Rangers move closer to wild-card spot after destruction of Senators

Entrenched in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Rangers are making their push.A 5-0 rout of the Senators on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden not only bumped the Blueshirts up to just two points out of the second wild-card spot, but it also prevented Ottawa, currently occupying the first spot, from widening the distance from the teams behind them.Every time the Rangers have stepped on the ice since the new year began, a big-game aura has followed.That’s what happens when your season reaches the brink of ruin and you’re fighting to make up for it.Though the Rangers have rather consistently answered the call in these high-stakes contests, and it’s allowed them to bulldoze their way back into contention after their season was all but dead in the water.Tuesday night was a gritty win by the Rangers, who stayed the course despite having two goals called back through the first two periods.This all against a Senators team that had won five of its past six games entering the matchup.The Rangers were scoreless and then had a 2-0 lead when Ottawa successfully challenged for offside both times, the first an early goal from Sam Carrick and the second a snipe from Arthur Kaliyev.Instead of letting frustration play out on the ice, the Rangers continued to push offensively and were rewarded for it.After Kaliyev made it a 2-0 game less than two minutes into the middle frame, the Rangers fended off back-to-back power plays from the Senators to take the lead into the third.Adam Edstrom then fed Matt Rempe, who flicked a backhander past Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg to kick off a three-goal final frame for the Blueshirts.A melee that broke out after Brady Tkachuk barreled into Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin pumped some adrenaline into the game, but only the home team cashed in on it.After Shesterkin went after Tkachuk for the infraction and the Rangers earned a power play, Michael Amadio knocked the star Russian goalie down behind his net to force the Senators to de...