Senators Take Down Rangers 2-1 in 2nd Round of 2017 NHL Playoffs

After surviving a dramatic first-round series, the Ottawa Senators were right at home to start the second.

The home team earned a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers Thursday night, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series in the process.

Considering all six games against the Boston Bruins were decided by one goal—including four in overtime—the close battle didn't seem to affect Ottawa.

Erik Karlsson made the difference for the Senators with the game-winning goal from a near-impossible angle:

The officials played a significant role in this one, with a combined 16 penalty minutes given out to the two teams. This resulted in two power-play goals to set up a 1-1 tie going into the final moments.

However, it was the late goal with under five minutes remaining that helped secure the victory.

A battle of 35-year-old goalies was one of the main stories on the night, with both men in net doing everything they can to help their teams win.

Henrik Lundqvist continued his strong performance in the playoffs with 43 saves, including this impressive effort in the first period:

Unfortunately, the one that sneaked by him ended up deciding the game.

Meanwhile, Craig Anderson was just as impressive and allowed just a single goal on 35 shots in the win. A few late saves were key to keep the Senators on top.

Ottawa had tons of chances early with three power plays and 21 shots, but the Sens couldn't break through with an opening goal. Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post summed up the opening session:

After each side failed to do anything on the power play in the first period, both used the extra man to their advantage in the second. Ryan McDonagh fired in the first goal for the Rangers from near the blue line while Chris Kreider provided a screen:

Ryan Dzingel equalized the game at the end of the period on a rebound:

There was cleaner play in the third, but Karlsson put the Senators on top with his goal. A late penalty gave the Rangers a six-on-four chance to tie in the final minute, but they couldn't get the puck into the net.

New York will try to get this one back in Game 2 Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. The game will once again be in the Canadian Tire Centre, and the pressure will be on the visitors to avoid falling behind 2-0 in this second-round matchup.