24 4/23 @NJD 4/25 @WPG 4/27 @Tor
x-5.Maple Leafs 45 55 25 4/23 @ TBL 4/25 @Fla 4/27 vs Mtl
6.Islanders 45 53 20 4/23 @ Car 4/25 @Phi 4/26 @ Buf
7.Rangers 45 52 20 4/23 @ Fla 4/25 @Car 4/27 vs NJD
8.Senators 45 52 19 4/25 @Wsh 4/27 vs Phi 4/28 @Bos
9.Winnipeg Jets 46 51 22 4/23 @Wsh 4/25 vs Mtl
z-clinched conference
x-clinched playoffs
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Battle Of Hudson 