-----------------------------
NY Rangers 1 0 2--3
Ottawa 1 1 0--2
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, NY Rangers, Dvorak 22 (Messier, Pilon),
6:31. 2, Ottawa, Havlat 13 (power play) (Salo, Hossa), 13:09. Penalties:
Messier, Nyr (holding, cross checking), 11:01; Lefebvre, Nyr (holding),
15:05; Graves, Nyr (fighting major), 17:53; Fisher, Ott served by Roy
(cross checking, fighting major), 17:53; NY Rangers bench, served by
Hlavac (too many men on the ice), 19:42.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Ottawa, Havlat 14 (Hossa, Zamuner), 6:36.
Penalties: Nedved, Nyr (hooking), 12:36; Lacroix, Ott (tripping), 15:59.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, NY Rangers, Nedved 27 (unassisted), 10:44.
5, NY Rangers, Mccarthy 10 (Hlavac, Lefebvre), 11:56. Penalties: Messier,
Nyr (cross checking), 0:28; Zamuner, Ott (interference), 14:54; Bonk, Ott
(boarding), 16:17.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
NY Rangers 7 6 12--25
Ottawa 9 7 14--30
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Nyr - 0 of 4, Ott - 1 of 6. Goalies: NY
Rangers, Hebert (30 shots, 28 saves; record: 13-24-4). Ottawa, Fountain
(25, 22; record: 0-1-0). A:18,500. Referees: Trottier, Warren. Linesmen:
Champoux, Kovachik.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
NY Rangers Ottawa
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
C Forbes 0 0 even 2 Alfredsson 0 0 even 2
Dvorak 1 0 +1 5 Arvedson 0 0 even 1
Graves 0 0 -1 1 Bonk 0 0 even 1
Grosek 0 0 +1 2 Dackell 0 0 -2 1
Hlavac 0 1 +2 1 Fisher 0 0 even 0
Johnsson 0 0 +1 1 Havlat 2 0 even 3
Kamensky 0 0 +1 1 Hossa 0 2 even 3
Leetch 0 0 +1 2 Lacroix 0 0 even 0
Lefebvre 0 1 +1 0 Mceachern 0 0 -2 3
M Malhotra 0 0 even 1 Persson 0 0 -1 2
Mccarthy 1 0 even 3 Phillips 0 0 +1 1
Messier 0 1 +1 0 Rachunek 0 0 -2 3
Nedved 1 0 +2 2 Redden 0 0 -2 3
Pilon 0 1 +1 1 Roy 0 0 even 1
Purinton 0 0 even 0 Salo 0 1 -1 0
Smrek 0 0 even 0 Yashin 0 0 -2 6
Tuzzolino 0 0 even 1 York 0 0 +1 0
York 0 0 -1 2 Zamuner 0 1 even 0
Kloucek Healthy Rivers Healthy
Hnidy Healthy
Emmons Healthy
Game Story
OTTAWA (Ticker) -- Reduced to the role of spoiler, the New York
Rangers scored twice in the final 10 minutes and defeated the
Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators, 3-2.
The Rangers had lost six of seven games to fall 14 points out of
the final playoff spot in the East and entered the third period
with a deficit against the best team in the conference.
But Petr Nedved and Sandy McCarthy beat surprise goaltender Mike
Fountain with similar shots in a 72-second span and Guy Hebert
made the lead stand up.
"We're not trying to be spoilers," McCarthy said. "We are
playing to win. There's a lot of pride on this team and it's
always good to get a couple of points."
Radek Dvorak also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a
four-game losing streak and picked up their first road win since
February 17.
Spectacular at times, Hebert stopped 28 shots for his first win
in two games with his new team. He also played in Friday
night's 5-3 loss in Washington after being claimed off waivers
from Anaheim.
Despite giving Fountain his first start since April 1998, the
Senators had something to play for, entering the game two points
ahead of New Jersey for the best record in the East.
Ottawa got a pair of goals from rookie Martin Havlat, but
Fountain gave up two quick goals and the Senators dropped to
29-1-4-1 when leading after two periods.
"There are 14 more games and we need to play the full 60
minutes," Havlat said.
Havlat was abused by Rangers captain Mark Messier in the first
period, but the Senators turned the double-minor into the tying
goal when Havlat scored his first of the night.
The rookie put Ottawa ahead 6:36 into the second period when he
undressed All-Star defenseman Brian Leetch behind the goal line,
skated to the low slot and beat Hebert with a backhander.
"It is different hockey here than in Europe," said Havlat, a
native of the Czech Republic who has 13 goals this season. "I
must change things here by doing more shooting and being better
defensively. I'm feeling good as a Senator."
Havlat wasn't feeling too good in the first, when Messier held
him, checked him into the boards and cross-checked him twice for
a double-minor.
"I'm not a fighter," Havlat said. "I just push them away."
But the Rangers got the last laugh and coach Ron Low credited
Messier's tenacity.
"Messier set the tone for the game and we carried it throughout
the game," Low said.
Nedved tied it with 9:16 to play, snapping his 27th goal over
Fountain's left shoulder from the right circle.
Just 72 seconds later, McCarthy took a pass at the blue line and
put a wrister through Fountain's pads from a similar spot for
his 10th goal.
"We decided to throw the puck at the net and when we do, funny
things seem to happen," said McCarthy, who has a three-game
goal-scoring streak.
Hebert had kept the game close before the Rangers' outburst. One
of his best saves came with 13:14 to play when he poked the puck
away from Magnus Arvedson, who was alone in front.
The clutch goaltending and timely goal-scoring allowed the
Rangers to move within 12 points of Carolina for eighth place in
the East, a long way to go with only 14 games remaining.
"We've been struggling through games, especially the last couple
of weeks," Nedved said. "And to be honest, we noticed the gap
getting bigger and bigger for us to make the playoffs."
The Senators are fighting for the top seed in the East. When
they reach the playoffs, Fountain likely will not be a part of
the team.
Expected to be sent back to the International Hockey League
before the game, Fountain played well for 58 minutes and
finished with 22 saves.
"I felt comfortable and will take some positives back to Grand
Rapids," he said. "I thought I was going down last night, so I
was just happy to play tonight. One game won't make or break
your career."
Fountain gave starter Patrick Lalime a rest, a role normally
reserved for rookie Jani Hurme, who is expected back from a knee
injury on Wednesday.
"I felt really good and like I was a part of the team," Fountain
said. "I was pretty anxious but in a good way. I wouldn't say
I was nervous. I wanted to make the first save and go from
there. I played good for 58 minutes."