Rangers defeat the Senators 1-0 in game three

By Fred Lambert

flambert@valenciavoice.com

The New York Rangers’ Brian Boyle scored the shot that won Monday’s match in Canada’s capital against the Ottawa Senators, 1-0, during the third game of the series.

The two teams stalemated throughout the first two periods, despite a heavier volume of shots by Ottawa; by the end of the second period they had 25 shots on goal compared to New York’s 16. Ottawa also scored higher in face offs and blocked shots throughout the first two periods, but neither team had made a goal yet.

Boyle’s goal came in the third period at 7:35 after an assist by Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan, which sent the puck bouncing off the end-boards, allowing Boyle to find his opening.

Good defense by New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Ottawa’s Craig Anderson prevented most of the shots from landing in the nets throughout the night.

In one of the most frantic plays of the game, a move to block one of New York’s shots in the second put Anderson, along with Jason Spezza, off their skates and inside the net, preventing the Ranger’s closest shot in the game by that point.

New York’s Lundqvist was the Ranger’s saving grace, however, with 39 total saves.

“He’s been a rock all year,” said Ranger Rusian Fedotenko of Lundqvist.

This puts the count at two games won by New York and one by Ottawa; game four of the Stanley Cup series in on Wednesday night in Ottawa.