NEW YORK (AP) — Claude Giroux broke a tie early in the third period, former Ranger Derick Brassard scored twice and the Ottawa Senators beat New York 5-3 on Thursday night to spoil Patrick Kane’s Rangers debut.
The Rangers led 3-2 entering the third after Vladimir Tarasenko scored a highlight-reel goal late in the second, but Ottawa scored twice in a two-minute span, then held on for its fourth straight victory.
Brassard — playing his 1,000th game — tied it at 1:35 with his 11th of the season off an assist from Giroux, who beat netminder Jaroslav Halak for his 26th goal at 3:26 to put Ottawa ahead to stay.
Shane Pinto and Tim Stutzle (empty net) also scored for Ottawa, and Cam Talbot made 29 saves.
Talbot denied Kane with a pad save with five minutes left in the third to preserve the win as the Rangers lost for only the second time in their last eight home games. The Rangers are still 24-8-4 since Dec. 5.
Ottawa has entered the playoff race with an 11-3-1 surge since losing at home to Winnipeg on Jan. 21.
Tarasenko go-ahead goal was dramatic as he skated in on Talbot before faking left and then backhanding the puck into the net on the goaltender’s opposite side at 14:54.
Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Rangers.
Kreider opened the scoring with a short-handed goal at 6:31 of the first, bursting in on Talbot before flipping a high backhand into the net for his 27th goal. The goal was the 256th of Kreider’s career, tying him with Camille Henry for sixth on the franchise list.
The Rangers couldn’t find any third-period offense on a night when Kane made his debut following his acquisition from Chicago, where he won the Stanley Cup three times.
Kane heard loud cheers when he skated out for the pregame warmups as fans cluttered rows on the New York side of the arena for a glimpse of the newest player wearing his customary No. 88.
Kane and his reunited Blackhawks teammate Panarin were the last two off the ice as Kane heard the roar of the crowd again before yet another thunderous during starting lineup introductions.
Kane skated on right wing with Panarin and Trocheck at center but had a quiet game for the Rangers, registering only four shots and no points.
NOTES: The Rangers played with five defenseman as they were again without the injured Ryan Lindgren. K’Andre Miller served the second of a three-game suspension for spitting toward Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty last Sunday.
UP NEXT
Senators: Host Columbus on Saturday night.
Rangers: At Boston on Saturday.
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Allan Kreda, The Associated Press
