Senators Are Heating Up, Rangers Are Fighting to Keep Up

The Ottawa Senators, a team not usually seen at the top of the playoff race this time of year, are rolling. On the flip side, the New York Rangers are struggling to stay in the postseason picture. Both teams are on hot streaks, and they’ll look to keep it going when they meet Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden for round two of the season series.

Sens Are Sizzling

Ottawa is on fire, riding a six-game point streak (5-0-1) after a solid 2-1 win over the Devils on Sunday. This is their best run since 2017, a year that saw them make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Right now, they’re tied with Boston for a wild-card spot with 52 points. Columbus could leapfrog them, depending on Monday night’s game.

During this streak, the Senators have been clicking on all cylinders, outscoring opponents 18-9. Shoutout to:

• Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle, with three goals each.
• Claude Giroux and Shane Pinto, racking up six points apiece.

Coach Travis Green credits their recent success to everyone buying into the system. “It’s about playing smart, both on and off the puck,” Green said. “We’ve been preaching team-first hockey, and it’s paying off.”

With this momentum, Ottawa is looking to break their eight-year playoff drought—the third-longest in the league after Buffalo and Detroit.

Rangers Are Feeling the Pressure

The Rangers, meanwhile, are trying to climb out of a hole. They’ve got an eight-game point streak (5-0-3), but Sunday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Montreal stung. They blew four one-goal leads and now sit two points behind Columbus in the wild-card race with 48 points.

What happened? After a blazing 12-4-1 start, the Rangers hit a rough patch, going 5-16-0 between late November and early January. Things got so bad they traded former captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim.

Still, there are bright spots:

• Artemi Panarin leads the way with 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists).
• Adam Fox isn’t far behind, with 36 points (two goals, 34 assists).

“We need to lock down those extra points,” Fox said. “The standings are tight, and we can’t afford to let these games slip.”

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What to Watch For

This game is huge for both teams. The Senators want to keep their streak alive and solidify their playoff hopes. The Rangers are looking for a much-needed win to stay in the hunt.

The last time these teams met, New York came out on top 2-1 on Nov. 1. Expect a hard-fought rematch as both teams fight to keep their seasons alive.

Ottawa’s teamwork vs. New York’s star power—it’s going to be a must-watch game.