The Rangers, coming off two games that went to a shootout, got the job done in regulation in their first game on the road in over a month. 

Facing a depleted and exhausted Senators team in a makeup of the Nov. 20 contest that was postponed due to Ottawa’s COVID-19 outbreak earlier this season, the Blueshirts came away with a 2-1 win Sunday in Ottawa. 

It was obvious that Ottawa was competing in its ninth game in the last 14 days, which has made for a packed schedule as the Senators chip away at all the postponed contests that piled up while much of the team was in COVID-19 protocol. The Senators still put forth a scrappy performance despite the workload and being without a handful of key players, including their top defenseman Thomas Chabot and their No. 1 goalie Matt Murray. 

However, the Rangers seemed to have a jump on the Senators, who have now lost their last five games at home. 

The Rangers’ power play played hero once again after Artemi Panarin ripped a slap shot top shelf on Ottawa goalie Filip Gustavsson at 9:14 of the second period. Panarin and Ryan Strome led the Rangers with a goal and an assist each in the victory, which improved the Rangers to 32-13-5 on the season. 

“I thought we did a lot of good things,” said Strome, who scored the game-tying goal in the first period. “We had a good start, gave up the first goal, but I thought our first few shifts were good — that’s something we wanted to address. I thought we defended pretty hard, too. There’s still some more we can do offensively, but I think all in all, a good effort. Up and down the lineup, guys bought in to get the two points like [head coach Gerard Gallant] said.” 

Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves to collect his 50th career NHL win. And the Rangers goalie even came inches away from scoring a goal in the final minute of the game after he launched the puck down the ice at the Senators’ empty net — which didn’t come as a surprise to his coach or teammates. 

“It’s just a matter of time,” Strome said of Shesterkin scoring. “He’s going to stick with it, maybe we can get him a couple drills in practice working on it. It’s just a matter of time before he gets one.” 

Despite getting hemmed into their own end throughout the second period, the Rangers capitalized on their first of two power-play opportunities. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev was sent to the box for hooking Panarin and the Rangers effortlessly gained control of the offensive zone. 

Panarin then sniped one past Gustavsson for the 2-1 score. Having assisted on Strome’s first-period goal as well, Panarin now has 17 multipoint games on the season. 

“He’s a great player, he’s a star player for us,” Gallant said of the Russian winger. “He makes those great passes and tonight he shoots the puck and buries the game-winning goal on the power play. He’s a big part of our group. 

“Obviously, when the power play is going like they’re going, they win another hockey game for us and it’s huge.”

The Rangers played the Senators fairly even in the first period, skating a better opening 20 minutes than they have in a couple of games. It was a point of emphasis for Gallant leading up to Sunday, and despite giving up the first goal, the Rangers were able to even the score heading into the first intermission. 

After Filip Chytil’s turnover in the offensive zone turned into an odd-man rush for Ottawa that Tim Stutzle capitalized on less than five minutes in, Strome answered with his first goal since Jan. 19. Rookie Braden Schneider, fresh off the bench, sent the puck in and Strome put it away at 7:27 of the first. 

“This season we’ve done a good job of never getting too high, never getting too low,” Strome said. “I think we try to stay even-keeled no matter what the result is. I think we come into the game every game expecting that we have the ability to get two points.”