Senators vs. Rangers: Game 3 prediction

The Senators took it right to the Rangers towards the end of Game 2, and hope to  continue their dominance on the road in New York in Game 3.

If you had asked anyone before the series began, I doubt many would’ve seen the Ottawa Senators as the team that would be up 2-0 in this semifinals series with the New York Rangers.

Regardless, the Senators fought through adversity in Game 2 at home, including multiple two-goal deficits, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. The surprising star from Game 2 was the smallest man on the ice for Ottawa: Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Pageau had four goals in Game 2 alone, including two in the final three minutes of regulation, and the game-winner in double overtime, to help Ottawa take the win.

Pageau apparently had all the answers for getting past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was New York’s only saving grace in Game 1. Lundqvist had just 28 saves on 34 shots in four and a half periods of hockey, after 41 saves on 43 shots in Game 1.

In the other net, Craig Anderson stayed spectacular for the Senators, with 43 saves in Game 2 after 31 saves in Game 1. Anderson’s performance was key in the Senators having any chance to consistently come back from their three separate two-goal deficits throughout Game 2.

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Prediction: Rangers 2, Senators 1

I feel that it’s almost impossible for the Rangers to go down three games to none to such a battered team, after all of the success New York had in its opening series with the Montreal Canadiens.

Lundqvist needs to return to form in net for the Rangers, and the team’s offense needs to get back to the impressive puck movement that got them past a far superior goalie than Anderson in Montreal’s Carey Price. I think this game proves to be another goalie battle, with the Rangers finally holding onto a lead and taking their first win of the series.