Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Jesse Winchester and Daniel Alfredsson scored goals just over one minute apart in the second period, as Ottawa snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.
Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno also netted a goal apiece for the Senators, who hadn't won since November 6 against Philadelphia. Ottawa had gone 0-4-2 in the last six contests, including a 2-1 shootout loss to the Rangers on Monday.
Alex Auld made 18 saves in the win for Ottawa.
Markus Naslund scored the lone goal, and Stephen Valiquette stopped 32-of-36 shots for the Rangers, who have lost two in a row.
New York took nine penalties in the contest, the second of which led to Ottawa's first goal. Paul Mara was sent to the box for roughing at 4:59, and 44 seconds later Spezza gave the Senators the lead.
On the Ottawa rush, Dany Heatley split a pair of Rangers defenders skating to the left side of the net, then sent a pass back and to the right. Spezza was right there to accept the puck, and he put it in the net over a sprawled Valiquette.
"I think we spent ourselves killing penalties, and obviously you take the wind out of your sails when you have to do that," Rangers head coach Tom Renney said.
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The 1-0 lead held up through the remainder of the first period and through most of the second. But two quick goals late in the period gave the Senators a decided advantage in the game.
Winchester attained the puck and skated up the ice on a solo rush, sliding a backhander between Valiquette's pads at 17:53.
"We talked about it before the game," Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg said. "Tonight was the night when the other team's goalie was not going to be the star. We wanted to be hungry around the net."
Just one minute and 22 seconds later, Alfredsson's pass from the left circle ricocheted off a Rangers skate and went right back to him. He turned to the net and rifled it past Valiquette for a 3-0 lead, as Jarkko Ruutu somewhat dislodged the net from behind.
"There was definitely interference on the third goal," Valiquette said. "If I had embellished it, there would have been a call...It would have been a lot easier for us to come back from two goals instead of three in the third period. The third goal was a turning point."
Naslund's wrister 1:32 into the third period got New York on the board, but at 10:48 the Senators scored on a pinball shot -- from the left boards Ruutu fired the puck, which deflected off a Ranger skate, angled off the skate of Foligno and went into the net, and the Senators cruised to the finish from there.
