Senators defeat Rangers, reach Eastern Conference Final

KARLSSON, ANDERSON LEAD SENATORS TO CONFERENCE FINAL

* Karlsson had his second consecutive multipoint game (three assists in Game 5) and scored his second game-winning goal of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Karlsson, who leads the Senators with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 12 games, extended Senators records for assists and points in one playoff year by a defenseman and also became the first Senators defenseman with multiple game-winning goals in a single postseason.
* Anderson got his 18th NHL playoff win with the Senators in his 33rd game to tie Ray Emery (18 in 30 games) for second place in franchise history, three behind Patrick Lalime (21 in 41 games).
* Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored into an empty net to seal the victory, his team-leading seventh goal this postseason and sixth against the Rangers. Pageau matched the Senators record for most goals in a single playoff series, a mark set by Martin Havlat in the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
* The Senators will start the next round on the road against the winner of the Eastern Conference Second Round between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators have played the Penguins four times previously in the postseason, going 1-3. Their most recent series the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals, won in five games by the Penguins. They've played the Capitals once, in the 1998 Eastern Conference Semifinals, won in five games by the Capitals.

TUESDAY'S RESULT

Home Team in Caps
Ottawa 4, NY RANGERS 2 - OTT wins 4-2

SABRES, RANGERS TO PLAY IN 2018 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

The 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will feature the
Sabres playing host to the Rangers
on Jan. 1, 2018 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. The New Year's Day game will mark the 10-year anniversary of the NHL Winter Classic and will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. ET on NBC in the United States and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

LOOSE PUCKS

Senators forward Mark Stone (1-1-2) had three goals in the series against the Rangers after scoring once in six games in the first round against the Bruins. … Forty-one of 66 games thus far in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been decided by one goal and another eight have been decided by two goals following an empty-net goal. … The Dallas Stars acquired goaltender Ben Bishop in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings
for a fourth-round pick
in the 2017 NHL Draft. … The Kings signed forward Tanner Pearson
to a four-year contract
. … ICYMI: The Penguins and Capitals
were mic'd up
for Game 6 of their series.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Pittsburgh @ Washington, series tied 3-3, 7:30 p.m. ET, CBC, TVA Sports, NBCSN
Edmonton @ Anaheim, series tied 3-3, 10 p.m. ET, SN, TVA Sports, NBCSN

GAME 7 DOUBLEHEADER CLOSES SECOND ROUND

The final day of the second round features a Game 7 doubleheader that begins with the Penguins and Capitals playing the latest chapter of their long and spirited rivalry at Verizon Center in Washington, and closes with a decisive game between the Oilers and Ducks from Honda Center in Anaheim.
* The Capitals will ice a roster that has skated in a total of 76 NHL Game 7s, with forward Justin Williams 7-0 in winner-take-all games. Williams a goal and an assist in his last Game 7, a 5-4 victory with the Kings against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2014 Western Conference Final that included an assist on the overtime winner. He has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in Game 7s, surpassing Doug Gilmour (13) for the most points in Game 7 history and tying Glenn Anderson for most goals.
* The Penguins have won each of their previous Game 7s against the Capitals (1992, 1995, 2009), including two victories in Washington, and are 5-0 on the road record in Game 7s, the best among the four major professional sports leagues. Forward Carl Hagelin (0-2-2) is 7-1 in eight career Game 7s, while teammate Matt Cullen (0-3-3) is 5-0.
* Eight players that skated in the last Game 7 between the Capitals and Penguins are expected to be in the lineup tonight: The Penguins' Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin, and the Capitals' Brooks Orpik (who played for the Penguins in that game), Nicklas Backstrom, Jay Beagle and Alex Ovechkin. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (injured) also played in their last winner-take-all showdown.
* The Ducks will host a Game 7 for the fifth consecutive year as they try to snap a five-game losing streak in all Game 7s that dates to the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals at the Detroit Red Wings. The Oilers will play their first Game 7 in nearly 11 years, a 3-1 loss in the Stanley Cup Final at the Carolina Hurricanes. The winner will own home-ice advantage against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Final.
* Oilers forward Milan Lucic has the most Game 7 experience among all players in the series, collecting six points (four goals, two assists) in 10 career Game 7s, all with the Boston Bruins. Ducks forwards Ryan Getzlaf (0-3-3) and Corey Perry (3-1-4) have played in six Game 7s apiece, second on the Ducks roster behind Patrick Eaves (1-0-1 in 7 GP).

GAME 7 TRENDS

* Home teams are 97-69 (.584) all-time in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including a 3-2 mark in 2016.
* The team that scores first is 124-42 all-time (.747), including a 5-0 mark in 2016.
* Forty Game 7s have required overtime (40-of-166, 24.1 percent). Home and road teams each have 20 wins.