Senators Take 3-2 Series Lead over Rangers with Kyle Turris' Game 5 OT Goal

For the third time in the series, the New York Rangers gave up an early lead. Now they're one game away from going home.

Kyle Turris lit the lamp 6:28 into overtime, giving the host Ottawa Senators a 5-4 win over the Rangers in Game 5 of their second-round series. The Senators lead the best-of-seven tilt, 3-2.

In many ways, this contest mirrored Game 2. The Rangers jumped out to an early lead, Ottawa battled its way back in and then put things away when it counted.

Of course, this win was not without a couple of moments that made hearts stop in Ottawa. The Rangers seemingly had the game won at multiple points, first with a Jimmy Vesey goal in the third period and then when Michael Grabner scored in overtime. The latter goal was waved off due to a high stick, which was upheld on review.

Just minutes later, Turris took a pass from Alex Burrows and knocked a series-shifting shot past Henrik Lundqvist. Steve Warne of TSN was ready to celebrate:

"

Turris. You freakin beauty. Shades of 2012! Game 6 hero!!

— Steve Warne™ (@TSNSteve) May 6, 2017"

Derick Brassard had played the hero for the Senators in regulation, tying the game with just under a minute-and-a-half remaining. Brassard scored on a wild deflection and seemed more than happy with his performance after the game:

His game-tying goal came about six minutes after Vesey had a wild score of his own. 

Vesey's goal, his first of the postseason, was a diving highlight-reel play for him—and nearly one for Senators goalie Craig Anderson. As Vesey went sprawling to the ground to deflect a loose puck just past the red line, Anderson stuck out his glove and nabbed the puck. If he had been even a quarter-second quicker, the game would have still been tied.

Once again, though, New York found itself unable to keep things together with a lead.

The Rangers opened the game red hot, lighting the lamp early and putting themselves seemingly on their way to another dominant victory. After blowing leads in Games 1 and 2, the Rangers had back-to-back 4-1 victories to even the series.

Jesper Fast scored at just past the four-minute mark in the first period, and Nick Holden made it 2-0 a little over a minute later. 

But as they have throughout the series when the games are in Ottawa, the Senators came back. Mark Stone responded to Holden's goal with one of his own six minutes into the first period, and then Mike Hoffman and Tom Pyatt got on the board within a minute of one another in the second to make the game 3-2. 

Ryan McDonagh knotted things up at 3-3 to send the teams into the final period tied.

If the Rangers are unable to come back and win the final two games of the series, they'll look back at their blown opportunities. New York held leads in Games 1, 2 and 5. It still holds a positive goal differential for the series.

Yet the Senators have seemed to find a way to make a comeback every time the Rangers generate a modicum of momentum.