An unnamed Ottawa Senators’ players tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday night. He becomes the first NHL player to contract the disease. According to Fox News, the player is experiencing mild symptoms and is currently being quarantined.

“In collaboration with team doctors and public health officials, the Ottawa Senators have undertaken to notify everyone who has knowingly been in contact with the athlete,” the team’s statement said. “The Ottawa Senators are in the process of notifying anyone who has had known close contact with the athlete and are working with our team doctors and public health officials. As a result of this positive case, all members of the Ottawa Senators are requested to remain isolated, to monitor their health and seek advice from our team medical staff. The health of our players, fans, and community remains our highest priority. We will continue to do everything we can to help ensure our players, staff, fans and the greater community remain safe and healthy during this time of uncertainty due to the spread of the coronavirus.”

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On Monday, the league and the NHLPA told players they could return to their homes including locations outside of North America but are required to remain in self-quarantine until at least March 27. Prior to the announcement, players were prohibited from leaving their home-team’s city. The decision followed a recommendation by the CDC that discouraged gatherings of 50 or more people.

“I think in light of the CDC recommendations, it’s hard to foresee that we’re looking at much happening here in March or even April, in my opinion,” NHL player agent Jay Grossman told Fox News. Commissioner Gary Bettman hasn’t announced when the season will continue and more information will be reported when available.

The Ottawa Senators have hired Jim Little as the chief executive officer on Friday, hoping for a boost both on and off the ice. The struggling franchise is tied for the second fewest points in the league and is in desperate need for a momentum change.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Owner Eugene Melnyk had been the CEO of the Senators since the split with Tom Anselmi in February 2018.

Little has a history of senior executive roles, with his latest being executive vice president and chief marketing and culture officer for Shaw Communications, a Canadian telecommunications company. He has also held senior roles at Royal Bank, Bell Canada and Bombardier, a Canadian transportation company.

His role with Ottawa will be business strategy with a focus on marketing and community relations.

“We’ve got a passionate and dedicated team of professionals, on and off the ice, and a community that wants us to succeed. Together, we will”, Little said.

Ottawa will play the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night at home as they seek a must needed win and turn around in their season.

The Ottawa Senators have their own superhero in defenseman Mark Borowiecki. The alternate captain managed to stop a theft on December 1 ahead of the Senators game against the Vancouver Canucks.

He witnessed someone break into a parked vehicle in an area of Vancouver and then take off with a bag on a bicycle. Borowiecki stopped the man by clotheslining him, where he then wrestled the man to the ground and took back the stolen bag. Police are still on the lookout for the thief.

Twitter became full of compliments and praise for the Senators leader as people sought to express how amazing a player he is. Before Tuesday night’s game, Borowiecki joked, “I’m a mediocre fighter on the ice, but I’m very confident handling myself off the ice.”

He received a text of gratitude from the owner of the car who was surprised to learn he was an Ottawa Senators player. According to Borowiecki, she said, “I’m actually a huge Leafs fan”, in reference to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

From 2011-2013, Borowiecki spent time bouncing back and forth from the Ottawa Senators and the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate team to Ottawa. Since 2013, he has played for the Ottawa Senators as a powerhouse defenseman and alternate captain and has earned the nickname “Boro Cop” for his physical play.

“Boro Cop” decided to take his physical style of play to the streets to fight crime and one lucky woman is thankful for this NHL superhero as there are smiles all around.

People on social media couldn’t help but rave about Borowiecki’s heroic actions:

This season was supposed to be different for the Ottawa Senators. But then again, every one of their seasons was supposed to be. And very rarely were they.

Senators Uber Scandal Continues

After an offseason flooded with scandals, from the arrest of an assistant general manager to a Twitter beef between Mike Hoffman‘s girlfriend and Erik Karlsson‘s wife, they’ve only continued into the season. That comes after trading away both Hoffman and Karlsson to a different country.

Now, they’re still in what might be a permanent damage control mode. And the team that’s 30th in penalty killing is just as bad off the ice as they are on it. One Uber ride in Phoenix might be what kills the team.

Earlier this month, a video of several players — including alternate captain Matt Duchene — criticizing the coaching staff and game planning leaked online.  The team said they’ve already addressed the five-minute clip. Forward Mark Stone said “It’s disappointing the way the video got released. We dealt with this long before this video was released. As a coaching staff, as management, as players it was dealt with internally and the way it should be, and we’re going to move forward and grow from it.”

Maybe this is the one scandal that costs Ottawa a hockey team. Owner Eugene Melnyk threatened to move the team in 2017. When asked if he would, he responded: “If it becomes a disaster, yes.” Isn’t this?

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The players already apologized to coach Martin Raymond, a specific target of insults, in a statement on Monday. Raymond, as his players said in the video, is ” the only coach in NHL history to have the worst power play and the worst PK within a calendar year.” He’s also in his third season with the team.

Senator coach Guy Boucher also commented on the incident.

“I don’t know who makes decisions to put things like that out there, but when you purposely try to hurt another human being, I don’t want to spend too much time on that, and especially probably the best human being I know (Raymond), that’s personal,” Boucher said.

The team looks to move on, playing New Jersey in a home game on Tuesday night. Realistically though, they won’t. This season’s a wash and Ottawa might be too.

The San Jose Sharks acquire two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

SENATORS TRADE ERIK Karlsson TO SHARKS

In what has been a turbulent stretch for the Senators, the team trades 28-year-old star Swedish defenceman Karlsson and prospect forward Francis Perron to the Sharks.

San Jose dealt forwards Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, and prospect forward Josh Norris.

The deal also includes the Shark’s first-round pick in 2020, a second-round pick in 2019 and a conditional second-round pick in 2021.

“It’s extremely rare that players of this caliber become available,” said General Manager Doug Wilson. “The word ‘elite’ is often thrown around casually, but Erik’s skill set and abilities fit that description like few other players in today’s game. With Erik, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, we feel we have three of the N.H.L.’s top defensemen and stand as a better team today than we were yesterday.”

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On Friday, the star defenseman sent a message of gratitude to the city of Ottawa via Twitter.

Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion said: “This is the right moment for us to rebuild our team, and shape our future with a faster, younger and more competitive team on the ice. We are going to build a culture of consistency which will allow this team to sustain better performance over the long term.”

“Erik is an exceptional hockey player whose skills delighted our fans for the past nine years,” Dorion said in a statement. “We thank him for his dedication to hockey, and we wish him all the best.”

After missing out on the high-scoring center John Tavares in free agency to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sharks get the difference-maker that it was hoping in Karisson.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

His .518 points are by far the most of any defenseman since he entered the N.H.L. in 2009.

Last season put up 62 points (nine goals) and 53 assists. He also led the team in average ice time (26 minutes 44 seconds, third in the N.H.L.), and was second in blocked shots (120) and takeaways (55).

Karlsson also has six goals and 31 assists in 48 career playoff games.

“I wish we were standing here in different circumstances. It’s an emotional and sad day,” said Karlsson in an emotional news conference. “I don’t think that I’ve ever in my wildest imagination thought that I would ever leave this place. But, unfortunately, we’re here under these circumstances and, again, that’s not something I’m going to go into detail about.

“I was prepared to come here and work hard for this team. I still have a year left on my deal but unfortunately I couldn’t follow that through.”

As Karlsson makes the transition to San Jose he joins one of the top defensive groups in the league alongside the 2017 Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns and the shutdown defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

He’ll get a chance to face his former team on December 1 in Ottawa at 1 p.m. EST.

On Sunday, former NHL goalie Ray Emery died after drowning in a harbor in his native Hamilton, Canada. He was 35.

Former NHL Goaltender Ray Emery Dies

The Hamilton Police Department said the former goaltender went missing early Sunday morning in Hamilton Harbour, a part of Lake Ontario.

Inspector Marty Schulenberg stated no foul play is suspected in Emery’s death. Since Emery was not found immediately, a team of divers were summoned to help with the rescue efforts.

According to ESPN, Schulenberg said the former goalie’s death was a “case of misadventure.”

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An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.

“Mr. Emery was taking a swim this morning and the circumstances around that are a part of the investigation,” Schulenberg stated, per ESPN. “Those details remain to be uncovered by our investigators.”

Emery, who was nicknamed “Razor,” was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2001 as a fourth-round selection. During his 11-year NHL career, he played with the Senators, Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks. Emery helped lead Ottawa to a Stanley Cup Final in 2007. Six years later, he won a national title with the Blackhawks while playing as a backup for Corey Crawford. 

Emery retired with the Flyers in 2015 but then played one more professional year in the AHL and in the German league. He logged 16 shutouts in his career.

The goaltender also suffered from a severe hip condition called avascular necrosis.

Among the controversies Emery became involved in during his career was an attack on a coach in Russia in 2009. A video of this incident went viral.

“Ray was an outstanding teammate and an extremely gifted goaltender,” the Flyers said of Emery in a statement. “He had an exceptional athleticism, was a fierce competitor and battled in every game he played with the Flyers. His performances throughout the 2009-10 season were a very big part of the team’s success in making the playoffs and reaching the Stanley Cup Final.”

The Senators and Blackhawks also released statements.

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“On behalf of the Ottawa Senators, I wish to express my sincere condolences on the passing of Ray Emery,” team owner Eugene Melnyk stated. “Ray was instrumental in our run to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, and at his best, he brought a competitive edge and combative mentality to the game. On behalf of our entire organization, I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to Ray’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Here are more tributes to Emery from around the NHL:

The Ottawa Senators on Tuesday traded winger Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, who then sent him to the Florida Panthers.

Senators’ Mike Hoffman Traded To Panthers

The move comes almost a week after allegations of cyber-bullying were made against Hoffman’s fianceé Monika Caryk. On May 4, Melinda Karlsson — the wife of Senators captain Erik Karlsson — reportedly filed a protection order against Caryk, claiming Hoffman’s fianceé had harassed her online.

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Melinda Karlsson accused Caryk of making “numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead” in a series of tweets and other social media posts, according to The Ottawa Citizen. 

Karlsson and her husband had a son named Axel in March but he was stillborn, and Melinda reportedly received several offensive messages online after that.

Melinda Karlsson also claimed Caryk used a pseudonym to post the hurtful comments and that she “uttered that she wished I was dead and that someone should ‘take out’ my husband’s legs to end his career.”

According to the Citizen, Hoffman denied the allegations against his fianceé. The Senators, meanwhile, issued a statement saying they would investigate the matter in coordination with the NHL.

Ottawa traded Hoffman to the Sharks for Mikkel Boedker as part of a deal that also saw defenseman Cody Donaghey and a fifth-round 2020 draft pick leave for San Jose. The Senators also got defenseman Julius Bergman and a 2020 sixth-round pick.

The Sharks then dealt Hoffman and a seventh-round pick to the Panthers for second, fourth and fifth-round picks.

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Karlson has a chance to sign a new contract with the Senators starting July 1. He could become an unrestricted free agent during the summer of 2019.

Left winger Evander Kane recently signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Sharks.

Bobby Ryan finished with a goal and an assist, and Craig Anderson recorded 27 saves to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 home victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night and snap a five-game winning streak.

Senators vs. Rangers game score

Cody Ceci and Zach Smith also netted for the Senators (10-13-7).

Michael Grabner and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Rangers (16-12-3), who dropped their second straight game. Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves and became the 15th goalie in NHL history to earn 20,000 stops.

“Our expectations were to do better on the trip,” Ryan said. “We let some points get away. To come back and regroup less than 24 hours after getting home from a 15-day trip and to get two points at home is huge.

“I think when that final buzzer went, I think there was a sigh from a lot of people, fans included. It was a good feeling. They are a good team over there, and a good goaltender, so it was a good confidence boost for us.”

Chris Kreider assisted on Buchnevich’s goal at 4:40 of the third period to make it 3-2. The forward raced past Ottawa defenseman Johnny Oduya on the right-wing boards to set up Buchnevich’s 11th of the season.

Ryan gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period, scoring his second of the season on a pass from Mark Stone.

Grabner tied it 1-1 at 3:57 of the second period when he skated in behind Erik Karlsson at the left post and flicked in a pass from Mats Zuccarello. 

“We gave up an early goal in the first, we gave up an early goal in the third,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “We know this team well, we know how they defend. There are some plays in front of you that you have to make, and their first two goals we didn’t make the plays through the neutral zone and they came back to make us pay. There’s no doubt that goal early in the third really hurt us.”

The Rangers next host the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, while the Senators will host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL100 Classic on Saturday.

OTTAWA, ON – DECEMBER 13: Dion Phaneuf #2 of the Ottawa Senators skates against Michael Grabner #40 of the New York Rangers at Canadian Tire Centre on December 13, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-0 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night for their sixth consecutive home victory.

Rangers vs. Senators game score

The Blueshirts (10-9-2) snapped a two-game losing streak, and Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves for his 63rd career shutout and second of the season. Kevin Hayes, Michael Grabner and Mika Zibanejad scored, and Mats Zuccarello had two assists.

Craig Anderson stopped 24 shots for the Senators (8-5-6). Brendan Smith landed a big hit on Ottawa forward Mark Borowiecki to earn a five-minute major and an ejection at 7:32 of the third period.

“I’d rather take the win in the playoffs,” said Zibanejad, the former Senator who finished things off with his 10th goal of the season into the empty Ottawa net with 2:29 remaining. “But it’s a new season, it’s a new opportunity to build off what we’ve done so far.”

New York was also strong on the penalty kill, blocking six of Ottawa’s shots during a five-minute span in the third period. Former Ranger Derrick Brassard led the Senators on the power play.

“All that matters is getting the win,” Lundqvist said, “but the way we got the win, that’s great for the confidence.”

The Rangers next play at Carolina on Wednesday night before a four-game home-stand. The Senators next play at Washington on Wednesday in the middle of a three-game trip.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 22: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the New York Rangers celebrates scoring his second goal against Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Chris Kunitz scored at 5:09 of the second overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 home victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday night.

Chris Kunitz scores in 2OT, Penguins Beat Senators In Game 7

Sidney Crosby fed Kunitz, who fired a shot past Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Craig Anderson from just outside the left circle.

“I don’t think it really matters who scores,” the left wing said. “I think we’re all just happy that the game is ended and we’re on the top side of it and that we get to go play for another Stanley Cup. I think it’s something that takes work from everybody on the ice to be able to score a goal.”

The defending NHL champion Penguins will next host the Western Conference-winning Nashville Predators in their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final series. Game 1 of the last round of the playoffs is Monday at 8 pm EST, and will air on NBC.

Kunitz also netted Pittsburgh’s first goal at 9:55 of the second before Mark Stone tied it 1-1 just 20 seconds later. Before Thursday, Kunitz hadn’t scored since Feb. 16, a span of 35 games.

For his first goal of Game 7, Kunitz fed Conor Sheary, which led to a 2-on-1 against Erik Karlsson. Sheary passed over Karlsson’s stick to Kunitz, who shot inside the left post. Sheary returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two contests.

The Penguins gained a 2-1 lead with 8:16 left in regulation. After Dion Phaneuf was called for interference on Phil Kessel, Justin Schulz shot past a screen from Kunitz and off the right post. Shchulz, who had missed Pittsburgh’s previous four games with an upper-body injury, praised Kunitz after the game.

“You can’t say enough about that guy,” said Schultz. “He’s a leader in the room and on the ice. He’s a big reason we’re moving on here.”

When asked if there was anything better than scoring in Game 7, the Canadian defenseman added: “Yeah, getting the win. It was great to see. It felt really good to see Kuni’s shot go in.”

Ottawa forward Ryan Dzingel tied it 2-2 with 5:19 remaining in the third period to send the game to overtime. Karlsson fired a long-range shot that hit Matt Murray’s right post and Dzingel tapped in the rebound from the goalie’s left side after the puck also ricocheted off Murray.

Murray made 27 saves, while Anderson stopped 39 shots for the Senators.

Thursday was the 41st time, and seventh time in a conference final, a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs reached overtime.

“This was a hard-fought series and we knew it was going to be a hard-fought series going in,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “[Ottawa] is a really good team. They’re not here by accident. They’re a really good team and they’re hard to play against.

“I’m proud of our group for the resilience that they showed throughout the course of this series.”

PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 25: Chris Kunitz #14 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal against Craig Anderson #41 of the Ottawa Senators during the second period in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 25, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Phil Kessel scored on his lone shot on goal with 6:55 remaining in the third period to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-0 Game 2 home victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.

Phil Kessel Scores Game-Winner, Penguins tie series Vs Senators 1-1

The right winger took a pass from Evgeni Malkin and netted a shot after Jean-Gabriel Pageau stopped the first try. Kessel re-fired his own rebounded past Craig Anderson’s left pad to snap his three-game scoring drought and tie the Eastern Conference Final series 1-1.

“Lucky bounce,” Kessel said. “It got blocked. I got it off quick. It went in.”

Kessel’s game-winner was the latest he had ever scored in 60 career NHL Playoff games.

Marc-Andre Fleury recorded 23 saves for his second shutout in his last three starts. He has allowed two goals during that stretch. Anderson stopped 28 shots for Ottawa.

The Penguins were missing three regulars on Monday: forward Patric Hornqvist, right wing Bryan Rust and defenseman Justin Schultz. The latter two left in the first half of the first period. 

Rust exited after taking a hit from Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the offensive zone 4:58 into the game. Then, Schulz crashed into the end boards at 9:30 of the first after attempting to fight Mike Hoffman for a puck behind Pittsburgh’s net. Schultz headed straight to the locker room. The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins played the remainder of the game with 11 forwards and five defenseman.

Hornqvist did not play due to an undisclosed injury after participating in line rushes during warmups. He skipped practice Sunday and the Penguins’ optional morning skate Monday before being marked as a game-time decision.

Coach Mike Sullivan did not reveal any updates on Rust, Schultz or Hornqvist after the game. Forward Conor Sheary replaced Hornqvist on the third line and was also moved to the first line after Rust left in the opening period.

Carl Hagelin, meanwhile, returned for Pittsburgh. The forward, who had also been labeled a game-time decision, sat out the previous two games with a lower-body injury.

Jake Guentzel missed a great scoring opportunity for the Penguins in the second period. Crosby won a face-off and immediately fed his teammate, who raced toward the net. Guentzel went on a breakaway and, all alone in front, fired a shot over Ottawa’s goal and into the netting with 7:58 left in the second.

Ottawa’s first shot of the third period came on a backhand from forward Zack Smith with 4:54 remaining. The Senators’ previous shot came with 3:47 left in the second period.

The Senators were shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24 (a 36-game stretch). Ottawa forward Viktor Stahlberg missed his second straight game due to an undisclosed injury.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Wednesday at 8pm EST in Ottawa.

PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 15: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins shoots the puck against the Ottawa Senators during the third period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 15, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers will face the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field, the NHL announced Tuesday.

Rangers to face Sabres in 2018 NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field

The game will be held at the Mets’ home stadium in Flushing, Queens on Jan. 1. Commissioner Garry Bettman revealed the outdoor game would be played on New Year’s Day on television Tuesday night during an intermission of the Rangers’ 4-2 Game 6 playoff loss to the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden, a defeat that eliminated the Rangers from Stanley Cup contention.

“The Winter Classic made its debut under snowy Buffalo skies in 2008, and we look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of that landmark event by matching the Sabres with their intrastate rivals, the New York Rangers, in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field,” Bettman said in a press release.

The 2018 Winter Classic will count as a home game for the Sabres due to rules dictating the Rangers play all home contests at Madison Square Garden.

The 2018 edition of the game will mark the second time the Sabres and Rangers have each participated in the NHL’s premier midseason event.

Buffalo hosted the first-ever 2008 Winter Classic, during which the Sabres fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 2-1 shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Rangers visited the Philadelphia Flyers at the Phillies’ home, Citizens Bank Park, for the 2012 showcase game, and also participated in Stadium Series contests against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

The Senators advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2007 with their 4-2 series and Game 6 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night. Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone put Ottawa up 2-0 with goals at 4:27 and 14:44 of the first period, and then led 3-1 in the second thanks to Erik Karlsson, who scored after Mika Zibanejad netted New York’s first goal at 13:32 of the period.

Chris Kreider scored the Rangers’ second goal 53 seconds into the third period to bring the hosts within one, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau secured the Senators’ victory by shooting into an empty net with seven seconds remaining.

Craig Anderson made 37 saves for Ottawa, while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 shots for New York, which was 0-for-4 on the power play.

“I think we played well enough to win a lot of games here,” said Lundqvist, who had won ten of the last 11 home games when the Rangers were on the brink of elimination. “We talked about it during the season that sometimes it is not about playing your best game, it is about finding a way to win games. They did that better than we did.”

One of the best goals of the game was Karlsson, who took a backhand feed from Bobby Ryan and shot past Lundqvist from the left circle at 15:53 of the second period.

“It was big for momentum, the stadium erupted when they scored and I knew they would make another push after they scored,” Anderson said. “I think we took the wind right out of their sail with that great play between Bobby and [Karlsson]”

Anderson made a big save when he blocked a shot from Kreider on a 2-on-1 with Zibanejad by sliding across the goal to stop Kreider’s rebound with his pad at 5:08 of the third period to protect a 3-2 Senators lead.

Ottawa forward Viktor Stalberg left 5:59 into the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Senators’ next opponent and date for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final has yet to be determined. Ottawa beat the Buffalo Sabres in five games when it last played in the conference final in 2007.

After losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference second round series, the New York Rangers rebounded to defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

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Four different Rangers scored, and among the best goals was Rick Nash’s. As New York led 2-0 in the second period thanks to goals from Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner, Nash took a pass from Derek Stepan on a two-on-one at 12:21 and fired a wrist-shot from the left circle to beat net-minder Craig Anderson and put the hosts up 3-0 with his third goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Oscar Lindberg then gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead by one-timing a feed from J.T. Miller across the crease at 1:43 of the second for his first NHL postseason goal.

The Rangers trail the Round 2 series 2-1. New York squandered a two-goal lead late in the third period of Game 2 in Ottawa on Saturday to lose 6-5 in double-overtime.

Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves for the Rangers, who will host the Senators again for Game 4 on Thursday at 7:30 pm EST. Anderson also stopped 26 shots.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the Senators’ lone goal, his sixth of the playoffs, 32 seconds after Lindberg found the back of the net. Pageau received a backhand pass from behind the net by Bobby Ryan and one-timed a shot past Lundqvist.

Ryan left the game with 12:37 remaining due to a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators defeated the St. Louis Blues 2-1 at home on Tuesday to take a 3-1 Western Conference Semifinals series lead. James Neal scored the game-winning goal with 6:57 remaining, and Pekka Rinne finished with 32 saves for the Predators, who are just one victory away from reaching their Conference final for the first time in franchise history. Nashville won its eighth straight postseason game at home.

Ryan Ellis gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 5:09 of the third period with a power-play goal. Ellis shot the puck off a rebound following a scrum for the puck near the goal.

Joel Edmundson netted the Blues’ lone goal with 3:49 remaining. St. Louis coach Mike Yeo pulled net-minder Jake Allen late, but the Blues were unable to score again. Allen had 23 saves.

Nashville’s P.K. Subban was handed an embellishment minor after Edmundson struck him in the head, leading Subban to crash into the boards and fall to the ice, where he lay for a few moments. Subban’s helmet flew off, while Edmundson also tumbled to the ice but quickly got back up.

The Blues will host the Predators for Game 5 Friday night.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 02: Rick Nash #61 of the New York Rangers scores against the Ottawa Senators at 12:21 of the second period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 2, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Ottawa winger Clarke MacArthur scored in overtime on Sunday at TD Garden to lift the Senators to a 3-2 Game 6 victory over Boston, thus ending the Bruins’ season early.

NHL Playoffs: Senators Eliminate Bruins With 3-2 OT Game 6 Win, Face Rangers In Round 2

The Senators thus won the Eastern Conference first-round best-of-seven series 4-2, and next host the New York Rangers for Game 1 of Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday at 7 pm EST.

MacArthur’s game-winning goal came on the power play, 36 seconds after David Pastrnak took him down to the ice to set up a fifth Ottawa man-advantage. After Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask initially made a save on a centering pass, MacArthur took the rebound and shot it past Rask 6:30 into overtime to make it 3-2 and propel the Senators to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

FOX Sports’ Pete Blackburn shared the moment:

Ottawa scored five times on the power play in the first-round series.

Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris also scored, and Craig Anderson made 28 saves for the Senators, who have reached the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Drew Stafford and Patrice Bergeron scored, and Rask made 26 saves for the Bruins, who were missing four key players due to injuries: center David Krejci, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 5, and regular defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, and Adam McQuaid.

Four games in the Ottawa-Boston series went to overtime, and all six were decided by one goal. On Sunday, the Bruins found themselves on the opposite end of where they were on Friday, when they won Game 5 3-2 in overtime.

The Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night to win their own first-round series 4-2.

New York came from behind 1-0 and won thanks to two second-period goals from Mats Zuccarello — a small winger whom Rangers coach Alain Vigneault endearingly described as “a competitive little bugger” — and an empty-net goal from Derek Stepan with 18 seconds remaining in the game. One of Zuccarello’s goals came on a power play at 2:26 of the second, the first time in the series the Rangers scored on the man-advantage. With Jordie Benn in the penalty box for holding, Zuccarello fired a shot from the right circle that sneaked past Price.

Alexei Emelin scored the lone goal for Montreal, who lost the last three games of the series, at 6:19 of the first period. Carey Price made 20 saves for the Canadiens, while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots for the Rangers. Lundqvist allowed 11 goals in total in the six-game set.

The Washington Capitals also eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime with a 2-1 Game 6 victory at Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

After two scoreless periods, Auston Matthews netted a goal for the Leafs for a 1-0 lead at 7:45 of the third, but the Capitals rallied to win thanks to two goals from Marcus Johansson, one at 12:51 of the third and one 6:31 into overtime.

Braden Holtby made 37 saves for Washington, which won the first-round, best-of-seven Eastern Conference series 4-2 and next hosts the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. Game 1 of that semifinal series is Thursday night.

The Capitals won the game without defenseman Karl Alzner, who missed his fourth straight contest with an upper-body injury.

Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for Toronto.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators will visit the St. Louis Blues for Game 1 of Round 2 on Wednesday night at 8 pm EST. Later that night, at 10:30 pm EST, the Edmonton Oilers will visit the Anaheim Ducks for their own second-round Game 1 matchup.

The Predators swept the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 in the first-round series, the Oilers beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in Round 1 thanks to a 3-1 Game 6 road win on Saturday, and the Blues eliminated the Minnesota Wild in five games (4-1) with a 4-3 overtime road victory, also on Saturday.

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 23: Clarke MacArthur #16 of the Ottawa Senators and Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins battle for control of the puck during the second period of Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 23, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Marek Svatos, a right wing who played seven seasons in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators, died Saturday at the age of 34. The cause of his death remains unknown.

Former NHL Teammates Pay Tribute To Late RW Marek Svatos, 34

Selected by the Avalanche in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL Draft, Svatos had 100 goals and 172 points in 344 games, 316 with Colorado. The Slovakian last played in the NHL in 2010-11 with the Senators.

Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic played with Svatos in Colorado from 2003-09.

“The entire Avalanche organization is extremely saddened by this news,” Sakic said in a statement. “Marek was a tremendous person, a talented hockey player and a great teammate. Our thoughts, prayers and our deepest sympathy to his wife, children and his entire family.”

Tributes poured out on social media Sunday from both Svatos’ former teammates and organizations and leagues he played for, both NHL and foreign:

Both current and former Avalanche players also tweeted their condolences:

After leaving the NHL, Svatos played six games with HC Slovan Bratislava in the Kontinental Hockey League from 2012-13 and 26 games in 2013-14 with his hometown team, HC Kosice, in Slovakia.

Svatos played for Slovakia in the 2006 Turin Olympics, when he was scoreless in six games, as well as in the 2010 World Championships.

Svatos is survived by his wife and two children.

DENVER – NOVEMBER 25: Marek Svatos #40 of the Colorado Avalanche skates during the game against the Nashville Predators at the Pepsi Center on November 25, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck led the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night by scoring eight seconds apart from each other in the first period. Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers, who currently lead the Atlantic Division, and goaltender Roberto Luongo won his career-high ninth straight start with 30 saves.

FLORIDA PANTHERS DEFEAT OTTAWA SENATORS FOR 11TH STRAIGHT WIN

Florida’s 11 game-winning streak is the NHL’s longest since the Boston Bruins won 12 consecutive games in March of 2014, according to the NHL.

Luongo made a great save in the first period, and on the following play, Smith deflected Jonathan Huberdeau’s shot to open scoring at 12:01 on Florida’s first shot of the game. Trocheck scored the second goal after Ottawa’s Fredrik Claesson turned the puck over after attempting a no-look pass from the end boards out front of his own net.

Max McCormick and Milan Michalek scored for the Senators and goalie Craig Anderson had 13 total saves.

Caption: NEWARK, NJ – DECEMBER 17: Reilly Smith #18 of the Florida Panthers skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 17, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey. The Panthers defeated the Devils 5-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

In the feel good story of the 2014-15 NHL season, goaltender Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa Senators has extended his record to 10-0-1. The longtime journeyman only played in one professional game before this season, spending majority of his nine-year career in the minors.

But after the injury to Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner, he was called up and has been on a considerable hot streak, posting amazing numbers like 1.39 GAA and a save percentage of .955. On top of this, the Senators have shot up the wild card standings and they are only five points behind the Boston Bruins.

Now throughout this time, Hammond has also gained a nickname — the hamburglar — which is based on the unusual character on the side of his helmet. Most goaltenders are free to decorate their helmets to their liking and Hammond decided to put Alfred E. Neuman as the hamburglar on his.

And after Sunday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Flyers, a fan decided to throw a burger on the ice: an item the goaltender graciously accepted, holding it up as a salute to the fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzT5yE2-Yj8

As a result, McDonald’s has decided to give the goaltender free meals for life, according to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.

“Thanks to John Bergeron, the Senators goalie will be delivered a card that will give him free McDonald’s food for life. Bergeron is the father of Chris Bergeron, who coached Hammond for three seasons at Bowling Green. He also owns six McDonald’s locations in the Ottawa Valley and is a big Senators supporter.

Bergeron was so moved by the rise of The Hamburglar and appreciative of the promotion provided by the Senators goalie he called the VP of marketing at the head office in Toronto, suggesting a hamburger giveaway at Canadian Tire Centre. Toronto wanted to go one further and give Hammond the lifetime card.”

The Ottawa Senators next take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in North Carolina.

h/t: Yahoo Sports

In January 6’s match-up between the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Travis Moen got into a little scuffle with Jared Boll (pictured above). This wonderfully timed image got us thinking, what are some of our favorite fights of all time. For better or for worse, the art of brawling is dying: so lets recognize the controversial times when the NHL was truly a bloodsport. So without further ado, here are uSports’ top 5 best NHL brawls.

5) Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders, 2011

A personal favorite, the New York Islanders in 2011 were on their way to missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season. However, the Penguins rivalry still remained as heated as ever, even if it started to become one sided in New York’s losing years. Now, further add a controversial hit on the Isle’s Blake Comeau from Max Talbot, a 6-0 New York lead and an already hated back-up Penguins goalie and you have the number five best brawl.

4) Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators, 2004

As the opening text shows, there was 419 penalty minute given out in this 2004 game and the Flyers accounted for 213 of them: which is still a single game NHL record. Now, all of this penalty time was not given out over one brawl, but five separate ones. As the video shows, it all started when two enforcers, Rob Ray and Donald Brashear, got into a fight in front of the net: but once the fight is stopped due to Ray’s cut, other Senators jump Brashear, resulting in a full scale brawl with one fantastic goalie fight.

3) Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C7DlAjrhm9s

What started out with a few chippy hits resulted in full-blown anarchy, as the two teams who despised each other quickly squared off: in the late 90s the Red Wings and Avalanche were basically looking for any reason to fight one another. And the one thing you have to understand, we at uSports rate these brawls on entertainment, absurdity level and goalie fights. And though the previous one had a great duel, the absolute slugfest between goaltenders Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon makes this one to remember.

2) Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens, 1987

In a scene that looks ripped from Slap Shot, the Canadiens and Flyers got in an all out brawl before the game even started. The legend goes that two Montreal players attempted to shot on the opposing net as a pre-game ritual. Well, the Broad Street Bullies took an exception to that: particularly, number 17 Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar. What started as a one on one fight quickly escalated as the locker rooms cleared. In the end, this lengthy brawl delayed the game, as it took a while to hand out penalties and ejections.

1) New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, 1979

What is perhaps the most infamous fight in NHL history, a scuffle at the end of the game between the Rangers and Bruins resulted in some fan participation. As it appears a Rangers fan reached over the boards and cut Stan Jonathan with a rolled up newspaper. In retaliation Terry O’Reilly jumped over the glass and started to pummel the fan as nearly the entire Bruins team joined: perhaps the most memorable part is Mike Milbury, who is now known for his 90s failures with the Islanders organization, beating a fan with his own shoe. You simply cannot make this stuff up: the outcome “three players being suspended, lawsuits and the installation of higher glass in the arena.”

In what is probably uSports’ favorite Vine of the year — and the greatest display of manliness since the invention of Ron Swanson — Buffalo Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta punched himself in the face while fighting Ottawa Senators defenseman Jared Cowen. For those who do not believe what we just wrote, yes he indeed just punched himself in the face: actually psyching out Cowen in the process.

One can only assume that Kaleta did this purposefully, perhaps as a way to psych himself up. But as most should know, people who fight do not normally do this, which is why I never want to be caught in a dark alley with Patrick Kaleta.

Unfortunately, the right winger would later be injured from a check into the boards by Jared Cowen; though he is helped off the ice, there is a chance he could play Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

H/T: CBS Sports