Monday, Feb. 26 7:00pm ET
Rangers' chances of making playoffs looking slim
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BOX SCORE
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Rangers were given a two-day lesson
on the slim margin between winning and losing teams.
|  | | The Rangers are falling down at the most inopportune times, such as when goalie Kirk McLean can't stop Daniel Alfredsson's game-winning shot for the Senators.
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Todd White and Daniel Alfredsson scored third-period goals to
negate Mark Messier's 20th of the season as the Ottawa Senators
beat the Rangers 3-2 Monday night.
The Rangers lost their third consecutive game and second in two
nights to a top Eastern Conference team. New York was tied with
second-place Philadelphia only to give up a late goal in a 2-1
Sunday defeat, and followed it up with another third-period collapse.
"We knew if we stayed patient we'd get to them," Alfredsson
said. "Now they're a much-improved team. They may not have the
confidence we do, but they're playing good."
White got Ottawa even with his eighth career goal at 12:24, and
Alfredsson put the East-leading Senators ahead with his 16th this
season with only 3:11 left.
"We feel we should have had three out of four points," said
Messier, who scored in the first period to reach 20 goals for the
17th time. "The last two games we played well enough to win both
of them."
Messier returned as Rangers captain following three seasons with
Vancouver and promised that New York would reach the postseason for
the first time since 1997.
But New York, which followed up a five-game unbeaten streak with
the losing run, is in 10th place -- nine points behind Carolina for
the final playoff spot with only 20 games remaining.
"Games are slipping away, and we're a long ways from that
eighth spot right now," defenseman Brian Leetch said.
Alfredsson scored the game-winner into an open left side of the
net, converting a rebound of Alexei Yashin's shot.
"They test your down-low coverage every shift," Leetch said.
Kirk McLean, in his second start since Mike Richter's
season-ending knee injury a week ago, made 39 saves -- 19 in the
second period -- for the Rangers.
"I felt pretty good out there, no doubt about it," McLean
said. "There's no 'W' behind it and that's the frustrating part."
McLean has stopped 79 of 85 shots since Richter went down, but
is 0-2. Rookie Vitali Yeremeyev took the defeat Friday at Pittsburgh.
"Kirk's played fantastic, you could not ask for anything more
from him," Leetch said. "Tonight's probably as many shots as we
have given up all year."
Patrick Lalime made 30 saves for the Senators, who lead the East
by four points over Philadelphia.
Mike York gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 8:47 remaining, but
White answered 1:11 later with his first goal of the season.
"Even when we got down 2-1, we kept going at them," Lalime
said. "There was no letdown."
Messier gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead when he took a long lead
pass from Theo Fleury and ripped a shot under Lalime's right arm
with 1:32 left in the first period. Messier, in his 21st NHL
season, reached 20 goals for the first time since 1997-98 and the
sixth time with New York.
Jason York, who assisted on White's goal, got the Senators even
at 1 with a power-play goal at 1:11 of the second.
The Rangers, 0-7-1 against Ottawa before a 3-2 victory last Nov.
26, looked like they would win their second consecutive from the
Senators when Mike York scored off a perfect pass through the
crease from Valeri Kamensky at 11:13.
But White received a pass behind the net from Andreas Dackell
and jammed it into the left side of the net at 12:24.
"It was a great play by Dacks to get me the puck behind the
net," White said. "I don't think the goalie knew, and I was
fortunate to stuff it."
Game notes
Messier played in his 1,541th
game, passing John Bucyk for fifth on the NHL's career list. He
became the fourth player at least 40 years old to score 20 goals in
a season.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Ottawa Clubhouse
NY Rangers Clubhouse
Blues' Pronger knocked out with broken forearm
RECAPS
Ottawa 3
NY Rangers 2
Vancouver 5
Minnesota 2
New Jersey 5
Florida 3
St. Louis 7
San Jose 2
Calgary 3
Dallas 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Daniel Alfredsson beats Kirk McLean for an Ottawa score.
avi: 588 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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