The set-up: The Rangers owned the most road wins of any team in the regular season, plus took two of three at Montreal in eliminating the Canadiens in the first round, but the Senators were able hold serve at home and win Game 1 of this series, 1-0. Ottawa now hopes to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series in Saturday's Game 2. Ottawa star defenseman Erik Karlsson's goal from a near-impossible angle was the difference in the series opener, the Senators' seventh one-goal decision in as many playoff games.

NY Rangers: New York needs to focus on a better start, as Henrik Lundqvist faced 21 shots in Game 1's first 20 minutes, which ended 0-0. It marked his highest save total ever for one period in the postseason. "Obviously we want to play fast, but we can't rush it up with one guy trying to break through, give it away and have them come back and shove it up our (butt)," forward Mats Zuccarello told the New York Post. "It's important for us to be patient with the puck against their trap."

Ottawa: Karlsson missed five games down the stretch because of a pair of stress fractures in his heel but he once again delivered with his first goal of this postseason to go along with his six assists. "I think our fans have to appreciate what we have here," head coach Guy Boucher marveled. "It's more than a star right now. That's what I think is unbelievable. He's a skilled player that became a star and now he's a winner." That also applies to goaltender Craig Anderson, who has now won his last four against New York with a staggering .984 save percentage.

The pick: "I think we just have to forget about this," ex-Ottawa center Mika Zibanejad said. "We were down in the Montreal series, as well, 2-1. It's 1-0. A lot of hockey left to play." However, New York's leading goal scorer Chris Kreider remains stuck on just one assist through seven playoff games. Lundqvist and Anderson on at the top of their games and the Under isa 10* play.