Rangers Clinch Playoff Spot With 5-1 Win Over Senators

Chris Kreider had two goals and an assist and the New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot with a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Dan Boyle, Mats Zuccarello and Tanner Glass also scored for the Rangers, who have 101 points.

Cam Talbot made 23 saves for New York, which handed Ottawa's Andrew Hammond his first regulation-time loss.

Hammond allowed five goals on 22 shots and is 14-1-1 to start his NHL career.

The Rangers also ended Ottawa's seven-game winning streak.

Curtis Lazar scored for the Senators as they failed to collect at least one point for just the second time in their past 18 games.

New York's fifth goal knocked Hammond out of the game late in the second period.

He was replaced by Chris Driedger, who was making his NHL debut. Driedger finished with 10 saves.

The Rangers took a 3-1 lead into the second period on two goals from Kreider and one from Boyle.

Kreider opened the scoring at 12:38 of the first after a fantastic pass from Derek Stepan.

The Senators tied the game just 19 seconds later when Lazar gained control of a bouncing puck in the Rangers end and beat Talbot with a quick shot from the faceoff circle.

Boyle gave the Rangers the lead at 16:40, and with one minute left in the period Kreider got his second goal of the game off a Stepan rebound that bounced straight up after Hammond made the initial save.

At 1:42 of the second period, Zuccarello scored on a one-timer for a 4-1 lead before Glass scored at 16:02 just five seconds after emerging from the penalty box.

The Senators had a 5-on-3 advantage for 34 seconds, but didn't register a shot. They had just one shot over the final 86 seconds of the Glass minor.

Notes: Jared Cowen, Milan Michalek, Matt Puempel and Craig Anderson were scratches for the Senators. While Kevin Klein and Martin St. Louis were scratches for the Rangers.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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