Lundqvist and Boyle Propel Rangers to Victory

The Ottawa Senators had the New York Rangers right where they wanted them going into tonight's game. The series was tied 1-1 and had shifted to Ottawa. The Senators looked to ride the home crowd momentum throughout the game. They did that well, but couldn't seem to be able to get a shot past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was matched though by Sentators goaltender Craig Anderson, as both carried shutouts into the third period.

Both sides needed someone to step up, and the man who did so has been doing it all series. No one expect Brian Boyle to play a significant role in this series. The 6-7 Rangers forward is known mostly as a bruiser. As unlikely as it might seem, Boyle found the net again to put the Rangers up 1-0 in Game 3 midway through the third. Boyle has now scored a goal in each of the three games of the series, despite having only 11 goals all season.

Boyle's third period goal was all the Rangers needed as Lundqvist stopped all 39 of the Senators shots. The shutout was the four of his playoff career. Boyle ignored the jeers of the Senators fans and quieted them quite a bit once he scored the eventual game-winning goal. The Rangers are now back in control of the series. The Senators remain confident, but are admittedly shaken after a disappointing loss after outplaying the Rangers the whole game. One thing is for certain the Rangers would not be where they are if it wasn't for Henrik Ludqvist and Brian Boyle.