The Ottawa Senators are producing historic lows — for their opponents — in their push for the playoffs.
Shane Pinto and Warren Foegele scored in the first two periods and the Ottawa defense held the host New York Rangers to nine shots on goal en route to a 2-1 win on Monday night.
The nine shots set a franchise record for Ottawa, which became the first NHL team to permit fewer than 10 shots on goal in a game since the New Jersey Devils allowed nine to the Washington Capitals on Dec. 4, 2003.
The Rangers matched the mark for fewest shots on goal in franchise history, a low first reached in 1955.
The Senators (37-24-9, 83 points) moved within two points of the New York Islanders for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa also trails the Detroit Red Wings by one point, and the Atlantic Division foes face each other on Tuesday.
Ottawa also improved to 14-3-2 in its past 19 games and 17-5-4 in its last 26, a stretch that started with sweeping the Vancouver Canucks and the Rangers in a back-to-back set Jan. 13-14.
Pinto scored late during a power play following a hooking penalty to Taylor Raddysh when he took a pass from Claude Giroux at the edge of the left circle and lifted a shot over goalie Igor Shesterkin 6:30 into the contest when the Senators took the first 11 shots on goal.
Foegele scored for the third straight game and fifth time in nine games with Ottawa when he was left open at the right scored and one-timed a cross-ice pass from Lars Eller by Shesterkin 6:46 into the second.
The Senators ended their latest win with four defensemen after losing Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson. Chabot did not return after getting hit in the right arm by New York captain J.T. Miller’s stick in the waning seconds of the first and Thomson, playing in his first game since Nov. 25, exited in the second.
“They’ll both be out for a while,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said postgame. “That’s about all I can say about it right now.”
Conor Sheary scored for the Rangers (28-34-9, 65 points) with 12:57 left in the third by getting by Pinto to the left side of the crease and sliding the puck past goalie James Reimer and into the vacated side of the net.
After honoring Mika Zibanejad in a pregame ceremony for appearing in his 1,000th career regular-season game on Monday, the Rangers tied a season worst with their fifth straight loss. Zibanejad finished with three of New York’s shots on goal as the Rangers were held to one goal or fewer for the 17th time this season.
Shesterkin made 31 saves.
–Field Level Media
