Pageau's four goals lift Senators to 2-0 series lead over Rangers

Four for forty-four.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the game of his life in the Ottawa Senators’ 6-5 triumph over the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, scoring four goals, including the double-overtime winner, to give the Senators a 2-0 series lead in their second-round encounter.

With under three minutes left in the fifth period of action, Pageau skated onto a clearance from Alex Burrows to create a 2-on-1 opportunity with Tommy Wingels. Pageau looked off Wingels, turned his wrists over and fired a laser over the shoulder of Henrik Lundqvist, who was left frozen by the blast as Wingels scooped up the puck behind him.

Pageau’s fourth came on his fourth recorded shot.

Now with five goals, he shares the postseason goal scoring lead with Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel.

Pageau scored twice with tips in the final four minutes of regulation, including his hat-trick goal which equalized with 62 seconds remaining on the clock. With that goal, which prevented the Rangers from bringing the series back to New York at 1-1, Pageau matched Daniel Alfredsson for the Senators record with his second career hat trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Pageau and Alfredsson are the only two players in club history to record a hat trick in a postseason game, while Pageau is the second player in NHL history to score a fourth goal in a Stanley Cup Playoffs game in overtime, according to NBC research.

In 23 career postseason appearances heading into Game 2, Pageau had totalled just five goals, which includes his remarkable hat-trick performance versus the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of their opening-round series back in 2013.

Craig Anderson made 43 saves for his sixth victory of the postseason, but needed Kyle Turris to provide perhaps the best save of the game after he coughed up the puck behind the net in overtime.

Meanwhile, Brady Skjei was outstanding for the Rangers. He scored twice, momentarily thwarting comeback bids with each goal, and became the first Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch to record a multi-goal game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Leetch had three versus the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1995.

The Rangers also counted two shorthanded markers on the Senators, who struggled with their power play throughout. Michael Grabner and Derek Stepan scored on shorthanded transition rushes, while Chris Kreider bagged his first goal of the playoffs.

Lundqvist finished with 28 saves.